This article is guest posted by Sachin.
Summary: So you’ve ditched your old camera and you’re hoping for a newie. But in this day and age there’s so much to choose from it’s almost like going on a blind date!
Okay so you’ve ditched your old camera and you’re hoping for a newie. But should you go for a Nikon DSLR or an Olympus digital camera or a Sony Cybershot? In this day and age, there are so many new functions and settings it’s hard to know where to start. So if you were setting up a blind date with your next digital camera, what sort of questions would you ask it?
How Much Are You?
One of the main things you’ll need to consider is what you are buying your camera for. Do you want it to be part of your family or is it more for romantic shots on the beach? Is it because you’re taking it on an overseas trip or because you’re purely in love with photography?
Price will no doubt factor into your decision so it’s important to figure out your price range first. Do some research and set yourself a maximum so that you don’t end up spending lots of dosh on a camera you don’t really want. If you’re unsure, the best approach is to go for a versatile camera with lots of different shooting modes and which can adapt easily to low-light, movement and distance.
What Do You Look Like?
The next thing to think about is what size do you want in a “camera partner?” Do you like slim and sleek or big and bold?
You need to decide if your camera is going to be your BFF that you’ll want to carry around everywhere in your handbag or your pocket or is it going to be something that you just bring as a tag-along on special occasions? If it’s the former and you like a lot of camera loving, you may want to go for a nice slim model that will easily fit into your bag or pocket without being extra bulky. If you just want something to use every now and then, you could go for something bigger if it matches your other requirements. Odds are you will find something that suits you size-wise, but make sure you have a think beforehand.
How Many Megapixels Do You Have? And Can I Share Them?
Resolution or ‘Megapixels’ is almost at the heart of digital camera talk these days and you’ll find that the newer the model, the higher the resolution and the more impressive your photos will be. Most modern cameras these days will come with a good level of resolution, especially if you’re just looking for something for your everyday needs. Unless you’re intent on shooting landscapes and nature, anything around 8 or 10 Megapixels will give you pretty good photos that will blow-up nicely to fit your computer screen. That said, you can upgrade to 12MP or more for a wee bit more money.
How Much Do You Zoom?
Zoom is probably one of the best tools of modern day digital photography. It’ll allow you to get close and personal with things other than your camera that are, well, far away. You’ll discover that most will come with 3X Optical zoom (which is better than digital zoom) which should be fine for your everyday camera affairs. But if you’re considering holidaying or taking up nature photography as a hobby, consider getting something with a higher zoom to give more depth to your shots.
What Else Do I Really Know About You?
A blind date is one thing, but would you really want to start a long term relationship with someone you know nearly nothing about?
One of the most key points in buying any piece of electronic equipment is to do a bit of research. Once you’ve familiarised yourself with particular models or features that you might like, do your homework to find out more about what sort of camera you’re getting yourself into. Look into things like battery life, memory capacity, videos and computer connections to make you’re satisfied before you take the plunge. Buying a new camera can be exciting and if you do your research, you’ll hopefully discover a blossoming love instead of a disappointing one. If only real dating was that easy!
