Finding the Right Digital Camera for You

Many people will browse the digital cameras we sell on our website, or in our store, but many of them are thinking the same thing: what’s the difference? To a lot of people, the difference in price is all they are after. While most of them may find the least expensive camera made by their trusted manufacturer and be satisfied with its performance, there are many other things to consider before purchasing a digital camera, and there are many differences between the less and the more expensive brands and models.

Let’s take a look at a basic digital camera; the Nikon Coolpix S2 5.0 Megapixel. This simple point and shoot model is perfect for student activities, family functions, special events, and other times when you can get your subjects to smile and say “cheese”. However, as advanced as even the mot basic digital camera can be, there will still be issues with lighting, and movement, as the basic features are mostly automatic, and are not always optimal in certain conditions.

Stepping up to a slightly more advanced, but still pretty basic digital camera, let us consider the Canon Powershot SD870 IS 8.0 Megapixel. With nearly twice the resolution, and multiple features unavailable on the Nikon Coolpix, the Powershot by Canon is a step up when it comes to its automatic features in adjusting for light and motion. It also can apply a variety of filters to the capture, perform on site cropping and organizing, and it enables basic manual use, including customizable shutter speed, quality, brightness/contrast, and more. The Powershot is ideal for any occasion, with an advantage in quality and usability over the simpler point and shoot digital cameras, however, it would still be tricky to capture action shots.

Point and shoot cameras are always ideal for the casual photography, but for those with more serious agendas, or who prefer more professional capture, SLR (Single Lense Reflex) digital cameras are the way to go.

Take the Sony Alpha DSLR-A200K 10.2 Megapixel, for example. With its higher resolution than most point and shoot digital cameras, superior shutter speed, and better lense design, the Sony Alpha, like most SLR cameras, guarantee a better shot every time.

Those with professional careers in photography may decide to buy a high end grade digital camera, such as the Pentax K20D 14.6 Megapixel camera, which supports any external lense ever made by Pentax. With its CMOS sensor chip, the K20D captures the highest quality images, which is ideal for print media. Consider the size of a magazine cover, generally around 8.5 by 11 inches. At the bare minimum, 300 dpi (dots per inch) is an acceptable print resolution, which means if you are printing an image that is 3000 x 2400, your largest possible size on paper will be 10 by 8 inches, which still is not large enough for a magazine cover.

For small print outs, online sharing, and simple uses, point and shoot cameras such as the Nikon Coolpix or Canon Powershot will suffice. However, anyone with a taste for great photography should consider investing in a higher quality SLR digital camera, like the Sony Alpha DSLR-A200K or the Pentax K20D.

For more information on your digital camera options, please visit 42nd Street Photo online at 42photo.com, or stop by our New York store.

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