Depending on whether you like film or digital cameras, whether you want to take snapshots or think you may one day be a photographer, you can make an informed decision about which camera to buy if you know what features to look for in a camera.
Digital Vs. Film
Film cameras are still available on the market, but digital cameras are more popular because they're easier to operate and it's easier to print and share photos from a digital camera. However, if you would prefer a film camera to a digital camera, you should know that your options are not limited. There are beginner SLR film cameras on the market, as well as point and shoot 35 mm film cameras.
Compact Cameras
Compact cameras are more commonly known as point-and-shoot cameras because they come with full auto mode, which does all the focusing and decision-making for you, so all you have to do is point the camera at your subject and push the shutter release button. Compact cameras are smart choices for people who just want to take photographs for their own enjoyment or to send to their friends and family because they are generally less expensive and easier to learn use than SLR cameras.
When you're looking for a compact camera, hold each one in your hand so that you can tell if it's comfortable and to see if you can comfortably push the menu buttons and see everything on the display screen, if it has one.
Some extra features that many compact cameras have to make snapshots easy include a zoom lens, red-eye reduction, optical and mechanical image stabilization and face detection. If you're a budget-conscious buyer, don't worry about how many megapixels a camera has; most cameras on the market today have sufficient megapixels to make up to an 8-by-10 inch print. More megapixels are costly, and you probably don't need them if you're just beginning to learn take photographs.
If you think you may want to learn more about photography some day but are not yet ready to buy an SLR camera, look for a compact camera with some manual options, such as aperture priority or shutter priority, so that you can experiment with the settings.
SLR and dSLR Cameras
SLR and digital SLR (dSLR) cameras generally produce higher quality photos than compact cameras, offer the option of changing lenses, and have many more features available. If you're a beginner, you should know that some newer dSLR cameras on the market are made for beginners, offering the image quality of an SLR with the ease of use of a compact camera. If you want a beginner's dSLR, look for models that have full auto modes (or point-and-shoot modes) as well as manual modes.
If you are ready to buy a dSLR, look for at least 10 megapixels, interchangeable lenses (dSLR cameras can sometimes accept SLR lenses), shooting in JPEG and RAW modes, a USB 2.0 interface, and a choice of priority, metering modes, bracketing, different flash modes and manual focusing options.
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