5 Digital Camera Buying Tips

The digital camera buying tips below are for beginners as well as the advanced photographers who get caught up with the obsession of getting the latest and greatest digital camera.

There are dozens of articles written on this digital photo tips web site that can be used for any camera that you have.

Buying the most expensive digital camera will not automatically make you a better photographer.

Some of the most historically famous photographers had simple box cameras with very limited features.

If I were to invest in a $1000 tennis racket, I think it's safe to say that my game would not improve enough for me to seriously compete against the best tennis players in the World.

It can also be said that having the right tools can make any task easier to accomplish with better results. Can you imagine a brain surgeon trying to perform surgery using a common table knife?

So, on which side of the scale do you sit? Do you want to learn to be a great photographer by using a simple cell phone camera or cheapo point and shoot?

You can pickup many digital camera tips by reading the many articles available here, but if you have a budget camera with limited features, it may make it difficult to capture certain types of photographs.

Perhaps you are excited about buying an expensive digital slr camera. You subscribe to the philosophy that you want the very best equipment, so you can create the very best photos.

This was my philosophy in high school when I bought one of the early multi-mode, electronic-shuttered SLRs in 1977.

There she is, on the right. I loved that camera, a Minolta xd-11. It had aperture-priority, shutter-priority, manual, program and automatic modes.

It got me excited to take photos and I took a lot. So it was a great buy for me back then for the camera and an 85-210mm zoom lens for about $750 at our local shopping mall.

In fact, I had so much fun taking photos that I quit engineering school to be come a professional photographer.

We all might have an idea of how much we want to spend, but it's not just about the money. Perhaps there is a medium ground that is right for each individual photographer.

1. Cameras don't last forever. Less expensive, modern plastic cameras with auto-focus, zoom lenses and electronic shutters break easily even if you take good care of them. Rapid technology advances makes the newest fall out of favor rapidly. The cheaper they are made, then the easier they break. It is not worth the expense to repair. It's better to buy new again.

2. The megapixel myth. Bigger is not always better. Up until now, sensor size was very important. Now with the technological advances, practically all sensors are big enough and some are actually too big. Some manufactures squeeze so many tiny pixels on the camera sensors that image quality is compromised. Huge sensors mean huge file sizes and a need for more computer speed and more memory.

3. Make it easy and convenient. I have read articles on digital camera buying tips that focus on the technical features only. Get a digital camera that is easy to have with you at all times.

Can you envision yourself carrying a camera bag around with you? Maybe you want something lightweight and compact that will slip easily into our purse or pocket.

For many people the cell phone really is the perfect solution. It should be easy to use or if complex-you should know how before you try to use it.

4. The lens matters most. Zoom Zoom Zoom. The biggest limitation is not the size of the sensor , but how well you can capture your subject with the lens choice you have.

The bigger the range of zoom on your lens, the more options you have in composition and subject matter.

5. Take action right away.. Whatever digital camera buying choice you make, make sure to copy your photos. Back them up and clear the memory card on your camera.

Make prints for your photo album or to put out and display. Try printing a book with one of the on-line printing companies, like Snapfish, Shutterfly or Blurb.

Create a video or slide show. Use and enjoy them now. Don't wait until a rainy day.

These digital camera buying tips should give you some food for thought. Please take advantage of the other digital photo tips that are so plentiful on this site.

Happy Camera Buying!
Photo TipMan

Back from Digital Camera Buying Tips to Digital Camera Instructions

Back from Digital Camera Buying Tips to Digital Photo Tips Home Page