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Digital Cameras Buying Guide

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Today's digital compact cameras boast brilliant technology to help you take high resolution pictures that look sensational on screen or in print, plus amazing high definition home movies.

If you love landscapes, dramatic architecture or big group shots, look out for camera with a wideangle lens or panorama features. Touchscreen is also a handy feature to have, making it even easier to zoom in, pan out and focus on all things you like best. High performance or point and shoot, there is a compact digital camera for every level of interest and budget.

Top brands available include Canon, Casio, Fujifilm, Olympus, Nikon, Panasonic and Sony. We all love photos but it's what you do with them that counts. Storing images electronically means your photographs do not need 'developing' you can print what you need, how you need it, at Jessops Photo online or in-store.

Digital cameras operate in the same way as conventional cameras, but instead of images being stored on film, a CCD (charge couple device) converts each into a pattern of tiny coloured squares known as pixels. Together these pixels make up the photograph and the more pixels, the greater the image quality/resolution. Your choice of compact digital camera will be based largely on the resolution you require your photographs to be, which is described by giving the maximum number of pixels across the image, and the number of pixels down the image. Remember that you don't necessarily need to use your compact digital camera at high resolutions. For e-mail or web sites, use a lower resolution to save space on your memory card.

When buying a compact digital camera it's important to remember that the quality of your final prints is not only down to the amount of megapixels. Often the quality of a lens is key to producing fantastic photos.

Many compact digital cameras come with a standard lens useful only for point-and-shoot photography. Some come with an optical zoom lens allowing you flexibility with your camera, while others have a digital zoom (although through this you lose picture quality because it reduces the number of pixels making up your picture as you go through the range).

With the more advanced digital single lens reflex (SLR) cameras you can attach lenses from your original film SLR cameras, or buy specific digital lenses for your camera.

Most compact digital cameras feature an LCD screen, which offers a number of advantages:

  • Framing your shot. What you see on-screen is essentially what appears in the photograph.
  • Reviewing pictures. Delete poor shots straight away to free memory card space.
  • Menu information. Easy-to-follow instructions wherever you take your compact camera.

On many compact digital cameras you have the ability to record movies. This footage is ideal for e-mailing to friends or family as an attachment, or for use on web sites.

Compact digital cameras differ from 35mm film cameras in one major way - they don't use film to store the images. There are a variety of digital memory cards available to store your pictures so that you can transfer them easily to PC. The number of images each memory card can store is dependant both on its memory size, and the resolution the images were taken at. The higher the resolution, the larger the number of pixels, and the more memory card used by the shot. To prevent memory cards becoming full too quickly, most digital cameras have an option to vary image resolution between shots, and additional digital memory cards can also be purchased. When a card becomes full you simply remove it from the camera, insert another one and continue shooting. Once your photographs have been transferred to computer, the memory card can be wiped clean ready to use again. There are a variety of different memory solutions available for digital cameras including CompactFlash, SD, SDHC, Memory Stick and XD-Picture Cards, so it is worth looking at these before choosing a camera.

Most compact digital cameras connect to your PC through a set of leads to download your photos. It is also possible to remove digital memory cards and put them into a memory card reader or adapter to transfer images to computer, while some digital cameras offer wireless transfer.

Memory card readers can be connected to USB or USB 2.0 ports in the back of your computer. They are available for all memory cards.

PCMCIA adapters are designed for taking SmartMedia and CompactFlash cards and plugging straight into your PCMCIA slot. Ideal for laptop users.

Digital cameras can use batteries quite quickly, particularly when the LCD screen is heavily used. If your camera does not come with either its own lithium-ion rechargeable battery or standard rechargeables, we recommend you purchase some - in the long-term it will save money. Top-end digital cameras now often come with a lithium-ion rechargeable battery which gives a large number of shots between recharging. Extra camera batteries are worth purchasing if you plan on being out for a long time, and it's always worth taking a spare set of batteries on holiday.

Many of the latest models offer advanced features including macro lenses for stunning close-ups, face and smile recognition for perfect portraits, and anti-shake technology to prevent shaking hands causing blurred pictures.

What to look out for

Megapixels
As a rule of thumb, the higher the megapixel number, the higher the image resolution - which gives better detail when printing larger images. Photographers who want to maintain quality while cropping pictures should also look for a high megapixel rating.

Full high definition 1080p
Uses more lines and pixels to make up each frame of the footage, offering more true-to-life images when played on a high definition TV. It is captured in 1920 x 1080 pixels for five times more detail than standard definition.

RAW recording mode
A 'RAW' file records precise data captured by the camera's sensors without processing the image into a JPEG or other type of file. Great for photographers who like to manipulate images with software after it's taken.

HDTV compatible
The ability to show the camera's images on a High Definition television (HDTV) set for stunning picture viewing. A brilliant way to relive the big moments in life - like a great holiday, wedding or first baby.

High definition movie
Captures movie footage, with each frame made up of 720 lines. Brilliant results when played back on a high definition TV.

AVCHD
A high definition video format devloped by Sony and Panasonic, which captures moving images in frames made up of 720 or 1080 lines. Gives brilliant results when played back on a high definition TV.

Wideangle lens
Brings more of what the eye can see into the picture. Great for landscapes, photos take in confined spaces, of for adding creative perspective to portraits taken from high or low angles.

Zoom
Describes the power that a camera has to 'grab' pictures from afar or 'crop' into a subject without getting physically closer. For example, higher zoom suits wildlife photographers whose subjects may be far away.

Low noise processor
Advanced technology to reduce the grainy appearance of images (or 'noise'), especially when photographing in low light. Ideal for shooting flash-free or in ambient light.

High ISO
ISO determines sensitivity of the camera sensor to light. At night or in low light, a high ISO like 1600 helps you capture what you see naturally. Can also reduce the need for flash when photographing indoors.

LCD screen size
Size of the screen, in inches, on which you view digital camera images. Larger screens assist with photo composition and make it easier to view pictures once they're taken.

Touchscreen
The camera's settings can be controlled easily by touching different options on the LCD screen.

Face detection
Technology that identifies a face in a scene, locks focus on it and adjusts the picture settings accordingly around that person. Delivers in focus, natural-looking people pictures.

Multi face detection
Smart technology that identifies multiple faces in the frame and sets the most suitable focus point so everyone looks their best. A real help for those who take lots of pictures of groups of friends and family.

Scene recognition
Adjusts the camera's aperture and shutter-speed settings to suit the specific scene selected, to give maximum picture quality. So perfect settings are always used in modes like Portrait, Landscape, Night or Baby.

Electronic image stabilisation
Controls image stability to reduce blurring caused by movement - but by moving the captured image with electronic processing. Can affect picture quality slightly, but is good where there is excessive camera shake.

Optical image stabilisation
Reduces picture blurring caused by camera shake by correcting the image 'real time' in the lens, or in the camera body. Useful in low light, when slower shutter speeds mean the camera needs to be held steady for longer.

Sweep/Swing Panorama
Makes taking stunning landscapes and full vistas as simple as following the arrow.

Panorama
Enables wide views to fit into a single frames, to give the 'full experience' of being there. Ideal for photographng expansive landscapes and large buildings in all their glory.

Seamless stitch panorama
Panoramic views up to 210 degrees wide canbe captured by following simple onscreen instructions. The camera 'stitches' multiple images together to create one seamless photo.

Weather proofed
Designed to withstand the elements especially rain and snow. Seals around the working parts to keep out dust and moisture.

Card compatibility
Tells you which memory cards can be used to store images on your camera. Worth considering if you want to swap cards between your camera, camcorders, laptops or mobile phones.

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