TOP 10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE BUYING A DIGITAL CAMERA

Before you start looking for a digital camera there are a few thing you need to know and consider if you want to make a good choice.
1. The resolution- when used to describe a digital camera refers to the size of the digital image the camera produces, and is usually expressed in terms of "megapixels" or how many million pixels it can record in a single image. The number of pixels a camera captures is called the camera's resolution.The advantage of having a camera with a higher resolution is you have more pixels to work with. That's important when getting prints made. In general more resolution means better print quality. It also gives you an advantage if you need to crop the image.If you need to print big, sharp, high-quality photos (8"X10" or larger), choose a camera in the five- to ten-pixel range. Low-resolution images still look clear when uploaded to web sites or viewed on your computer monitor, so fewer pixels are needed for "screen-only" purposes.BUT all these sometimes doesn't matter if you're a casual shooter who won't be printing pictures larger than 8x10" or doing extensive computer editing, then a camera with 5- or 6-megapixel resolution will be sufficient.More advanced photographers will likely appreciate the flexibility of higher resolution, but a 10+ megapixel camera is by no means necessary to create stunning pictures. Choose a camera you can understand and afford, and don't be fooled by glitzy high-resolution specs.
2. Image Stabilization-This a very important option of your camera as it avoids the camera-shake caused by your hand movement when shooting a picture.To combat camera-shake, many digital cameras use either Electronic Image Stabilization (E.I.S.), or the more advanced Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.).

• E.I.S. corrects for camera shake electronically, by digitally manipulating the image within the camera. While this corrects for motion blur, it can also result in some loss of detail and clarity.
• Optical Image Stabilization, on the other hand, compensates for camera-shake by moving the lens itself: gyrosensors detect jitter, microcomputers instantly calculate compensation needs, and tiny linear motors adjust lenses with speed and accuracy beyond comprehension. O.I.S. technology might sound complicated, but the end result is simple: photographs that are crisp and clear, even if your camera shakes.

3. Zoom Range-Is needed to shoot faraway subjects,so is very important that your camera has a big zoom range,but careful there are to kind of zoom range and you need to understand the difference between them:

• Digital zoom-electronically enlarges part of a scene within the camera (by zooming into the image's pixels), without adjusting the lens. While the digital zoom method allows for extreme close-ups with a small lens, some image quality and detail is usually lost in the process.
• Optical Zoom- is a much more precise technology. With Optical Zoom, the camera's lens automatically or manually adjusts to make an object appear closer, magnifying the subject while still fully maintaining its natural appearance and preserving the image quality of the final product.

4. Batteries-Digital cameras use up batteries fast and batteries are expensive. Before you buy digital camera, consider if the camera's batteries are rechargeable. This way you can recharge them. Take also into consideration an AC adapter when you buy digital camera. You can attach this to the camera when you are viewing your pictures or uploading them.But if you like to travel a lot is better for you to choose a camera with AA batteries.When a camera that uses AA-size batteries runs out of power on a trip, you can simply throw out the old batteries and drop in a new set of high-performance AAs like the Energizer E2 Lithium line. Two or three sets of such batteries can usually take you through a 10-day trip. If you're out of high-performance batteries, you also have the option of using standard alkaline batteries, which are available anywhere in the world, and make a cheap and convenient source of backup power (though they only offer a fraction of the life of high performance batteries).
5. Size of the camera-is very important and it depends on what do you want from the digital camera you will buy.But this doesn't mean that the bigger the camera the better it is.For example with a pocket camera you can shoot amazing and spontaneous photos,something that you can't always do with a DSLR because it is very big to carry around with you all the time.But also with a DSLR you can have a better quality of the image.So before buying you have to consider the size.
6. What you see in the viewfinder may not be what you get on the print. Often with cheap digital camera comes a problem with the viewfinder because it is placed above the lens,CCD and image processor.So when you look through your viewfinder you dont shoot what you see. You may frame a portrait in the viewfinder, then look at the image on your computer and wonder how the ears got cut off. If you do get a camera with an optical viewfinder, use the LCD to frame your subjects.
7. You will have to buy other things than just a camera-Most of the time digital cameras are associated with memory cards that have never enough to shoot more than 10 photos,so you will need to buy some other memory cards,at least 256MB of memory.Some require SD cards and some other need their own brand of memory card.You will also need a camera bag,lenses and flash accessors ,tripod etc...
8. Learn to use digital darkroom-After buying a good digital camera you may shoot good picture but to make them great you will need to learn some digital darkroom techniques,or sometimes you will just need to do some improvement on them.So start learning some basic things you will need them in the future.You can start with easy software like picasa.com and them if you want to master your skills use Adobe photoshop.
9. The printer is as important as your digital camera-If you want to share printed photographs you will need a good printer.You can shoot great photos with your great digital camera but if you don't have a great printer your photos won't be that great.
10. Do research-You may want to start looking for digital cameras on different store even if you have decided to buy online so you can check prices,ore can do some compare.Search online to find what you need.Is very important to see cameras comparisons so you will have the possibility to buy the best camera for you.So do a lot of research work.
Good luck