What to look for in a digital camera

Today, an entry-level compact camera stands head and shoulders above a similar device offered as recently as 12 months ago.Features have improved, prices have dropped, megapixels have increased and new technology has been introduced.Entering the digital camera market today can be a daunting exercise for customers, with more choices than ever before.Lens quality, the number of megapixels, optical zoom, LCD screen and the size and weight of the unit all vary from model to model.

The lens

Two of the most important features are the lens and image sensor. If you think of the lens as the eyes of the camera, then the sensor is the brain. A good-quality lens does a good job at focusing light and channelling it to the image sensor, which in turn interprets that information into the image we see on the review screen.Other talents to look for in a lens are optical image stabilisation to counter the shakes and optical zoom to bring your subject closer when you can't move nearer yourself.

The processor

The processor does the heavy lifting by putting together the information which comes in through the lens.The speed of a processor determines how many and how quickly photos can be taken in rapid succession.It also reduces the lag time between when the button is pressed and the picture is taken.A fast start-up time is also desirable as users want to be able to take pictures as soon as the camera is switched on.

Megapixels

The resolution of a camera is measured in megapixels (MP) — the number of picture elements it uses to make up a photograph.Today's entry-level compact digital cameras offer about 8MP of resolution, but more megapixels doesn't necessarily mean a better camera.Having a camera with more megapixels means the size of the image will be larger but doesn't mean the picture will be better quality.The advantage of having a camera with higher resolution is to make larger prints or crop in on part of an image, but these larger files also fill your memory card faster.Unless you are planning on printing poster-size prints, a camera with 8MP should be plenty.

The screen

Being able to see what you've just shot is the best feature of digital photography, so the LCD screen on the back plays an important role.Use it to frame shots and review what you've taken. Apart from size, check the viewing angle and how it handles bright sunlight.

Design and build

A camera needs to be sturdy, yet small enough not to weigh you down. Cameras don't take kindly to being dropped and such mishaps are not covered by warranties.If you like the beach, consider picking a waterproof camera.