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Check Camera Features When Selecting a Digital Model by Alfred deBat When selecting a digital camera, buyers have to weigh many different features to make a good choice for their requirements. Here is a list of important features Article rating: 6.91

Number of sensor megapixels: Today most quality point-and-shoot digital cameras offer respectable 3- to 5-megapixel sensors. This is more than adequate for most snapshot photography. If photographers expect to make 8-by-10-inch prints, 5-megapixel models are particularly good since parts of a photo can still be cropped and a sharp print can be made. Cameras designed for advanced users often have 7- to 9-megapixel sensors, which permit sharp, large, poster-size enlargement

Zoom lenses: Zooms are very important to photographers because it is necessary to “fill the frame” in digital photography. The photo will be sharper when the subject fills the camera viewfinder, since none of the pixel information will be deleted later. Zoom lenses help photographers come in close and eliminate backgrounds or unimportant details. Many point-and-shoot cameras have 3X optical zooms, which means a three-times image range. In most cases, when compared to 35mm film cameras, the lens focal lengths are from 36mm to 108mm. (The exact range can differ a few millimeters either way among different camera manufacturers.) Advanced digital cameras can offer extended-range zooms to 10X and beyond, which usually means greater telephoto ability from 36mm to 360mm focal length in 10X. The long telephoto focal lengths are good for wildlife and travel photography, but maximum telephoto settings can exaggerate hand-held camera shake. Pay attention to only optical zoom numbers! Digital zoom and “total digital zoom and optical zoom” numbers don’t mean much, since the digital zooms work by deleting pixels -- something you don’t want to do for sharp photos.

Viewfinders: Some camera models have eliminated traditional optical viewfinders in favor of using the LCD monitor screen as the sole image-framing device. The problem with using the LCD constantly to direct the camera’s view is that the LCD is using up battery power unnecessarily. A better choice is a viewfinder and an LCD monitor on a camera. On zoom lens models, viewfinders are often electronic, but use only a little amount of battery power, and they accurately depict a through-the-lens view of the subject at all zoom lens settings.

LCD monitors: Over the past year, the size of LCD monitors has been growing. Today many point-and-shoot cameras have 2.5-inch monitors (the size is measured by the diagonal distance). Some cameras have smaller 1.8- and 2-inch LCDs. If you want to view your photos immediately after snapping them, there’s nothing like seeing them on a larger LCD camera monitor.

Anti-shake system: Some point-and-shoot models, specifically Konica Minolta cameras, have an internal anti-shake system, which when turned on will minimize hand-held movement. Nikon has a vibration reduction system on some models. This is a plus when using slow shutter speeds and telephoto settings.

Flash contacts: Most point-and-shoot cameras have weak built-in flash units that are effective only to about 10 feet or less. If you plan to take flash photos over greater distances, select a camera that provides for an auxiliary flash unit. This is usually indicated by a “hot shoe” flash contact on the top of the camera, where a supplementary electronic flash can be attached. It is a good idea to select an auxiliary flash unit made by the camera’s manufacturer, since it usually will be compatible with the camera’s autoexposure system.

Digital SLR cameras: Since many advanced photographers own SLR film cameras, a note of caution about using interchangeable lenses on digital SLRs. In most cases, film camera lenses can be attached to the same manufacturer’s digital SLRs, but they won’t take the same picture view. Consumer model digital SLRs have sensor chips smaller than the 35mm film negative; therefore, the effective focal length of the lens changes. For example, a digital SLR with a 1.6 lens factor will produce an image equal to a 45mm lens when using an interchangeable 28mm film camera lens.

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