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If you want to make a good decision on which digital camera to buy, I suggest following:

Step 1: Decide how much you want to spend. Image quality and digital camera features all cost money. The more money you're willing to spend, the more you'll get.

Step 2: Decide how large you want to be able to print "photo-quality" prints. "Photo-quality" means that the image can be printed at 300 dpi, at least, because the number of pixels is the major determinant of picture quality (i.e. the more pixels, the larger and clearer the picture is likely to be). Use Table 1.1 to determine the resolution required for printing the size prints you desire.

Step 3: Find a camera that feels good in your hands and that is well designed. You might not think this step is important enough to be number three on a list of six considerations to keep in mind when you're buying a digital camera, but it is. Digital cameras can be rather small and lightweight. Using a camera that's uncomfortable to hold can make the body difficult to keep in your hands. (Several digital cameras I've used were so hard to hold that they scared me. They were too expensive to drop!) Also, take a few pictures to determine whether you can hold the camera level. The shape and size of some cameras make it challenging to shoot pictures that are horizontal, a drawback that might require you to edit each picture to straighten it. When you straighten an image, you not only lose some pixels, but you also have to store the image again, which decreases the quality if you store it by using a compressed format such as JPEG.

Besides considering the shape and size of the camera, you'll also want to make sure that you're comfortable with the camera controls. Often, photo opportunities come and go quickly. If you can't turn on your camera, set the flash on or off, and make sure you have the right image resolution and quality quickly, you'll miss pictures you want to take.

Step 4: Learn which features will help you to shoot the kinds of pictures you want to take. Digital cameras can have hundreds of features. (Eleven of the more important standard features that substantially differentiate cameras are listed next.) Once you decide how you want to use your camera, make sure your camera has the features you need to shoot the pictures you want.

Point-and-shoot (fixed focus) or auto-focus: Fixed focus attempts to focus everything in the image, whereas, auto-focus gives you more control over what is and isn't in focus. Auto-focus cameras generally produce a better-quality image.

Lens focal length and speed: Focal length determines both the magnification and angle of view that can be taken with a lens. Lenses are categorized as wide-angle, normal, telephoto, or zoom. A zoom lens enables the focal length to change within a specific range. Lens speed determines how much light is needed to take a picture. A fast lens enables you to take a better picture in a lower light environment than a slower lens.

Optical versus digital zoom capabilities: Optical zoom enables you to zoom in on an object by using the lenses. Digital zoom enables zooming through the use of software. Optical zoom provides a far better image than digital zoom.

Macro capabilities: Enable you to take close-up images.

Viewfinder and/or LCD: A viewfinder is an optical window that enables you to point the camera. It does not, however, accurately represent the image that you're taking. In contrast, a LCD is a television-like screen that shows you what your picture will look like.

Image storage media (CompactFlash, SmartMedia, floppy disk, or other): CompactFlash and SmartMedia are the most common and have the most storage capacity, ranging from 4MB to 96MB or more.

Type of interface between the PC and digital camera (serial, USB, or FireWire): The interface enables you to hook a digital camera directly to a PC. Serial cables are the slowest by a relatively high factor. Universal serial bus (USB) and the new FireWire connections are fast and easy to connect.

Image file format, file compression options, and capacity: Digital camera vendors all offer a variety of file formats and compression technologies, which impact the overall capacity to store images. Different formats also have implications for quality and the capability of the file to be used and viewed by software applications.

Flash capabilities: A built-in flash is useful, but not very powerful. If you need more powerful flash capabilities, find out whether the camera can be used with an external flash.

Capability to add lenses: If you need telephoto or wide-angle capabilities outside the range of your camera, check whether the camera you're considering supports the use of additional lenses.

Capability to output to a television: Enables you to connect your digital camera directly to a TV screen by using a cable that plugs into the VIDEO IN port in the TV or VCR. Often, digital cameras that have this feature also offer slide show capabilities.

