How to choose a digital camera? This is not an easy question to answer given the wide range of digital cameras available in the market today. Each camera comes with its own individual features like image resolution, storage capacity, lens power etc. So, what should the buyer look for in the camera?

Many factors need to be considered when a buying a digital camera. Image quality and trueness of colors need to be studied carefully. In fact, one should spend considerable time looking at images generated by different cameras before taking a decision. These images should not be the retouched images but fresh shoots.

Resolution is another major requirement. The quality of a camera is directly proportional to the resolution of the images. For example, a 3 megapixels (MP) camera outputs images that are anywhere from 1 to 2 MB in size while a 7 MP camera outputs images that are 4 to 5 MB in size. If you are a professional photographer then you should go for high pixel cameras; beginners can look at low or mid-end cameras.
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You should also not forget the camera weight. A large and heavier camera is difficult to carry. It is also more difficult to keep it still when shooting. You should therefore select a camera that you can focus with ease.

The number of images a camera can take before you download them on to your computer may not be a problem if you are shooting near your computer. However, it does matter if you are shooting outdoors in which case you should choose a camera that will store enough images. You should therefore go for large memory cards or several small memory cards. This will allow you the luxury of long photo shoots.

Mid range cameras have a single lens with or without ‘zoom’ facility. For shooting objects from a close range (around less than 1.5 feet) choose a camera with a macro option. High-end cameras, which are basically 35mm. SLR (Single Lens Reflex)) cameras, come with changeable lenses but can cost quite a lot. They are more useful for professional photographers. Beginners need not burn money on them.

You can also look at cameras with or without adapters. Cameras that come with an AC adapter have the advantage of being plugged directly into electrical sockets when it is time to recharge the battery. The disadvantage is that you cannot take photographs while the battery is being charged.

A digital camera focuses light through a lens or a series of lenses onto a sensor, which records the image electronically. This electronic information is then converted into binary digital data, and stored on a fixed or a removable device for being read by a computer. This is, of course, a simple explanation of how digital cameras work.

In practice, most digital cameras use a charge coupled device (CCD) as an image sensor. Some digital cameras use a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) instead. Both these sensors convert light into electrical charges, which are transferred to a storage disc.

The sensors also filter the light into the three primary colors and then combine them to create the full spectrum. The more expensive cameras use three sensors. Each of them has a filter of a different color.

Aperture and shutter speed is used to control the amount of light that reaches the sensor. The aperture setting is automatic in most digital cameras. Some cameras also allow manual control, for professionals and enthusiasts. The shutter, in contrast, is set electronically.

The digital cameras use four kinds of lenses. These are: fixed-focus, fixed-zoom lenses; optical-zoom lenses with automatic focus; digital-zoom lenses, and replaceable lens systems. The fixed focus and fixed zoom lenses are used in inexpensive cameras while the optical zoom lenses have both wide and telephoto options. The digital zoom lens culls pixels from the central part of the image and enlarges them to fill the frame. However, this can at times result in a grainy or fuzzy image.

Most digital cameras have an LCD screen to view the image. For better viewing or printing, the image needs to be transferred to a computer. The quality of the image depends on the resolution of a digital camera, and is measured in megapixels. The higher the resolution, the better is the image quality.

The resolution is also important in deciding the size of printed photographs. A 1 megapixel digital camera will produce images that are good for e-mailing or posting on the Web. This is because their resolution is low. The images taken from a 2 megapixel camera are suitable for 4×5 inch prints while those taken from a 4 megapixel camera can produce 16×20 inch prints.

The early digital cameras used to store images on memory devices within the camera. These were then transferred with the help of cables to computers. Today, most digital camera makers provide reusable and removable storage devices. These include SmartMedia cards, CompactFlash cards and Memory Sticks. Some other removable storage devices include: floppy disks, hard disks, or microdrives, writeable CDs and DVDs. This has considerably enhanced the volume of visual data that can be stored.

A digital camera generally provides three digital storage formats. These are: JPEG, TIFF and RAW. You need to understand what these digital image formats are; only then you will be able to get a high quality photograph.

The RAW mode, as the name suggests, is a picture format where the camera has made no changes. The picture has been stored as it is. This means that each and every pixel that was captured by the camera is now on the image. You can now download this image on your computer for processing.

However, when you do so you will notice that this is a very large image, probably a few MBs. This means that you will need a very large storage area or memory space if you are going to shoot images in RAW format. Your advantage is that you can sharpen, size, or crop the picture without losing any picture quality.

But your disadvantage is the file size. You cannot transmit it easily because it needs high bandwidth connections. Also, you can shoot very few photographs if you select the RAW mode. After that, you have to change the memory card or make space by erasing a few photographs.

Also, this mode is generally not accepted by the publishing industry because it produces a 12-bit image. The photographer needs to modify it using photo-editing software before submitting it for publication.

The TIFF mode is a better mode. There is no picture loss, and the picture is also acceptable to the publishing industry since it is in an 8-bit mode. The image takes relatively less storage space as compared to the RAW format, and is very suitable for any changes that need to be made using photo-editing software.

However, it still has some drawbacks. These pertain to file size, which is still very large and can choke small e-mail boxes. You also need more memory cards if you are using TIFF images during a photo shoot.

The JPEG mode is the compression format. It not only reduces the size of the photograph but it also lowers the quality of the picture. That is why it is called the ‘lossy’ mode. A lot of pixels are lost when the photograph is changed to the JPEG format. This makes the image less suitable for photo-editing.

The advantage is that the JPEG images take less space to store. They are easier to transmit and can even be sent over dial up connections. You also can shoot more photographs with the same amount of memory space. This format is especially suited for amateur or family photography.