Thinking about purchasing your first digital camera? You should probably do a bit of research first. With the rapid progression in technology every so promptly advancing, there is an amazing array of selections to choose from when it comes digital cameras. If you do a little research you can be certain that you buy the digital camera that will suit your needs.

There are three basic types of digital cameras, consumer, mid-range and professional. The first thing is to figure out what type of camera and accessories are important to you as a photographer.

Are you looking for a fun little camera to take pictures of family celebrations? Are you more interested in enhancing your picture taking skills and becoming an expert at taking pictures and editing? What ever your photography goal, you want excellent, clear pictures from a camera that is easy to use.

The four basic variety of digital cameras are:

1) Ultra-compact- these cameras are about the size of a credit card, and fits easily into the front pocket of your jeans.

2) Sub-compact- these cameras will fit easily into your shirt pocket.

3) Point and Shoot - these are normal size cameras with more features, and generally require a camera bag.

4) Single Lens Reflex (SLR)- high quality cameras that have the look and feel of a 35 mm, with a detachable lens.

Another thing to think about is the type of pictures you will be taking. Will you be share your pictures over the internet, or are you more inclined to save them in a photo album? The camera resolution determines the quality of picture produced. A resolution of less than one mega pixel is suitable for web graphics. Resolution of one to two will give you good web graphics and good 4x6 prints. If you will be printing 5x7 photos, look for a resolution of two to three mega pixels. Resolution over six mega pixels will give you excellent quality prints up to 16 x 20.

Bigger is better when it comes to resolution. You can always set your camera to a lower resolution, but you cannot increase the maximum. You should buy the highest resolution that fits your budget.

Another important decision you will need to make is battery type. Alkaline AA batteries don't hold a charge as long as lithium batteries do, particularly if you are using a flash. However, the ability to purchase AA batteries almost anywhere can be important, especially if you travel.

Lithium batteries will last a long time, but they are expensive to replace. Nickel Cadmium batteries are rechargeable. They must be completely discharged prior to recharging, or you will get very poor performance from them. Another type of rechargeable battery is the Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH). These batteries come in all standard sizes, and last about 400 charges. These are probably your best buy. Lion (Lithium Ion) batteries last about twice as long as the others last, and are generally purchased as an 'extra'. They are a newer type of battery and not as widely available as the others are.

Some other differentials to have a look at before making a decision on your new camera include size and weight. A heavier camera is easier to hold steady, a lighter camera is easier to store and carry. Some cameras offer a multiple exposure option that will let you take a preset number of exposures when you depress the button. A self-timer will allow you to automatically shoot the picture after a preset time. A remote control option will allow you to take your pictures from a distance. Other options include a time and date stamp that display the information when you are viewing your photos through the camera or software, and sound recording, which lets you add captions to your photos.

Most cameras come bundled with software that will allow you to edit your pictures. The type of software varies with each camera. This should be a consideration when making your purchase.

There is no such thing as the ultimate camera. You have to think over your photography goals, your budget and your experience level to determine what camera options will be best for you.

Julie is a freelance writer that loves to share her insight and expertise.
8 Megapixel Digital Cameras

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When shopping for digital cameras, there are many options to choose from. While camera manufacturers may try to swindle you with a plethora of different options and technical specs that don't make much sense to anyone other than their marketing departments, there are a few broad categories of digital cameras that you need to be aware of.

Ultra compact Cameras

These cameras look more like something you would see in a James Bond flick, ultra compact cameras get their name from being exactly that, incredibly compact. While you may sacrifice manual options and possibly image quality with an ultra compact model, you can also easily tuck it away into a pocket or purse.

Point and Shoot Cameras

As the name suggests, point and shoot cameras are designed for the general picture taking public. With these models, many of the features are automated, so all you need to do is simply point at your subject and press the shutter.

Sub Compact Cameras

These cameras begin to start showing the features anyone who has ever shot film will recognize. These make up the majority of the cameras seen in stores and while many features are automated in camera, most models allow you to manually adjust things such as flash, aperture, and exposure length. This is a great camera if all you want to do is take some vacation snapshots or upload photos to your facebook profile.

Prosumer Digital Cameras

These cameras begin to offer most of the features you would get with an SLR camera, and will often allow you to change lenses. A hybrid model for the amateur and the hobbyist, prosumer cameras attempt to offer professional level picture taking quality with a short learning curve. IF you are a beginner to photography and are most interested in working with your composition and framing, then the prosumer is the best choice.

Digital SLR Cameras

These cameras have all the features a professional photographer would need. Made to mimic the SLR film cameras, here you are able to switch lenses, accurately set exposure, select film speed, and even add some basic post processing in camera.

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We all make the assumption these days that digital photography is better - but have you ever thought - why is it better? In fact, is it really better than film photography?

It is so easy to take pictures with digital cameras. They offer tremendous flexibility and there are several major benefits over traditional film cameras such as 35mm cameras.

Some of the main advantages to digital cameras are:

1.Pictures can be viewed instantly with the built in LCD screen located on the back of the digital camera. This provides a preview of the photo just been taken and the user has the choice to keep or delete the photo. How many times have you taken a photo and it just didn't come out like you expected? Maybe you "cut someones head off" or got caught out with the wrong exposure. It's no problem with a digital camera - simply delete it and take another photo.

2.No more buying film for your camera. In fact the "film" in a digital camera is a digital memory card. Yes, you still have to purchase one in order to store your pictures - but these are reusable time and time again. Once the pictures have been uploaded onto your computer simply delete all the pictures on the digital camera and start taking more again.

3.The stored photos are easily shared by either copying them to a memory stick or email to a friend or family. The photos can be viewed on a digital picture frame too.

4.The images can easily be enhanced or changed in many ways, depending on the software you is provided with the camera. In fact any image manipulation software package will be able to change your photos if so desired. You could instantly turn your photos into black and white snaps or just imply enhance the color or contrast. One problem many photos suffered from in the past was "red eye" where the eyes of a portrait of a person are shown red in the photo. Virtually all software that comes bundled with the camera will have some way of eliminating red eye so that when the photo's are printed out, the red eye has completely disappeared. Photos can also be cropped so that unsightly background in a photo can be removed.

There are significant advantages of digital cameras over film cameras and quite simply, digital cameras have now changed the way the world now takes pictures. Anyone who was once not very good at taking photos can now be an "expert" by manipulating the photos and improving on them on a computer.

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