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

TYPES OF DIGITAL CAMERAS

There are three main types of digital cameras:

1.Compact digital cameras-That are designed to be small and portable and the smallest are described as subcompact (or ultra compact).Compact digital cameras are designed to be easy to use,sacrifing advanced features and picture quality for compactness and semplicity and images can be only stored as JPEG format.Most of them have a build-in flash usually of low power,sufficient for nearby subjects.Live preview is used to frame the photo most of the time.They may have limited motion picture capability.Compacts have usually macro capability ,but if they have zoom capability the range is usually less then for bridge and DSLR cameras.They have a greater depth of field allowing object within a large range or distance from the camera to be in sharp focus.They are particularly suitable for casual and snapshot use.

2.Bridge cameras-Bridge or SLR-like cameras are higher-end digital cameras that physically resemble DSLRs and share with them some advanced feature,but share with compact the framing of the photo using live preview and small sensor size.Bridge cameras often have super zoom lenses which provide a very wide zoom range,typically between 10:1 and 18:1,which is attained at the cost of some distortions,to a degree which varies from lens quality.These cameras are sometimes marketed as and confused with digital SLR cameras since appearance is similar.Bridge cameras lack the mirror and reflex system of DSLRs,have so far been fitted with fixed (non interchangeable) lenses (although in some cases accessory wide-angle or telephoto converters cannot be attached to the lens ),can usually tale movies with sound , and the scene is composed bu viewing either the liquid crystal display or the electronic viewfinder (EVF).They are usually slower to operate than a true digital SLR , but they are capable of very good image quality while being more compact and lighter than DSLRs.Many of these cameras can store images in lowless RAW format as an option to JPEG compression.The majority have a build-in flash,often a unit which flips up over the lens.

3.Digital single-lens reflex camera (or DSLR)-This kind of digital camera use a automatic mirror system and pentaprism or pentamirror to direct light from the lens through the viewfinder eyepiece.The basic operation of a DSLR is as follows:
for viewfinder purpose , the mirror reflex the light comming through the attached lens upwards at an approximately 90 degree angle.It is then reflected by the pentaprism to the photographer's eye.During exposure (when the photograph is taken) ,the mirrors swings upwards ,and a shutter opens ,allowing the lens to project light onto the image sensor.
The reflex design scheme is the major difference between a DSLR and an ordinary digital camera (digicam) ,which typically exposes the sensor constantly to the light projected by the lens , allowing the camera screen to be used as an electronic viewfinder.
In contrast the mirror arrangement in a DSLR usually precludes the ability to view the scene on the liquid cristal display (LCD) before the photograph is taken.However many newer DSLR models feature live preview ,allowing the LCD to be used as a viewfinder in the same way as a normal digicam ,although with certain limitation and with the optical viewfinder disabled .
In most other respects ,a DSLR is similar in principle and operation to a standart (non-SLR) digital camera.
The ability to exchange lenses ,to select the best lens for the current photographic need ,and to allow the attachment of specialized lenses,is a key to the popularity of DSLR cameras