Digital Camera
If you are new to the digital camera craze, you are not alone. Believe it or not, there are many people that are just breaking into the technology. For a novice, the digital camera marketplace can be overwhelming. Fear not, it is not as scary as it seems. By following a few simple guidelines and a bit of advice, you will find the perfect digital camera for you in no time flat.

First of all, take the time to decide what it is you want in a digital camera. What are you going to be taking pictures of? Are you just interested in snapshots or photos that can be resized to various portrait prints? Do you plan to use your digital camera often or are you purchasing it for a special occasion such as a wedding? All of these questions will help you determine not only what you need in a camera, but what you should spend as well.

Ok, so you know what you will do with your camera, now what about that confusing megapixel word? Digital images are made up of small dots called pixels. What megapixels do is determine the size of the picture you're taking, that’s all there is to it. You really do not need to know anything more. The more pixels you have the larger image you can make. So that said, if you plan to blow up your images, you will need more megapixels to get the job done. Knowing this can save you a lot of money. If you plan on only using your picture for web sharing and email, you do not need a 6 or 7 megapixel digital camera; a simple 3 megapixel will do just fine.

Another feature that you should be aware of when you make your decision is the camera zoom feature. There are two basic types of zoom, optical and digital. Optical zoom is the zoom of choice for professional photographers and is the type of zoom that is used in professional film cameras. Digital camera zoom is simply a function where you can enlarge the after you take it in order to make it look larger. This feature is really only beneficial in higher megapixel models. If you’re not shopping for a high megapixel model, I wouldn’t be so concerned with the zoom feature.

It is really all a matter of personal preference. Find the model that has what you are looking for at a price you can afford. If you do your homework and spend some time shopping around, you can pick up a good quality digital camera and even neat optional accessories at a cheap price.