Which Digital Camera is Right for Me?

So you want to buy a digital camera, but you don't know, what camera is going to be right for you? Are you confused by the options of cameras available? Can I achieve great photos from a small compact point and shootcamera or do i need a fancy Digital SLR?

Today's cameras come packed with all kinds of wonderful technology in a little package, to help you take the perfect picture. But which one?

On this page, I am going to give you a quick guide to digital cameras and show you how unconfusing picking a camera is! an easy explanation of terms you are presented with, so you can make an informed decision about the perfect camera for you.

Also proving you do not need to be a tech whizz to achieve stunning pictures, as digital cameras have revolutionised picture taking, giving us all the tools we need to take fabulous creative images at the touch of a button!

So lets find out what digital camera is best for you.

Do you want an easy to work Point and Shoot or an all dancing bells and whistles Digital SLRs

The camera shown in the picture is a DSLR nikon. Which is on my wish list!

what to look for in a digital camera

Before you buy your camera you need to work out what you want it for? Is it for taking family pictures, is it just to carry around in your handbag. Is it to take pictures of sporting events. Is it for close ups? All cameras have several modes, and some do things better than others. some just have an on off button, others will usually have selections, such as Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close-up or Night Portrait for stunning results in otherwise challenging conditions. Do you want inbuilt editing features? continuous picture taking options? (great for moving targets!)

So once you work out exactly what you want to take pictures of then start to understand some of the more comonly used terminology. This is where people get confused, however lets bust those myths...that only professionals can have the fancy cameras.

Yes, You and I can have an all dancing singing camera and take awesome pictures too!

Read on through for an easy to understand guide to those features that you don't understand but really should, to get the best camera for you! and for you to get the best from your camera.

Picture Credit: Point and Shoot Digital Camera Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full 1080p HD Video (Silver)

What digital Camera?

What to look for when choosing your point and shoot camera! for capturing those cute moments quick!

All compact point and shoot digital camears usually come with camera strap, instruction manual or disc, and battery - You will need to buy a memorey card!

Optical Zoom zoom in closer without losing quality the higher number the zoom, the closer you can get to your subject without losing picture quality

Wide angle lens enables you to take breathtaking landscapes or large group photos without the need to walk backwards!

Movie Capture allows you to capture video clips

Mega pixels A higher number of megapixels capture more details in your photos

LCD view screen Larger screens at the rear make it easier to frame and view your pictures,

face detection for taking sharp quality portraits, focus on the faces in your shot not the backgroun, the number of faces the camera can detect wil be on the camera

Format, Memory cards will come in various formats so check which type our camera uses before you buy

Anti-Blur Optical anti blur give better results than digital but a combination of both is best.

Max ISO how sensitive the camera is to light. A high ISO setting lets you take photos in dull light.

Photo Credit:View of the Loch by LisaAuchUK

You can achieve stunning affects with a point and shoot camera, whether you are chossing the pocket size or the larger DSLRs. this is a great guid to give you help and ideas on how to tget the best from those point and shoot moments

what digital Camera.....

DSLR means Digital Single Lens Reflex. When you look through the viewfinder of your camera, you are actually looking right through the lens. What you see is what you get. This is different than most compact cameras which show you a view through a plastic window that is offset from the actual lens.

I have the nikon Dx40 however they have a newer version available Nikon D3100

but I really want the nikon D1500

I was given my digital SLR camera as a surprise Christmas Present, to be honest, I wanted one, I love taking photos, I always had a compact digital camera in my bag!

But like most was a bit frightened of all the buttons. I thought they were too complicated and did not know how to use one. I thought these Digital SLRs were just for the professionals, but how wrong was I.

As time goes on the more I use it I even surprise myself as my skills improve and watch as my creative talent unfolds. Moving away from the "manual settings" and trying out different features. But I could use My DSLR straight out the box, and still get stunning pictures.

This picture really was a point and shoot. (It has been made smaller to protect its copyright, as it is one of my bestselling pictures!)

LCD screen - make it easier to review your pictures

Line View Lets you frame your picture using the LCD screen rther than using the view finder

Frame/second Higher number means quicker continuous shooting, ideal for fast moving sports

Format type of memory card used in the camera

Weght lighter cameras are more comfortable to hold for longer periods of time

Lens included Shows which lens comes with the camera, allowing you to start taking photos straight away

Lenses available The total number of lenses available to fit that camera

Higher resolution=more detail in picture

Digital photos are made up of millions of tiny dots, referred to as Mega Pixels (MP) Resolution refers to the number of pixels in an image. the higher number the Mega pixels then the more detail the camera will capture.

If you are looking to take good close up pictures and crop parts of the photos then a high mega pixel camera will give you the best results when it comes to printing.

Note: The more mega pixels captured by the camera the more space it uses on the memory card!

The Pink Rose picture shown here was taken by myself at a local flower show, of one of the winning blooms, using my Nikon Dx40 which gives me exceptional image quality which is made possible by a high resolution, 10.2-effective megapixel and allows for creative picture cropping freedom without loss of picture quality and delivers the ability to make enlargements of extraordinary size.

Picture Credit:Pretty in Pink by LisaAuch

Optical and digital zoom

Zoom options allow you to get closer to the subject. Two types of zoom, Optical and Digital

Optical zoom, means you have zoomed in on the subject using the lens, so the image you are taking is exactly what the lens is seeing.

Digital zoom means you have electronically enlarged the picture, this will result in loss of picture quality. (once I have taken the picture I can use the feature to zoom in)

Like this photo a flower in bloom. which was taken and then I zoomed in whilst editing to capture the look I wanted.

Picture Credit: Love ME by LisaAuch

iSO range refers to the cameras light sensitivity. the camera is reliant on the amount of available light to capture the image.

if the light is low then the sensor in the camer can be djusted to be more sensetive nd vice versa. ISO can typically range from 100 (low sensitivity) to 32000 (high sensitivity)

Photographers will often increase the ISO - this is usually pre-set on most cameras, and only when you get to a level of competence do you need to worry about this!

Quick explanation: When it starts getting darker rather than use a flash. Have you ever taken a picture at night time and its turned out blurry? This is because the shutter has had to stay open collecting more light to make the picture, (without turning on the flash) and then either camera shakes or subject moves = blurry picture....well this is where ISO comes in, it means you can increase the shutter speed so that your all your photos don't look blurry meaning an increase in the ISO makes the sensor absorb light FASTER, the shutter doesn't have to stay open for such long periods of time.

Clear photos even in dim light - without using a flash.

I also found this amazing, A-Z terminology buster for budding photographers

Picture Credit: LisaAuch.com

What digital camera

Apperture can be used to blur the background or bring both foreground and background into focus.

To me this was a revelation into reative picture taking so I will direct you to a great Digital photography course here where you can learn some more about apperture.

I keep a couple of small point and shoot cameras with me, in the car, in my handbag, always prepared. But I just love my DSLR.

I love my camera, not only is is so easy to use, and not technical like I first thought, but my hobby has turned into an online business for me too! i have my own print on demand shops in the US and UK.