Many of my friends and family have taken the plunge into the world of digital cameras and they always seem to have the same sort of questions. I have written this hub for the average consumer so that he or she can understand the technical terminology to be able to buy the perfect camera for their needs.

There are several different categories of digital cameras and these can help you decide on which camera to buy.

1) Ultra- compact Snapshot camera

- these are generally very small and size which make them easy to put in your pocket and carry with you.

- The drawback to the compact size is that the camera generally does not have a wide angle or a large zoom. Nor do these cameras offer advanced manual settings

2) Compact cameras - These are larger than the ultracompacts but still small enough to fit into a small bag or coat pocket.

- These models may offer a bit more zoom (between 3x-5x) than the ultracompacts and they may also come with more features.

3) Prosumer models - these are generally much larger than the compact cameras

- These models typically feature much longer zooms (typically 10x-18x) and they often have a wider angle of view. Most of these cameras offer manual controls as well as more advanced features.

4) Professional Digital Single Lens Reflex (dSLR) - These cameras are signifcantly larger and heavier than the other categories. The have detacheable lens that can give it enormous zoom and wide angle power. The price of these cameras can reach stratoshperic levels (several thousands of dollars with lenses) so they are recommended for professionals only.

Many people seem to think that a camera with higher megapixels is better than a camera with less... this simply is not true.

Megapixels are the amount of pixels that are put onto the camera's image sensor. If we take a small sensor and cram on too many pixels, this actually leads to image noise (which appears as grainy pictures). Most consumer cameras use small image sensors so the extra megapixels actually lead to WORSE pictures.

The case is very different for professional (dSLR) cameras which actually have very large sensors so they can actually make proper use of the higher megapixels.

So what is the right number of megapixels to look for? Well it appears that the sweet spot of consumer digital cameras is the 7-8 megapixel range. There are some 10 megapixel cameras that can take excellent photos but the camera makers are still trying to perfect the art of cramming more pixels onto smaller sensors so it would probably be best to stay away from the really high numbers for a while.

Brand Name and Type

The lens is one of the most important features of the camera and something that very few consumers really take into consideration. A good all glass lens allows for very little distortion of the image and enables the camera to take crisp photos without obvious image problems. Many makers use 3rd party lens makers such as Karl Zeiss (for Sony) and Schneider- Kreuznach (for Kodak)

OPTICAL ZOOM:

Another aspect of the lens that is important is the level of OPTICAL zoom. It is important to note that optical zoom is very different than digital zoom. Digital zoom merely uses the cameras software to get a closeup of the picture, whereas optical zoom is a true zoom of the lens. Most cameras offer 3x optical zoom, though some of the larger models offer between 10x-18x which can be very handy when you are sitting in the audience and want a closeup of your son or daughter when they go up onstage on graduation day!

WIDE ANGLE:

Essentially a wide angle lens lets you get more in a picture. For example if you have a group of people standing for a portrait, a wider angle lens will let you get more people in the picture without having to step further away. This is extremely handy for group photos and landscapes. Most cameras are 35mm and above which is actually a very narrow angle. As the number decreases the width of the angle increases so a 30mm lens has a wider angle than a 35mm and a 18mm lens is much wider still. Most typical compact cameras are 35mm. Some Panasonic cameras manage to include a 28mm wide angle lens in a relatively compact body. DSLR cameras go wider still and typically provide 18mm lenses.

IMAGE STABILIZATION:

This is a feature which prevents the lens from picking up on movement of the camera. Typically when we hold a camera our hands will shake slightly. This movement can lead to blurry photos, so many cameras now come with optical image stabilzation which counteracts the camera movement and prevents blurry photos.

Be aware that not all image stabilzation is the same. Some cameras have digital image stabilization or CCD shift stabilzation which is not as effective as true optical (lens) stabilzation.

There are many people who swear by a particular brand of digital camera. Some would say that Sony cameras are the best, yet others would say that Canons are King. The thing to remember is that each maker produces great cameras as well as some pretty crappy ones.

Sony sold quite a few really thin models a few years ago but their picture quality was far from perfect. Also that teeny tiny camera that fits into your pocket soo well may actually be too small for your hands to hold comfortably. On the other end of the spectrum, we all could take incredible photos with a dSLR but do you really think you can lug around such a heavy and large camera all day long?

Bottom line... make sure you try out the camera in the store before you decide on which is right for you.