Everywhere you look now, somebody has a digital camera. Go to a bar, a high school graduation or just walking down the street and somebody is taking a picture that they can print out from home or upload to a web site for all to see. People are looking towards digital cameras as the future and leaving the disposable cameras that dominated picture taking over the last few years in the stores.

When it comes down to it, who really needs a digital camera? It depends on the person, really and what they plan to do with it. If you are taking a lot of pictures but forgetting about the roles of film until a year later, perhaps a digital camera is for you. After all, instead of running to the store to have those pictures developed, you could go home after a small shoot, upload them to your computer and then share them with anyone you choose. Professional photographers, proud parents documenting their child's progress as they age or just someone who enjoys taking pictures can benefit from a digital camera versus a film camera. It all depends on your preferences.

If you decide a digital camera is for you, there are certain things you should look for when you are deciding on what's the best option for you.

There are two main types of digital cameras: Point-and-shoot cameras and prosumer cameras. Point-and-shoot cameras are the most popular on the market, because they are the easiest to use. They do all the hard work for you so that you can just take a picture that comes out looking well instead of spending time learning how to affect every single aspect of that particular photo. Prosumer cameras are rising in popularity as more traditional photographers are going digital. These types of cameras give the user more freedom over their picture taking, but they also allow them to shoot pictures as if it were a point-and-shoot digital camera.

Once you decide on which type of camera you want, the next step is to decide on the resolution. Pixels can range from 4.0+ in the digital camera field, the higher you go, the better picture quality your pictures will have. However, resolution is not the only factor determining picture quality despite what most people will tell you. For the average digital camera owner, you want to find one in the range of 4.0 - 6.0. That will be more than enough to take quality photos without costing you an arm and a leg.

After the type and resolution, other additional features to look into would be how it transfers picture to your computer, what type of memory card it will need and whether or not you need a photo printer for the best picture printing quality.

If you have made the decision to buy a digital camera, the best way to find out what will work for you is to test them out. Most department stores and consumer electronics stores will have various brands and models on display that you will be able to get your hands on and use. This will give you an idea of how it feels and whether or not you will feel comfortable taking pictures with it.