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Alright, let's kick off the 'Taking better pictures' Series with a little info on what to look for when buying a Digital Camera.

Background on me and my pictures (feel free to skip this part if you don't give a crap):
I've got higher end gear (Digital SLR, Flashes, Wireless Setups, blah blah blah) and I've got Point-N-Shoot gear (Just bought a Pentax 43wr as a matter of fact, my 2nd PnS). What you'll be reading are my opinions and thoughts on the subject, so if anything comes off as sounding non-standard then understand it's because they're my thoughts on the matter.

I suppose if there's enough interest, I can also put together another tutorial for buying higher end gear, I'll let you folks let me know if you're interested...But considering how some of you mooks out there are still on dial-up, talking about +$1k gear might be a waste of time.

Now, on to the main subject...Buying a Digital Camera.

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First, we begin with what I consider MUST HAVES when buying a digicam.
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Uses CF or SD
Compact Flash and Secure Digital memory cards are getting cheaper BY THE DAY! Especially Compact Flash. It's almost self-defeating to shop for a cheap camera and then buy one that uses proprietary memory (xD cards, or Sony Mem Sticks) cause then you're getting hosed on the memory cost.

Uses AA or AAA batteries
Alright, so you finally talked your woman into posing naked...DAMN, the battery is dead! Well if you've got a camera that uses a special kind of battery, you're screwed! But if you've got a camera that uses plain ole AAs or AAAs, then hell...Yank the batteries outta your zipzaps remote! AA/AAA batteries are cheap and easy to come by, and if you don't want to go through alkalines, then NiCDs and NiMH are getting cheaper and higher in capacity too.

3.2 megapix or better
"Can I get decent 8x10 digital prints with X megapixels?" How friggin ANNOYING that question is! When was the last time you EVER took a picture and blew it up passed 4x6? NEVER! Admit it!!! But since we're all 'little rc car' fanatics, our pictures are gonna be shots of our cars. Higher megapixels means you'll be able to more easily ZOOOOOOM in to your pictures (with clarity) using photo-editing software and cut out the other crap you don't care about.

Good Macro range
Nobody talks about the macro capability of a camera, but how often do we see BLURRY ASS CLOSEUPS (HOG!!!! This means YOU!) That's because not all cameras can get right up on something and focus on it. a camera with a good macro ability will allow you to get right up on that bitch and focus!

Movie capability
Alright, this option is debatable as a 'Must Have' but considering our love of seeing shit in action on these forums, I thought it worthy to put this item high on the list. You want something that'll handle at least 320x240 @ 15fps or better. Anything less looks like you used your camera phone and that's like Sigfreid & Roy level gay. Sound capability is optional as most of the decent vids I've watched have tunes dubbed over it.

Compact size
If it's too big to carry around easily, then you probably ain't gonna. It's a pretty simple idea, but sometimes people overlook this aspect in favor of more options. Get something that you don't mind carrying around!

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And now let's discuss the nice things to have (but will likely inflate the costs) but not essential.
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Manual controls
Being able to specifically control things like shutter speed, or the size of the aperture and such means YOU decide how the picture is taken. This level of control is WORTHLESS to the average person cause they ain't gonna have a clue about what they're doing and probably even less willingness to learn about it. But to someone who cares about controlling their pictures and how they come out, these tools are good to have!

Optical Zoom
Just about any 3.2mp or better camera offers some level of Zoom...But be CAREFUL to make sure they're talking about OPTICAL zoom first. Digital zoom means it's INERPRETING what the image looks like closer up (rather than actually zooming into it). No real suggestions on what you want, but the more 'optical' zoom you have then the more capabilities you have to zoom into something.

256mb or higher Memory card
When you buy the camera it usually comes with an 8mb or 16mb memory card to get you started. WORTHLESS! That's good for like 5 pictures! how lame. 256mb is good, but 512mb is the sweet spot (1gb gives you a load of room, so unless you plan on taking a TON of pictures and video then you don't necessarily need that much).

Option to turn off LCD while shooting
This is a nice option to have because the less you use the LCD, the longer the battery will last.

Tripod
If you're going to be doing a lot of still shots and vids, things will come out better if you use a Tripod to keep the camera still. There's PLENTY of good, cheap tripods out there so keep your eyes open.

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Finally, let's talk about places to get info
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http://www.steves-digicams.com
This guy goes through EVERY DAMNED aspect of a camera! His opinions and review don't necessary help your decision, but if you want to know details (including tons of product pictues) this is the site to go to.

http://www.dpreview.com/forums
The forums at dpreview is where you go for the info. Find out anything and everything on the camera you're thinking about from here.

http://www.amazon.com
I actually like looking at the buyer comments on Amazon, you can get some solid info from folks that have actually bought the product.

And there it is people, good luck!

Excellent work Namuna, but where were you before? I have a camera I'm happy with...now.



I have to say, for taking pictures of something as small as a bit, you have to have a good macro, and that's what I really love about my Nikon 4300. It will focus as close as 1.5", and it's crisp and clear that close too. I think it might be the best in it's price range for that kinda stuff.

yup, excellent write up man.

I too think for my novice photography skills, it's almost all about the macro for me.
though I do plan on learning how to really use my damn camera.

I'm also interested in learning more about the high-end gear, ya never know. I've gotten my hands on that kind of stuff before and I'm certain the knowledge would come in handy.

crazydave wrote:Excellent work Namuna, but where were you before? I have a camera I'm happy with...now.

12 to 17 hour workdays my man, that's where.

I just bought the Pentax 43wr today m'self:
- 4mp
- Waterproof down to 3' of water
- uses 2xAA batteries
- will do 640x480 @ 30fps quicktime movies
- Macro as close as just under 4"

I can NOT wait to get it! It's gonna be loads of fun to finally catch my dog goin nuts while being chased by the ZZMT.

That was awesome Namuna! I never though about the macro thing... I'd be interested in the high-end gear thing too. I just got a new Sony Handycam and I LOVE IT!

Good, I'm glad it's helpful!

For a cheap, decent Tripod...Try stopping by your local WallyWorld (WalMart). I recently picked up a Tripod from there for only $40. It ain't gonna woo any Photo Pros, but they're cheap and will get the job done just fine. The one I picked up (can't recall the details of the brand) comes with 2 quick-release mounts and a nylon carry case

256mb or higher Memory card
When you buy the camera it usually comes with an 8mb or 16mb memory card to get you started. WORTHLESS! That's good for like 5 pictures! how lame. 256mb is good, but 512mb is the sweet spot (1gb gives you a load of room, so unless you plan on taking a TON of pictures and video then you don't necessarily need that much).

I second 256/512 cards. But I haven't had good luck with higher capacity cards. In the last 2 years I have had a 1gb and 4gb CF card crap out on me losing a few hundred shots. I've yet to have any problems with 256 or 512 cards.

If you find yourself needing more memory (family outings, etc) I'd strongly suggest four 256 cards or two 512 cards over a single 1gb card. Losing all your shots when/if a card fails can be a real drag!