Do not let the buzz words and technical jargon of digital cameras intimidate you.
They are fun and easy to use if you know what to look out for.
There are some features that you should consider when choosing a great digital camera.
* Pixels - When you take a digital picture, the image is actually made out of microscopic squares with each having a certain numeric value for colour.
If you are interested in taking regular 4 x 6 photos (or even just uploading them onto the internet) you may want to purchase a 3 megapixel camera, while if you are going to be taking larger photos such as 8 x 10, you may want to invest in a 4 or 5 megapixel option.
Put simply, the larger format photos you want to print, the higher the megapixels need to be on your digital camera.
* White Balance - Choose the lighting situation that you are in so that your images do not have blue or yellow overtones.
If you do not know which one to use, you can choose the automatic setting and the camera will do all the work.
* Zoom - Even as a beginner, having digital and optical zoom are very important.
Optical zoom is the regular option that you have when you use a camera with film and digital cameras, while digital zoom takes a cropped portion of the image and then zooms in to fill the frame.
* Digital Files - Since most people upload their pictures to social-networking sites, the digital file size is important, so for cameras that have larger files, they will normally have to be compressed, leading to diminished quality.
JPEG files work with the photos to maximise quality, even when they have been compressed.
* Memory Cards - Having excellent storage in your camera is the best way to ensure you can take high-quality photos.
There are many types of memory cards that you can purchase, so make sure that these memory cards are compatible with your digital camera.