After you investigate these major features, you're likely to find "surprise" features. Generally, you find out about the surprise features only after you've purchased a camera, shot a hundred or so pictures, and have finally decided to sit down to read your user's manual. Such features typically are neither written up in the comparison tables nor included in the feature lists on the retail packaging, and you probably won't find a salesperson who'll be able to tell you about them. When I purchased the Nikon CoolPix 950, for example, I was astounded by the number of additional features it has. The following represents a small sample:

The moral of the story: If you want to know all about the features offered by a particular model of camera, visit a retail store and ask to see the user's manual. Sometimes even consulting the manual is difficult to do, because some vendors assume you have a PC and, thus, provide the user's manual to you on a CD-ROM to be read on a computer!

Step 5: Select a brand and model. One of the most valuable online resources for comparing technical specifications and prices of most models made by the major vendors is the ZDNet site at www.zdnet.com/computershopper/index1.html. Once you're there, find the "Shop by Category" section and click "Digital Cameras." Besides offering an excellent "Shop and Compare by Price Range" feature, you'll find the "Experts Pick" and "How to Buy" features valuable. If you've decided on a specific vendor, there's a useful "Shop and Compare by Manufacturer" section. If one of the Ziff-Davis journals has reviewed a specific product, then you'll find a place to click and read the review in detail.

The most compelling reason to visit this site is that it's linked to most of the major merchants' Web sites, so with a single click, you can find yourself at Beyond.com, MicroWarehouse, or PCZone. Also, visit the HP Shopping Village, where you can waltz down the electronic aisles and order photographic paper for your ink-jet printer. The ZDNet site is an excellent site, but be careful of the "Buy It!" buttons. They make buying online so easy! If you visit just one Web site, this should be the one.

Usually, you can find the most up-to-date information and news on products at the manufacturer's site. This is the best place to go for pictures of the cameras, detailed specification sheets, and product brochures, which are frequently available in a format that you can print. The easiest way to get to the various manufacturers' sites is by using the Digital Camera Resource Page at www.dcresource.com/links/links.html.

If you'd like to join a digital camera forum, so you can ask questions and learn firsthand how users of a particular camera like it, then I again suggest a visit to the Digital Camera Resource Page at www.dcresource.com.

Finally, if you have an appetite for yet more information, visit the Photonut site, www.photonut.com, where you'll find lots of links and real-time chat. If you're inclined to sign up for mailing lists, try Photoforum by subscribing to listserv@listserver.isc.rit.edu.

That just about completes the information that you need to determine what camera you want to buy. Now it's time to figure out where to buy it.

Step 6: Decide where to buy your digital camera. Should you buy a digital camera and accessories at your local "brick and mortar" store, or should you buy online? Good question! If price is all that matters to you, then the answer is simple: buy online. A $1,000 camera will cost as little as $800 at some of the online stores, plus you'll save a few dollars on sales tax (but pay a few more for shipping and handling). In the end, you might save as much as twenty percent, or $200! However, I must raise a caution flag here. Beware of online merchants who offer discounts substantially lower than most of the other merchants. Anyone selling electronic components of any kind must compete in a highly competitive marketplace, and it's hard to sell too cheaply for very long. Ask them if the model you want is in stock and if it will be shipped immediately. Ask them about their return policy, and make sure you can get a comparable product. To make prices look lower, some less-reputable vendors will charge you extra for an image storage card or batteries that are normally shipped with the camera.

If service is an issue for you, as it is to me, then you should support your local retail store. If that's where you go to get a "hands-on" feel for the camera of your choice, then--in my opinion--that's where you should buy it. Knowledgeable salespeople can add substantial value, and they need compensation for their efforts.

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About the author, Gregory Georges: Using medium format, 35 mm, and digital cameras, Gregory has amassed a personal collection of more that 12,000 pictures -- all taken purely for the fun of it. He has, in one way or another, used computers extensively for work and at home since taking his first computer class in 1969. As an experienced photographer and avid user of computer technologies, Gregory has the perfect background and passion to write about digital cameras and how to get the most from digital images. You can visit him at his website: www.reallyusefulpage.com .

Digital Camera Solutions is published by Muska & Lipman Publishing of Cincinnati, Ohio. You can visit them at www.mlstore.com/camera.html to find out more about this book.

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