How to Choose a Digital Camera

Photography in the Digital Age: Smart Shopper

Do you even know what a pixel is, or how it works to form a photograph? Understanding the terminology behind digital imaging is an important step in understanding how to choose a digital camera best suited to your purposed. In order to choose a digital camera that will work for you personally, it is best to begin with an overview of the technology. Here are a few basic words and definitions that will broaden your scope of the equipment, allowing you to educate yourself in order to accomplish an informed decision when you choose a digital camera.

Pixel – A tiny dot that is incorporated with others in order to make a complete image.

Compression – The process of eliminating duplicated data in order to allow for more space when saving an image.

Image Sensor – A device that converts a visual image to an electronic signal.

DPI – Dots per Inch. This is a measurement of image resolution.

With those few terms in your vocabulary, you are already better equipped to make a good decision. Understanding the technology is essential, but one need not be a computer engineer or professional photographer to purchase the equipment that best suits their needs. The first question you need to ask yourself is “What is my purpose for this digital camera?” Do you plan to take family snapshots on holidays or are you interested in wildlife photography? Will you be uploading your images to the internet or printing them for distribution to others? These are all important factors when you choose a digital camera, as the quality of the image is the main question.