Finding the Digital Camera that's right for you.

If you're thinking of buying a digital camera but are uncertain what type to get then you've come to the right place.

This site has beeen compiled to help you to understand the different types of cameras and then choose the type that's right for you.

Types of cameras

Cameras can be categorised into three types as follows:

1. Compact
2. DSLR
3. Hybrid

Compact cameras

Compact cameras, being relatively easy to use, are a good entry level camera for the beginner.  They are also suitable for the more experienced user who is looking for the benefit of convenience.

They are small, light cameras that range from simple point and click cameras to cameras for the enthusiast.

Their designs are simple so that they lack many of the attributes of more complex cameras such as interchangeable lenses or mirrors.

Consequently, the image that is seen in the viewfinder may not be exactly the same as the final image taken.  However, most new compacts contain an LCD viewing screen, which does enable you to see the final image.

One downside to a compact is that the sensor size is smaller than a Digital SLR so the image quality may be less.

Point-and-shoot cameras are by far the best selling type of  camera because of their ease of use.
 
 They are designed primarily for simple operation. Most use focus free lenses or autofocus for focusing, automatic systems for setting the exposure options, and have flash units built in.

Compact cameras under £100 have a simple design capable of taking good pictures without any extra bells and whistles.

They are usually powered by AA batteries which can be expensive so a better idea is to use rechargeaable batteries and a charger, which works out cheaper in the long run.

   
Most budget compacts have lenses with a 3x optical zoom in the range 35-105mm.  Some have an optical zoom above 3x. One that starts at 28mm  is ideal for group shots and landscapes, whereas one that stretches  up to 150mm, makes them ideal for capturing far away detail..

The size of the LCD screen can vary. The standard size fo a budget model is 2.5in though 2.7in and even 3in screens are now appearing at this price point. This provides a better view of the scene and your captured images.

Some models feature image stabilisation.  They are not as sophisticaated as the systems on higher-end models but they do generally work and can help you achieve sharper images.

Lastly, the number of pixels that a camera has is no longer a critical issue as they all have enough. In fact, in some cases, such as in low light, more megapixels can be detrimental to image quality,   Another disadvantage of more pixels is that the images take up more space on your memory card

DSLR cameras

SLR stands for "single lens reflex".  This type of camera has long been the choice of enthusiasts because of the quality of the image obtained.

It was the first type of camera that enabled the photographer to see exactly what image would be captured.  Prior to SLRs the view through the view finder could be very different from the view captured through the lens.

Most SLR cameras use a semi-automatic moving mirror system with a pentaprism, which aligns the view through the viewfinder to the view through the lens and turns the image the right-way-round for viewing.

The D in DSLR stands for digital, which means that the camera uses a digital system instead of 35mm film.

Until the 1990s, SLR was the most advanced preview system available but with the advent of LCD preview screens for compact cameras the SLR has lost some of its popularity.  It still has several advantages though.  For example, an LCD preview screen cannot compete with the clarity and shadow detail of an SLR viewfinder.

Another feature of SLR cameras is that the lenses are interchangeable so that lenses can be designed for different tasks such as long or short range. 

Digital cameras at the higher end of the market have some pretty amazing features.

However, these will really only be useful to serious photographers who want to experiment with their cameras to learn everything their camera can do.

Even then higher end digital cameras also have a fully automatic mode which  you can use in a similar way to a traditional point and shoot camera.

Feature rich digital cameras also cost a lot of money. If you are not planning to make use of all the features then you'll be better off with a model that has less features as you will save yourself a lot of money. You will also find that a simpler camera is easier to use.

Hybrid cameras

Hybrid cameras are also called  micro system cameras and superzoom cameras.  This is because they combine the interchangeable-lens benefits of DSLRs with the size and portability of compact cameras. They use the same sensors and processors as DSLRs but have a simpler viewing system.  They don't use a mirror and prism assembly and so are much more compact.

This type of camera promises the best of both worlds, offering the longest zoom range of any camera type and the same kind of controls and features as a digital SLR. THowever, they are smaller, lighter, cheaper and, in many ways, more versatile, offering features like movie-recording, macro modes and articulating LCD displays.

The most important feature of any hybrid camera is the lens, and there are a couple of factors to look out for.  Makers always quote the zoom factor, such as 18x, 24x or 30x. This describes the difference in magnification at the opposite ends of the zoom range. The higher the figure the better, but this isn't the only thing to look out for. A wide-angle zoom lens is a useful feature to have. A lens with a minimum focal length of 28mm is good, and anything less than that is better still.

Lens quality is also a factor too. You can't always tell this from the  specifications alone so it's important to read the reviews also. Faults to look out for are reduced sharpness at full zoom and any tendency towards colour fringing (chromatic aberration).

The number of pixels is not as important as it used to be.  Yhe latest 10-megapixel, back-illuminated CMOS sensors steadily outperform more ordinary CCD sensors of 12 and 14 megapixels. It's the sensor size that makes the biggest difference to picture quality, and there's not a great deal of variation with this type of camera.

Generally speaking, all superzooms offer similar shooting features. You get the same program-AE, aperture-priority, shutter-priority and manual modes you'd get with a digital SLR, which is partly why these cameras are so popular with enthusiasts. The advanced features of a superzoom give you the kind of precise control over shutter speeds and lens apertures that you'd expect from a much more expensive camera, for a fraction of the price.

Many superzooms offer standard 1,280x720-pixel, high-definition movie modes, but some of the better models go right up to 1080p video recording.

If you're keen on getting the best image quality possible, look for cameras that can shoot raw files as well as JPEGs. Raw files are the unprocessed image data recorded by the sensor, before it's been converted into a JPEG - sort of  digital negatives. In this format, the image data can be edited on a computer using processing software, with outstanding results.

Click here for help on choosing the camera that's right for you.