Digital cameras are a popular alternative to traditional film cameras, but there are several things you should consider before buying a digital camera. First, while digital cameras eliminate the need to buy traditional film and have it developed, digital cameras are usually more expensive than traditional cameras, require a little more technical know-how to operate, and usually necessitate having a computer to view and print the images. When looking for a digital camera, consider what you’ll primarily be using it for. If you plan to photograph mostly landscapes and panoramic shots, then a low-end model for less than $500 may be sufficient. Otherwise, look for a camera with at least a 2x optical zoom that will enable you to take close-up shots of your subjects. Also, there are several different formats for storing your images, including traditional 3.5 inch computer diskettes, so decide how many pictures you’re going to want to be able to store at a time, because cost can vary. Finally, image resolution is a prime consideration. With digital cameras, the resolution, or sharpness, of the photo is usually measured in megapixels. High-range cameras offer three megapixels of resolution or more, but these cameras can cost more than $1,000 . If you plan on printing out your photos from a computer printer, don’t buy a camera with less than one megapixel, or the image quality will suffer.
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