Confessions of a Digital Camera Novice

 

I love looking at, pausing for and taking pictures but I admit it: I am a digital camera novice. When taking pictures, I sort of know how to put the person or object that I am photographing in the center of the lens, but I am clueless when it comes to the intricacies of digital cameras. I asked a friend about a few tips on what I should look for when I first purchase my very own digital camera, and he said that I should look at the specs like the megapixel – mega what? It’s a good thing that he is patient, and he explained the term to me as if he were explaining to a child. Anyway, I do plan to buy my own digital camera in the very near future, so I brushed up a little on the subject called ‘Digital Camera Buying 101’. Here’s what I learned.

First, there are a lot of models, brands and types of digital cameras out there. Just like what my pal said, one of the very first things that you should look for is the megapixel count, which is where the outcome of the photos depends. However, due to more and more affordable and high-megapixel cameras being sold in the market today, I decided that a 5-megapixel camera will do just fine for me. Next, you need to know what you will be using the camera for. If you plan to be a semi-professional digital photographer someday, you may want to look for extra features like optical zoom, manual focus, etc. If you often print out the pictures that you take, then choose a camera which takes pictures that look great on photo paper. As a final step, I searched the Internet for some reviews on the most affordable yet good quality digital cameras available in the market today. I think that my research has paid off – I have narrowed down my choices to three brands and models.  All I need to do now is run to the store and check out for myself if I will feel like a paparazzi shooting pictures of celebrities when I finally buy my very first digital camera. Happy picture-taking!