Digital cameras came into general use within the last decade, yet the technology has continued to develop rapidly so that new, improved digital cameras become available every year. To decide which to buy, you have to first know how you will use it. Three main types of digital camera are available.
Point-and-shoot cameras
Point-and-shoot cameras can be bought from High-Street retailers or from supermarkets, and are easy to buy via the internet. Camera retailers also stock these small, portable digital cameras, which are still popular in spite of the competitively improved photo facility in mobile phones. Point-and-shoot cameras are colourful to the point of glitzy, are carried almost as fashion accessories, and can fit easily into a pocket, so they may be taken everywhere and switched on and used at will.
These simple easy-to-use cameras work mainly through automatically set functions, but produce good clear close-up pictures. They do not generally have a good zoom facility, although a 12x or 14x zoom is becoming more common. A point-and-shoot digital camera can be attached to a laptop computer with a USB lead, using camera software to download photographs quickly and cheaply, or their HD memory card can be slotted direct into the computer.
Bridge cameras
When deciding which type of digital cameras to choose, consider the quality of the picture required including how many pixels per shot (the more pixels, the better). Shots from longer distances require a good zoom lens, which is not available on standard point-and-shoot models but is standard on a modern bridge camera. The modern bridge camera has a zoom lens of as much as 24x magnification, and good optical features for the amateur photographer. It may allow taking short video sequences and comes with PC packages such as CDs for photo processing and photo library cataloguing.
These cameras are easily connected to a laptop by USB lead and offer online manufacturer's support. Bridge cameras have built-in memory used for video sequences, and may require a memory card to be bought separately. This would hold 8gb or more of memory and can be slotted direct into a computer, or into a USB adaptor. Bridge cameras look like the more sophisticated DSLR cameras, but are lighter to carry, more robust and cost a great deal less.
DSLR cameras and the pentaprism system
Digital Single Lens Reflex technology makes these the most desirable consumer cameras but they are also used by professional photographers. These cameras often have a range of specialised zoom lenses available for purchase as extras, but at basic they offer high resolution images and at least 24x zoom capability. This camera will take pictures at high enough resolution to make large prints from them, for instance.
DSLR cameras have a built in pentaprism mirror system which directs light from the lens to the viewfinder in the back of the camera. This mechanical capability means that there are more moving parts inside the camera than in cheaper cameras, and they are more sensitive and vulnerable to accidental damage.
Which digital camera to buy?
For keeping a simple photographic record of where you went and who you were with, simple point-and-shoot cameras give good results, have easy photo downloading capability and come at very affordable prices. For better zoom with user-friendly automatic features, for instance taking pictures of scenery or stage performances with optional flash, a medium priced bridge camera may suffice.
A SLR digital camera may seem the most desirable in terms of its clarity of image in addition to bridge camera features, but it is heavy and requires several additional lenses and a great deal of photographer knowledge to make it worthwhile. With its add-ons it will require a bulky carrying case and may cost thousands rather than hundreds of dollars.
Sources
Which Report Digital Camera features pages, viewed August 2011
Amazon.co.uk Camera & Photo customer reviews
Valerie Williamson - Dr. Val Williamson is a freelance journalist and academic specialising in historical and popular culture topics.
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