Struggling to come to terms with what to pick for your first digital camera? We give you some pointers to aid you on your quest. Step this way.
This year, fashionable cameras still seem to be the rage, with plenty of vendors rushing out slim pickings that come in a variety of shades. Likewise, the upper-end of the consumer market is seeing affordable digital SLRs (Single Lens Reflex) compete with a crop of 8-megapixel prosumers.
Whether you are a snapshooter, a trendsetter, business user, serious amateur, a photographer on a shoestring budget, or better still, undecided, scroll down our digicam shopping checklist to find out what you really want. And if you cannot bear to trudge through all the text, go right to the bottom of each check point to find out what we recommend for the snapshot crowd.
2. Lens
3. Digital / combined zoom
4. Hotshoe
5. Grip
7. LCD display
8. Viewfinder
9. Flash memory
10. Connectivity
1. Sensor
In the old days, all you needed to do was buy the highest resolution you could afford. If all you intend to do are 4 x 6 prints, just pick cameras with resolutions of 4-, 5- or 6-megapixels as you won't really need much more than that. Also bear in mind that sensors used on dSLRs are of a different breed. They tend to be of higher quality and exhibit less noise. Therefore, pick a 6-megapixel dSLR over an 8-megapixel prosumer if you're finicky about image quality.
Go for a 6-megapixel camera if you're undecided.
2. Lens
Optics play a large part in getting great, sharp pictures. Obviously, lenses with larger focal range will allow you greater flexibility in composition. In general, for normal point-and-shoots, settle for nothing less than a 3x optical zoom model. For the big-zoom telephoto buffs, look out for those aperture ratings and image stabilisation technologies such as Optical Image Stabilisation and AntiShake. Glasses with larger apertures and IS allow you to keep shutter speeds up, reducing the effect of hand shake and, hence, blurry pictures.
Pick a shooter with at least a 3x optical zoom and, preferably, optical image stabilisation as well.
3. Digital / combined zoom
While it's true that such "zooms" allow you to get closer to your subject, the quality of your images degrades as the camera's built-in algorithms interpolate the picture to retrieve missing data when reconstructing the image. Admittedly, on small prints, higher-resolution sensors tend to fare better with some amount of digital zoom.
Negligible -- don't bother about digital zooms on digital cameras.
4. Hotshoe
If you have an existing external flash unit from an old film SLR and intend to put it to further use, make sure the camera you're buying has a hotshoe that supports some of your external flash's communication protocols. Else you'll find yourself having difficulty getting perfect exposures.
Unless you intend to hook up an external flash, you don't need a hotshoe on your tiny camera -- it defeats the whole purpose of looking good anyway.
5. Grip
If you've picked a long telephoto camera, pay particular attention to the grip. If you're not able to get a firm, comfortable hold on your device, don't be surprised to find your photos turning out blurry! We all have different hand sizes and it's best to find a camera with a good hold so your digits will not cramped up just after a few shots.
We suggest heading down to a nearby shop and actually feeling how the camera grips in your hands rather than second-guessing from the pictures.
6. Battery
When if comes to power, the ability to use a variety of battery types can be more important than any single type a camera may use. If you're a frequent traveler, it'll work out better for you to find a shooter which uses standard AA-size batteries. This will ensure that you have easily obtainable off-the-shelf power for your camera without having to worry too much about power sockets and voltage. For units with proprietary Lithium ion batteries, do find a manufacturer that uses the same line of rechargeables on a few of its cameras. This ensures that you'll be able to purchase a replacement in the future. Your best bet is a camera that interchangeably supports rechargeables and long-life disposables.
Your best bet would be AA-size rechargeables if you are a frequent traveller or proprietary Lithium ion batteries if you don't want to compromise on the size of your camera.
7. LCD display
One of the benefits of going digital is the ability to take pictures without composing through the usually cramped optical viewfinder. Generally, the larger the LCD, the easier it is on your eyes. However, take note that larger LCDs invariably use up more battery power and can be hard to see in bright light. Also, be aware that some large screens aren't as sharp as smaller ones due to the pixel count. For more flexibility in shots, some makes also feature displays that swivel, twist and turn.
Settle for a 2.5-inch LCD with approximately 200k pixels.
8. Viewfinder
Although many cameras come with optical viewfinders, some enthusiast-oriented models tend to offer EVFs (Electronic Viewfinders) that are used on camcorders, too. Take particular care in the resolution of such viewfinders, especially if macro photography is top on your list. While the 235k-pixel ones may sound like plenty, it's still relatively hard to determine focus. At this point in time, this is one specification where more is never enough.
Viewfinders are practically useless if they are small and have a low resolution, so you don't actually need one.
9. Flash memory
Before buying a camera, take a look at the type of flash memory it supports. For instance, picking a camera that uses the open-standard CompactFlash or Secure Digital card could save you considerable money over a competing xD-Picture Card or Memory Stick camera. With the memory cards getting smaller in size yet bigger in capacity these days, you may also want to consider whether the media you are purchasing can be used on other gadgets you own as well. It pays to think ahead.
Go for cameras that use the same memory card format as your other devices.
10. Connectivity
Depending on how you want to share your pictures, the connectivity of a camera can be important. Some models let you share your pictures on a TV screen, producing a slideshow for family and friends to see. Most just feature a USB connection for transferring pictures to your PC. For users who take plenty of pictures, you can also consider the slightly faster FireWire ports. Finally, for direct printing, check if the camera's USB connection supports PictBridge connectivity before laying out the dough. We are also witnessing more compact cameras with built-in Wi-Fi capabilities. While that may sound attractive especially for users who wish to transfer their pictures sans cables, the technology is still limited to general home use. The ease of uploading images online at a hotspot directly from a camera is a feature which we hope to be available soon.
Make sure your camera comes with a built-in USB and AV-out port as you don't want to carry an extra cradle around to hook your shooter up to your computer.
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