How many megapixels do I need?
Unless you’re planning on enlarging your images to billboard sizes, more megapixels are not necessarily going to give you a better quality photo. A camera with 10-16 megapixels is going to be more than enough and will still allow you to enlarge your image to an A3 size without clarity loss.
What sort of batteries does it take?
Most good quality cameras these days use a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which will come supplied in the box. Be wary of overly cheap cameras as they may take other types of batteries such as AA.
How much zoom do you want?
Most digital cameras have some sort of optical zoom. Keep in mind that often, the more zoom a camera has, the bigger the camera generally is. However, there is a new form of camera, referred to as “traveller” cameras that allow you to have larger zooms in smaller form factors.
How quickly can I take a shot after I turn the camera on?
It used to be commonplace that, once you turned a camera on, you were required to wait anywhere between 10-20 seconds before you could actually take a photo. Thanks to more powerful processors and modern technological developments, higher end cameras have the ability to turn on and be ready to take a photo very quickly.
How much of a battering is this camera going to take?
Got young kids? They can get their hands on anything. There are a number of cameras on the market that are specially designed to take a beating should the camera find its way into little hands. They are often both shockproof and waterproof. For added flexibility, the higher end cameras are also freeze-proof and crushproof.
Do you need to take photos in quick succession?
If you are capturing your kids running around at the park or in the backyard, chances are you’re going to want a camera that can rattle of a number of shots in a short period of time. Ask how many “images per second” the camera is capable of capturing. That way, all you need to do once sequential shooting is selected is keep your finger on the shot button to take a number of shots in a row.
Do I want to be more creative with my shots?
If you’re the creative type that likes to change the way your images look, then look for cameras that have special creative filters. This allows you to drastically alter the way your image looks and can make for an even more memorable image.
