In America, 12.5 million digital cameras were sold last year, overtaking film for the first time. In Britain, the switch-over is not far behind. Women are more interested than men in getting prints from digital images, however, printing at home is not high on their list. Instead, they prefer the process to mimic traditional film developing as they know it.

The rise of digital photography has been swift and ruthless. Little more than a decade ago, the first digital cameras were launched by Sony and Canon. With low quality images and clunky operation, it was difficult to see how they would appeal.

That new digital camera you used to take those snapshots of your kids at the Grand Canyon looks kind of like your old point-and-shoot film camera, but it's not. It's the difference between chemistry and physics.

Photography is going through an exciting transition period as many film photographers are beginning to explore the new capabilities made possible with digital cameras. Traditional aspects such as the fundamental techniques and lens equipment have remained the same, however others are markedly different. This is a great time to get involved with digital photography.

I've grown wiser again and now I'm re-discovering still photography (digital is making it a fascinating journey). The weight of still cameras and their tripods, compared to Super 16 film cameras, also makes the journey lighter.

There are digital versions of these cameras that virtually every one of us has. To everyone but the most hard-core film or digital crazies, there isn't that much difference between the physical experience of using a film point-and-shoot and a digital one. Of course, there are a few differences.

It takes about 20 megapixels to match film quality. Within another 5 years, many cameras will be 15-20 megapixels with low amounts of noise because of improved sensors. There is actually a camera that you can buy right now that has 160 megapixels!

Digital photography has opened many channels for novice photographers to be able to produce more than acceptable photos with very little experience. There is no denying the fact that digital has a higher initial cost. A flagship film body will usually cost 50 to 75% less than its digital counterpart. However, there are many different cameras available at all price levels, so choosing the right camera for your needs can be quite difficult.

More megapixels equals sharper images. If you plan to enlarge your photos on a regular basis, then consider purchasing a digital camera with more megapixels. However, keep in mind that high megapixel cameras tend to be more expensive.

To take great looking pictures it also helps to have a digital camera that provides you with many different helpful features. The many different sources that you can use like a digital photography magazine, internet articles, and even digital camera buyer's guides will allow you to compare digital camera features.

This article was written by Henry Charles Halley, an up and coming expert in digital photography an Web-design. You can find out a lot more about digital photography by going to Digital Photography Info where you can also get a more tips on digital photography.