Basics
There are many things you need to check when deciding on a digital camera. First get a feel of the camera before buying it. Click pictures and see if you are comfortable with it. A very small and light camera may be the in thing, but it is also difficult to use for large hands. Digital cameras use up batteries fast and hence, it is better to go in for a camera that supports rechargeable batteries.
Price
Most digital cameras range between Rs 5,000 and Rs 35,000. The professional ones, the SLRs are priced above that. It’s better to buy a model launched around six months back than to buy something which has just been launched. This has twin benefits: first, you already know how good the camera is and second you don’t pay a premium that new cameras command.
Brand
If you are really brand-conscious, you may pay a premium for Sony and Nikon. But if you are not that brand-conscious you could get a better deal with cameras from Olympus, Samsung, and others.
Purpose
Why do you need the camera? Do you require it to view pictures online or do you want to take high quality pictures that could be enlarged? There's no point wasting money on a high-end camera, if you don’t require the additional features such as optical zoom, wi-fi, and high-end lenses. Point-and-shoot cameras are the best for beginners and have most of the commonly required features. Just stick to basic features. Also, the purpose of the camera is to take still pictures. Spending extra on video capabilities may not be a good idea.
Megapixels
Higher megapixels enable to print an image clearly such that the picture quality is not affected when you try to enlarge the image. An object shot from a 2 megapixel will not be as clear as the one taken from a 4 megapixel camera, because higher the megapixel of a camera, the higher will be the resolution. If you require a camera to just take pictures and save it in your computer and e-mail it to friends, or shoot postcard size printouts, a low megapixel camera would be fine. But if you want bigger pictures than postcard-sized ones, go in for higher megapixels.
Memory
Most digital cameras come with 64 MB memory card and upwards. Some cameras have built-in memory too. Usually, a 4 megapixel camera with 64 MB memory can click up to 50 images. And as the megapixels increase the number of pictures that can be clicked decline drastically. Usually a 512 MB memory stick is enough.
Zoom
Amateur cameras come with digital zoom, smart zoom and optical zoom. Pictures zoomed using a smart and/or digital zoom might be at the cost of quality. An optical zoom is in fact the real zoom, wherein the lens moves forward from the camera. A camera with optical zoom will have a built in digital zoom and may have a smart zoom function too. So, you can further zoom in on the actual object.
Lens
This plays an important role. Sony also has amateur digital cameras with the German Carl Zeiss lens, apart from products with Sony lenses. The premium lenses come at a small cost, but they are worth it.
There are many things you need to check when deciding on a digital camera. First get a feel of the camera before buying it. Click pictures and see if you are comfortable with it. A very small and light camera may be the in thing, but it is also difficult to use for large hands. Digital cameras use up batteries fast and hence, it is better to go in for a camera that supports rechargeable batteries.
Price
Most digital cameras range between Rs 5,000 and Rs 35,000. The professional ones, the SLRs are priced above that. It’s better to buy a model launched around six months back than to buy something which has just been launched. This has twin benefits: first, you already know how good the camera is and second you don’t pay a premium that new cameras command.
Brand
If you are really brand-conscious, you may pay a premium for Sony and Nikon. But if you are not that brand-conscious you could get a better deal with cameras from Olympus, Samsung, and others.
Purpose
Why do you need the camera? Do you require it to view pictures online or do you want to take high quality pictures that could be enlarged? There's no point wasting money on a high-end camera, if you don’t require the additional features such as optical zoom, wi-fi, and high-end lenses. Point-and-shoot cameras are the best for beginners and have most of the commonly required features. Just stick to basic features. Also, the purpose of the camera is to take still pictures. Spending extra on video capabilities may not be a good idea.
Megapixels
Higher megapixels enable to print an image clearly such that the picture quality is not affected when you try to enlarge the image. An object shot from a 2 megapixel will not be as clear as the one taken from a 4 megapixel camera, because higher the megapixel of a camera, the higher will be the resolution. If you require a camera to just take pictures and save it in your computer and e-mail it to friends, or shoot postcard size printouts, a low megapixel camera would be fine. But if you want bigger pictures than postcard-sized ones, go in for higher megapixels.
Memory
Most digital cameras come with 64 MB memory card and upwards. Some cameras have built-in memory too. Usually, a 4 megapixel camera with 64 MB memory can click up to 50 images. And as the megapixels increase the number of pictures that can be clicked decline drastically. Usually a 512 MB memory stick is enough.
Zoom
Amateur cameras come with digital zoom, smart zoom and optical zoom. Pictures zoomed using a smart and/or digital zoom might be at the cost of quality. An optical zoom is in fact the real zoom, wherein the lens moves forward from the camera. A camera with optical zoom will have a built in digital zoom and may have a smart zoom function too. So, you can further zoom in on the actual object.
Lens
This plays an important role. Sony also has amateur digital cameras with the German Carl Zeiss lens, apart from products with Sony lenses. The premium lenses come at a small cost, but they are worth it.
