When you’re first starting out taking digital photographs - choosing the right camera can be difficult. These days there are literally thousands of cameras available - in a variety of shapes and sizes and with an increasingly wide range of features. With all the technical information to wade through it’s easy to get lost - there’s all sorts of jargon associated with camera’s from exposure to aperture but when starting out you need to keep things simple and know the basics of what you should be looking for.

When starting out - simplicity is the key - most users want to be able to simply point and shoot - then transfer the finished results to their computer or printer. Most local printing stores accept digital cameras or media cards - many even have self serve booths or machines so getting quality prints from your camera shouldn’t be too daunting.

So what should you look for when starting out - to help we have put together 5 key things you should look for when choosing an entry level digital camera.

1. Megapixels

This is the key feature and determines the quality of your photographs - Megapixels refers to the resolution capability of your camera - simply put the higher the megapixel the better your results. These days, camera’s range from 2 or less to 10 Megapixel SLR cameras. The more megapixels the higher the quality but also the higher cost of the camera so it will be a trade off - aim for a minimum of 3 Megapixels for reasonable 4 X 6 or 8 X 10 family photographs.

2. Storage

Many camera’s come with onboard storage - a memory card expansion slot - or both - Storage is important because that’s where your photo’s will be placed before you transfer them to your computer or print them off - if your camera has an expansion slot and can take memory cards, ensure that these cards are easily available (e.g. SD cards) and ensure you have a way of transferring the contents of your memory card to your PC either by a card reader or a dedicated slot in your PC.

3. Ease of Transferring Pictures

Check out how you will transfer pictures to your PC or printer - many Digital camera’s these days will “dock” with compatible printers - or you may be able to connect to your PC via USB - also check if the camera comes with any software to help.

4. Features

Camera’s these days have a wide variety of features - some of which may be useful to you for example

Does the camera come with a zoom function (is this optical or digital - optical will produce better results)

Can the Camera take Movies?

Can you manually adjust settings such as exposure

Before you buy your camera think about how you will use it and determine which features you’ll need.

5. Power/Battery Life

Finally the camera will no doubt be powered by batteries - check out how many - what type and the battery life you can expect from a fully charged set - can this be conserved by turning of the LCD screen or other features - many entry level cameras eat batteries for breakfast!! - make sure you aim for a long battery life and keep a stock of spares.

The author runs the blog Camera-zone Blog which offers reviews and information for those starting out with digital camera’s and digital photography.

You do not really need to know how disposable digital cameras work to know that they work for you. Here is as much information that you will need to know about how disposable digital cameras work:

In the 1950’s and 1960’s Polaroid’s instant cameras were all the rage. You could shoot a picture and have the finished print in a minute or so. The quality wasn’t that great, but hey, you had your pictures now! Today with digital cameras and high-tech photo printers, we have quality instant photos virtually indistinguishable from processed prints. And unlike the old instant cameras, you have the digital equivalent of a negative for future use.

Checking photo printer reviews happily discloses that even an inexpensive photo printer produces true photo quality prints. The main difference in printer prices has to do with features for printing digital pictures. Of course the best digital photo printers will produce better quality, but for the average consumer there’s no noticeable difference.

A Quick Review of Printer Types

The two types of true photo printers are: 1) thermal dye transfer (usually called dye sublimation), and 2) photo ink jet. A quick photo printer review reveals the differences.

Thermal Dye - These printers dry transfer pigments from a ribbon, usually 3 colors plus a protective clear coat. Most have a maximum print size of 4″ X 6″, but a few will print digital photo enlargements up to 8″ X 10″. Many are portable, some even battery operated. A thermal dye printer’s 300 X 300 dpi resolution will match an ink jet’s 1200 X 4800, and the print’s clear coat makes it look and feel more like a conventional photograph.

Photo Ink Jet - Differences from traditional ink jet printers include; faster printing, inks formulated specifically for photos, and more nozzles applying the ink. Prints are very high quality and generally cost less than thermal dye transfer prints. Photo ink jet printers print photos up to 13″ X 19″, and can also serve as an all-purpose printer for your computer.

Tips for Comparing Printers and Printing Photos

• If you want to print photos directly from the camera, both camera and printer should be PictBridge compliant. Most camera/printer dock combos are brand & model specific so if you replace either one, you can’t use it with the other. PictBridge is a standard allowing any compliant camera and printer to interface with a USB cable.
• When reviewing printers make sure they will print the sizes you want. Otherwise you may not always be able to get the prints you want, and/or waste a lot of paper and ink in doing so.
• Just because a printer has a lot of whistles & bells, high resolution settings, etc., doesn’t mean it will give you better pictures. Look for the features you will actually use, and by all means carefully compare the finished print quality for each printer.
• Download some free photo editing software for easy picture enhancements. It isn’t necessary to buy expensive computer software when you can find a free photo editor with a quick Internet search.

Photo printer technology has come a long way in the last couple of years. Even though do-it-yourself prints are still about double the cost of print processing services, it’s still cheaper than conventional film processing and the flexibility and convenience can be well worth it.

Digital cameras information from A to Z: camera types & features, how they work, accessories, photo printers, comparisons and more - plus digital photo processing tips and info at A-Z Digital Cameras.com, Your Complete A-Z Resource for Digital Cameras, Accessories and Information.

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