Digital cameras are dropping in price and everyone wants one. As early as five years ago the prices were prohibitive for even a basic model. If you wanted more options, you'd pay even more. These days, even the upgraded models are affordable. Digital photography is so easy and great, that it's the only way to go!
Before buying one, check out what kind of capabilities you might want. Most people that want one have a computer at home, although it isn't a necessity. You can buy a printer that hooks right up to your camera for an affordable price. Just plug it in, push a button and your pictures will print out for your enjoyment. Before you start buying, make sure that all your hardware and software are compatible. The easiest way to go is to load your pictures from your camera to your PC. You can manipulate the pictures to how you want them to look, upload to a picture sharing website, and share them with family and friends. If anyone wants hard copies, they just need to print them.
Resolution is a major factor to consider in your camera. Mega-pixels vary by camera, so it depends on your needs. They range from 2.0 to 12.0 mega-pixels. The average buyer wouldn't need anything larger than 4, unless you wanted to blow your pictures up to a very large size. In general 3.0 to 4.0 mega-pixels are fine for most consumers, as these resolutions produce clear, beautiful pictures.
Another factor you should consider is the type of zoom. Digital zoom is another property of digital cameras. Digital zoom is not always the best zoom, and pictures can often turn out rather grainy. The better choice is optical zoom. Optical zoom gives excellent results, but costs a bit more as well. If you do not intend to use the zoom function often you probably do not want to worry about too high of an optical zoom factor since it can get quite expensive.
You may want to purchase extra memory by getting a memory card. Often the internal memory isn't enough, especially if you're taking a trip. Without the card, you may end up with only 30 pictures or so. Memory cards aren't prohibitive in cost, and with it you will be able to store hundreds of pictures.
Make sure your digital camera comes with software giving you the ability to edit and manipulate your pictures. It can be quite basic, but you can do fun things like changing color to black and white or sepia. More sophisticated software lets you edit away objects or people you don't want in your shot.
These factors should help you to find the right digital camera for you. Some people are a little intimidated by new technology, but digital cameras today are so easy to use and so functional you really should not hesitate to dive in and get yourself one!
