I have / want a digital camera too...
Published Sunday, February 05, 2006 by Aarya Srinivas | E-mail this post
Thats the latest fad of this century. Camera companies are pushing digital cameras down the throats of the common man these days. Most of us feel like a moving target when we have so many choices and such good AD agencies behind each of these brands. I have been tracking the world of digital cameras for quite a few years now, and I have many friends asking me this question... "Which Camera should I Buy?".
One thing that people dont realise is that this is not an easy question to answer... The most common question...."Which is the best camera to buy today?". Well, you do get a Hasselblad with a digital back which is only around $30,000 (USD), so why dont you buy that?
Ok, lets get realistic now... when I am posed with a question like that, I ask the person, what are you looking for in the camera? They usually say....6 or more MEGAPIXEL. Oh please please please....lets get this straight....more megapixel does not mean better pictures. If you are just going to print say 6x4 prints... even a 2 MP camera would be fine.
Ok i guess I was digressing quite a bit from what i started with. Let me make a list of points to keep in mind when buying a digital camera. These are just my views and is not some comprehensive list... just a guideline that might / might not be of help.
One thing that people dont realise is that this is not an easy question to answer... The most common question...."Which is the best camera to buy today?". Well, you do get a Hasselblad with a digital back which is only around $30,000 (USD), so why dont you buy that?
Ok, lets get realistic now... when I am posed with a question like that, I ask the person, what are you looking for in the camera? They usually say....6 or more MEGAPIXEL. Oh please please please....lets get this straight....more megapixel does not mean better pictures. If you are just going to print say 6x4 prints... even a 2 MP camera would be fine.
Ok i guess I was digressing quite a bit from what i started with. Let me make a list of points to keep in mind when buying a digital camera. These are just my views and is not some comprehensive list... just a guideline that might / might not be of help.
- Dont go by higher Megapixel unless you want to print huge posters
- See if you can get a camera where the LCD screen can be folded into the camera, thus protecting the LCD. (These are only for Point & Shoot cameras)
- Batteries.... these are the killers in digital cameras. Try to get cameras which are power friendly. Also its better to get cameras that use simple AA batteries. If you are stuck in some godforsaken place with the battery drained... you can atleast have a hope of getting a few alkaline batteries to run through the day.
- Digital Zoom is just a gimmick... If the ad says 4000x digital zoom....they are just conning you. optical zoom is what really counts. thats what the lens is capable of zooming. digital zoom is nothing but cropping the picture, you can do that on your computer.
- Research - Do a lot of research before you buy your digital camera. Try to avoid implusive buying. You dont want to regret later now do you? Go through lots of sites like www.dpreview.com, www.dcresource.com. Read various forums, see what actual users think about their camera.
- Brand - No, I am not a brand guy, but when it comes to photography, its better to go with the tried and tested brands. Guys like Nikon and Canon have been making cameras for eons now, and to a great extent know what they are doing. Try to avoid brands who are just venturing into the digital camera space, you might just be a guinea pig then.
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