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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