Digital cameras: Product Overview

Mention that you're buying a digital camera in a group of people and you're sure to get more advice than you know what to do with. Everyone, it seems, knows what the best brand is, what model to avoid, or how many megapixels you need. Try to take this advice with a grain of salt – there's no single answer to which digital camera is right for you, just several important factors to keep in mind.

Lenses
The majority of digital cameras sold today are autofocus cameras with fixed lenses. Unless you're a serious photographer, you don't need to look any further, although you should avoid fixed focal length cameras in favor of true autofocus. Photographers who want more control will prefer a camera that allows interchangeable lenses.

Resolution
Resolution is a measure of how detailed a picture the camera can deliver – the infamous megapixels you hear so much about. Most buyers who use their digital cameras for snapshots can get along fine with a resolution of 4 megapixels. That's enough to let you make quality prints of your snapshots at 3” x 5" or 4” x 6". More serious photographers, or those who intend to print 8” x 10"s or enlarge small portions of images, might need to go up to 6 or 8 megapixels for clarity.

Zoom
The zoom feature lets you take pictures close to the action – even if you're not. Decide if you need a good zoom – 2x to 4x – or a great zoom of 10x or 12x. The number you're looking for is optical zoom – a physical zoom created by the lens. A digital zoom is only a software trick that blows up pictures to a larger size, which can seem like more of a close up but doesn't provide any more detail and makes pictures grainy.

Picture storage
Don't put too much importance on camera storage. Unless you're going to be away from your computer for an extended period of time, it's very easy to download your pictures and free up space on the camera. For vacations or other situations where you need to be able to store many hundreds of pictures, buying additional memory cards is fairly inexpensive. Put storage capacity at the bottom of your list.

Form factor
How you're going to use the camera impacts the type of body that's right for you. If you want to carry the camera around in a purse or jacket, it's worth paying a little extra to get an extra-slim body with a retractable lens. If you expect to carry a camera case or use it for business purposes, a larger camera can be fine.

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