Discount Consumer Shopping

Here are some basic pointers when shopping for digital cameras.

If this is your first time looking for a digital camera, remember that most digital cameras are designed to be easy to use for basic everyday picture taking.

 * Convenience
You won't need to make sure you have enough film, because digital cameras store the images in memory. The amount of memory and the types differ widely. With CompactFlash being the most common. As you use your digital camera you will get a better idea of what memory capacity you will use and need. To start out with between 256MB and 1GB should get you going.
 
You can have developing done as you normally would or print your own at home from your computer. You will need the right kind of paper for the best quality photo printing which is usually available anywhere that sells computer hardware and software.

More of the convenience of owning a digital camera is being able to view your photos on your computer. Have the ability to choose which ones to keep and which ones not to. Organize and store as you would in a scrapbook, and share them with anyone you want to that has internet access, whether through email or a photo share hosting program. There are independent free programs that will offer up to a limited amount of storage as well as your ISP will usually have a free photo hosting program.

 *Available Power Source
You will want to make sure you have an energy source whether it's an extra battery or a way to recharge the one in your camera if it is rechargeable. Such as an AC adaptor if your going to be near an accessable outlet or a DC adaptor to charge from your vehicle DC power supply. The rechargeable battery would be the preferred method for several reasons with one being you won't have to continue to purchase batteries. Check for this feature when shopping for your camera.

 *Be sure your Computer is Compatible
You'll want to make sure your computer has enough memory and processing power to process large image files. Different digital cameras along with it's program software will have their individual requirements, so make sure to check what you have on your computer before shopping for your digital camera. The requirements should be included in the description for the camera. You will also want to check how the camera will hook up to your computer, some will use a USB connection while others will use a serial cable. You'll want to make sure the cable is included and the port on your computer is easy for you to access.

 *The Sharpness of the Picture
Referred to as the resolution, is measured in megapixels. One megapixel equals one million pixels. More pixels means a sharper image, for high quality images you want at least 5 megapixels.

 *Zoom Feature and difference in sharpness
One thing to remember about the zoom feature on the camera is that if the camera has digital zoom, when you use the zoom feature it increases the pixel size which decreases the quality of the image, and optical zoom will keep the maximum quality of the image.

  

Here is a great place to get reviews and information about cameras. As well as more price comparison.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/

Here is another place to check reviews and product shop.
http://reviews.cnet.com/Digital_cameras/