WHAT CAMERA DO I PURCHASE?
- How do I know what camera is right for me?
- Where do I find the best price online or instore?
- What is the BEST Camera?
Ok, I want to purchase a new digital camera, what camera is the best?
This is a question I hear all the time. There are hundreds of digital cameras, each offering a wide varitiey of opions. You need to analye what you want and need from a digital camera, before you can start to narrow down your choices.
1. Size Matters: (ultra compact to D-SLR's with lenses)
The average camera user takes pictures of family members, friends, dogs, and a few landscapes or buildings that catch their eye. In most of these situations you want to pull out a camera from a pocket, or bag and start shooting. If you are taking quick photos then a ultra or compact camera (point and shoot) will fit your needs. These are usually small camera's that can fit into your pocket or backpack.
Pro-sumer digital camera's offer you a slightly larger camera, with lots of options and usually optical zooms and features closer to a D-SLR but without the lenses or the desire to carry or change them.
If you are really getting into quality of prints and your pictures, you may want to consider a D-SLR. This is when you don't mind a larger camera in exchange for quality and options. If you want to options or lens' choics, and really get detail in your pictures, you may gravitate to a slightly larger digital SLR to meet your needs. Ultra Compacts, Compact, (also refered to as point and shoot), and SLR's are the basic choices for size. Visit your local camera store ( Penn Camera, Ritz or your local favorite). There are some pitfalls to watch for: smaller the camera the harder to hold steady, but the easier keep in close and start shooting. Look for stabilizer and face recognition. There are great new features in small cameras.
2. Price:
Hey lets admit right from the start, we want a great camera for a great price. You can! My advice is always find the camera that meets your needs first, then if necessary save up. Of course, peppytechie will steer you to the best price comparisoin sites to get a great price once you make your decision. I always recommend pricegrabber.com and amazon.com as a great place to start once you have a couple cameras in mind. I am not saying you should buy online or at a store. I am saying do your research for price, but beware of GREY MARKET cameras. (If a price is too good to be true...it just may be). Check for reliable sites at http://www.resellerratings.com.
3. Quality:
Yes, you want to purchase a camera to be sturdy, and produce excellent pictures. In todays digital camera, most of us will print out 5 x 7 picture and review them on our computers. For these needs a 6 mega-pixel camera will meet your needs. Of course the more megapixals, the more developing choices you will have later on if you decide you want to print larger prints. Rule of thumb to remember: When you shoot with larger format you can always make pictures smaller, but you cannot make them bigger than they were taken.
4. Zoom:
Optical zoom is the important feature to look for. Optical zoom will allow you to get close to your subject without losing quality. This is espessially nice if you find yourself wanting to get a closeup of something further away. Digital zoom is not an important feature - as you lose quality when you zoom in.
5. Battery Life:
This has got to be one of the most overlooked features in digital cameras. I know many people who go for the latest and greatest digital cameras which are short in the battery life department. If you want to take good photos, your camera needs to powered for extended periods of time. I've found that cost and battery life don't go together - many cheap cameras have good battery life, while some high-end models drain your battery really fast. Make sure you choose a camera that has good battery life.
6. Sensors:
Digital cameras have smaller sensors then film cameras, (unless you spend the big bucks on the very few digital cameras that are full frame sensors.
5. So where do you start?
Start at a local camera store - not a big discount store. Leave your wallet at home...this is research only!!... Ask to see a few cameras that meet your "size requirements and mega=pixel needs. Ask the sales person to put a digital card in the camera (if none), so you can see what the pictures look like, compared to others. Look for blurry edges, too much light, and general quality. I like sales people (I say that right off). However, they have their personal likes, and maybe even incentives to sell a certain camera....once you have a few cameras in mind. Go home and do your research. See review sites below.
Ok, you have a few choices in mind.....now what? GO HOME and Research!
Get on your computer and use the sites listed below to find more information about your camera. Steves-digicams and dpreview are two of the best research sites for digital camera information. These two sites research cameras and give you great advice and information. Use them before you buy. You can also go to cnet as a source to compare information as well.
6. Learning your new camera: (Ok, you bought your camera, now get it off automatic!!)
First read over your manual. Don't try to read it all in on sitting, but try and little chunks of information and go out and shoot a bunch of shots testing what you've learned. (the best thing about digital is you can practice for free). Also, go back out to Steves-digicams and dpreview Digital Camera Resource, and learn more about your camera from them. You would be amazed how they make it easy to understand a lot about your camera. These sites can really help you "learn" your camera and it's features. Take a class at your local community college, adult education program or if you are in Northern Virginia you can email me and I will be happy to work with you to learn to use your new digital point and shoot or DSLR.
Digital Camera Review Sites
Steves-digicams
Provides up-to-date info on all digital cameras. Extensive review on each camera. I will admit, I sometimes first head to the conclusions and then work my back to getting more info!
dpreview
Here you will find all the latest digital photography and imaging news, reviews, discussion boards, and a buyers guide. When you are looking for a new digital camera, this site is a MUST for research. I personally like the side by side comparison page.
CNet
Cnet is one of my favorite technology sites for information, reviews and news. Cnet has an entire section on digital cameras and offers a great resource to add to your research.
Digital Camera Resource is a site that gives un bias reviews and provides wonderful research information including comparisons.
Articles and tips:
Steps in purchasing a digital Camera
Buying a digital camera Checklist
Choosing a digital camera chart
Gray Market Cameras
Digital Photography Training 
Peppy Techie provides digital photography training to aspiring photographers. If you are a new owner of a digital camera and want to learn the basics we can help you to feel comfortable with all the buttons and choices that your camera offers.
If you are a user with some experience with your digital camera but desire help on techniques to take better photographs, then Peppy Techie can assist you to become a better and more confident photographer. More info here on Digital Photography Training.
email: peppytechie@gmail.com for more information on setting up a training experience.You can also call 703-400-3888 and ask for the Peppy Techie!