Buying a digital camera can be daunting, especially as technology now offers us a great deal of brands and models. The key to finding the best camera is knowing what to look for. In the digital cameras market, it can be easy to get lost with camera-related words like megapixels, USB, compactFlash, etc. To avoid getting headaches and find what you want with ease, follow our informative step-by-step guide to make a wise decision.

1. Determine Your Needs

A mistake made by many is buying a digital camera that is beyond actual needs. This is why it is advisable to ask yourself some question before you go shopping.

• What do you need the camera for and which type of photos will you be taking? (landscapes, sports, portraits, macro).
• Which are the conditions you mostly will be photographing in? (low light, bright light, indoors, outdoors)
• How much experience do you have with cameras?
• What kind of features are you looking for? (image stabilization. Long zoom, large LCD display?
• Most importantly – what is your budget?

When you have the answers, you are set for searching through camera stores online or visiting a local camera store. This will put you in a much better position to make a decision on which camera is best for your needs.

2. Look Beyond Megapixels

While a few years ago the number of megapixels was actually pretty important, nowadays you can find all kinds of cameras with a considerable number of pixels, including simplest types. With so much technology available, megapixels aren’t so important anymore. Sometimes, more of them can actually be a disadvantage as they take more space on computer and memory cards. Still, it all depends on one main factor that should be considered when it comes to megapixels – will be printing your shots? If so, decide their size – for a normal picture size, anything over 4 megapixels will be enough. But if what you want is to print huge pictures, then you should be prepared to spend a great amount of money on a high-end model with more megapixels.

3. DSLR or Point and Shot – Which One to Choose?

Although digital DSLR cameras are becoming more affordable, they are not for everyone. On the one hand, they are often heavier, bigger, harder to maintain, and can be a lot more complicated to use than point and shoot cameras. Point and Shot cameras, on the other hand, are simple to use, and are slim and light, which allows you to simply slip them in a pocket as you go to a party, and not have extra weight when you travel. While some people see them as an inferior camera, depending on the type of photography you will be doing, your budget, and the features you want, it can be the appropriate choice for you.

4. Optical Zooms Are a Must

When looking at different camera models at camera stores online, you will see the zoom presented in two ways – optical zoom and digital zoom. It is highly recommended that you consider the optical zoom when deciding which camera to choose. Although digital zoom enlarges the pixels in your shot and makes the subject look bigger, it also makes it look more pixelated.

5. Read Reviews

Before purchasing a digital camera take some time to do a little research. Make sure you carefully read through all the product info when you find a reliable store. That will help you narrow down your choices. This is why buying online seems more efficient because when you pay a visit to a store you might be susceptible to the advice of the helpful sales person who may or may not know much about cameras or may have sales incentives for the camera they are recommending.