Know what you want to do

Drive a brand new car out of the parking lot, loose %10 percent, take home a brand new computer and it is out of date before you even get it set up at home.

Before your walk into your favorite camera store or electronics department have an idea of what you want to do with your camera. 

• Is it just for family and friends photos? 
• Do you want to be able to zoom in from a distance, have some control over the end result and quality of your photos or do you want a basic Point and Shoot camera? 

This should be a must when it comes to any electronics purchase. After doing some type or research either with family and friends or on the internet and in magazines, I recommend you see what your friends like and dislike about their cameras. Are they too complicated? Are they happy with the brand name and quality of the photos? Compare price, yes but most importantly compare quality!! A purchase of this nature is bound to last for years to come and you want to make sure you are getting the most of out your camera.

Keep it is basic as possible, not boring but understandable you don't want to get confused or flustered everytime you use your camera, you want it to be fun and easy. 

One of the most common mistakes first time digital camera buyers do is fall for the price, believe it or not you really get exactly what you pay for especially when it comes to electronics.

Pay for the brand name, Kodak, Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Olympus, Sony but don't buy something you have never heard of. Buy from a reputable store, a store with trained staff, feel confident in your purchase, confident in your sales associated and confident in your store of choice. An average first time digital camera buyer can expect to pay between $150-$400 for a camera with good quality and a great amount of features and options.

Two of the major differences in todays digital cameras, digital zoom and optical zoom. GO FOR THE OPTICAL. Digital zoom replicates pixels and guestimates at details where the optical appears to actually bring that image in closer with a much better quality end result. The more pixels the better. Photographs are comprised are millions of dots or pixels and the more your camera can capture and replicate the better quality the picture.

Read our future articles soon or camera features, options and choices.