Digital SLRs

Digital cameras have seem many changes over the last 18 months with perhaps one of the biggest being the decrease in price of digital SLR cameras. This has seen them become more affordable and they are now within reach of almost anybody who enjoys photography as a hobby.

Digital SLR cameras can now be found from as little as £350 and it is usually possible to purchase at least one lens as part of the deal. This can be a good way to save some money on a lens. These cameras usually have between eight and twelve megapixels.

Lenses are an extremely important feature but it can be easy to fall into the trap where having bought an expensive camera with a great set of features, that any old lens will do. Lens quality is an important factor if you are looking for impressive quality images. Therefore, budgeting for the best quality lenses you can afford in addition to the cost of the camera body itself.

One of the main advantages of digital SLR cameras is their flexibility. With such an array of lenses to choose from, you can choose the right camera for whatever photograph you wish to take. There is also a wide range of accessories available which can further enhance these cameras capabilities.

Lens choice is continually increasing and there are now a range of lenses that are specifically designed to match smaller sensors that can be found with digital SLR cameras. If you want to take wide angle shots then a wide angle lens made specifically for digital SLRs will probably make a wise investment.

Another big advantage of going down the digital SLR route is that it helps to protect your overall investment. If you buy a number of lenses and then decide to upgrade the camera itself then your lenses should still work with your next camera provided it is made by the same manufacturer.

Super Zoom Digital Cameras

Are you looking for a digital camera that can capture sports or wildlife photography? A Super Zoom model could provide the solution to this problem. Price’s can vary in price between £100 and £250 making the lower end of the range fall into the relatively cheap digital camera bracket. This would be the cheapest option if you are looking for a powerful zoom lens digital camera.

Cameras at the moment generally have zoom capabilities between 10x and 18x. Also, most of the super zoom cameras I have tested have fully manual exposure controls which include aperture and shutter priority. Cameras at the more expensive end of the range have a very wide range of features. This feature makes them suitable for anybody who sees photography as a hobby rather than someone who is looking buy a digital camera just to take a few snapshots with.

Many super zoom digital cameras are designed in the same style as traditional SLR cameras that enable you to get an excellent grip when you take a photograph. The only downside of this is that they can be both weighty and cumbersome. This needs to taken into consideration if you are buying a super zoom digital camera and I would suggest buying a camera bag to transport it from place to place.

If you use a super zoom camera in conjunction with a long lens there is a tendency for camera shake to appear. Some manufacturers have made attempts at combating this to some degree by introducing image stabilisation in some models. Even though every little helps, sometimes the best solution is to make use of a tripod whenever possible. This can often make a clear difference in the sharpness of a photograph.

One big plus point with the models in this digital camera comparison is the fact that the flash unit pops up on the majority of these cameras which helps to take the flash away from the lens of the digital camera. This means that red eye is very rare in portrait shots where the flash is used.

Advanced Digital Cameras

The advanced digital camera range as I know is much smaller than it was three or four years ago. This is probably because of the way the price of digital SLR cameras has crashed over the past few years. Even so there is still a demand for this type of digital camera from people who would like a more convenient and therefore more portable advanced digital camera than the larger and bulkier digital SLR cameras.

This type of camera is a cross between High Specification, Super Zoom and Digital SLR cameras. They usually have around eight megapixels and zoom lenses between 4x and 10x. Like digital SLR cameras, you may find control dials that give you fast access to key controls rather than a array of buttons on the back of the camera. Many also offer custom modes where you can save your favourite settings.

Among the more advanced features that can be found are long exposures, custom white balance, matrix, spot and centre weighted metering, continuous shooting, best shot selectors and time lapse movies. Other features can include bracketing, noise reduction and options to adjust sharpness, contrast and saturation.

One of the main differences I have found between these digital cameras and the cheaper Super Zoom style models is build quality. These cameras tend to be far sturdier and a better feel in the hand. They also manage to avoid the problems of purple fringing when the zoom is fully extended.

These types of camera are becoming harder to come by and pricing has fallen since they were first introduced. However, if you see photography as a hobby then it may be a good idea to look at the latest offerings from entry level digital SLR cameras. I expect this type of digital camera to remain with us, but the flow of new models is much reduced from its peak around four years ago.

Standard Plus Digital Cameras

These cameras form the next logical step up from the entry level models. The main points that make these digital cameras different is that they generally have exposure controls that allow you to control both the aperture and shutter priority. Generally speaking, the kind of people who would want to buy this kind of digital camera are those who want to improve the quality of their photo’s without paying a huge sum for a camera. This being said, prices can range from £110 to £250.

You should also find that the number of megapixels starts to rise with these digital cameras. Generally, you can expect to find about 8 megapixels but the top end models can have up to 12. Some of the cameras in this category also have longer zoom lenses and can often have twice the amount of zoom or more compared to a standard lens.

Many cameras in this category have the facility to be enhanced with after market products such as underwater cases and lens converters. Basically, a lens converter alters the capability of the lens for example, telephoto or wide angle. You may even find fish eye or macro converters for some digital cameras in this category.

At this level, the range of features is increased as well as picture quality. Manual focusing, slower shutter times and additional flash control options can be found. More and more models have image stabilisation and face detection focusing is now the norm. Advanced flash units including pop up and twisting versions are also available on some models to improve photographs. Picture quality is impressive with sharper focusing and good colour detail in comparison to entry level digital cameras.

Although, the majority of the cheaper digital cameras in this category are made of plastic, the build quality of the more expensive models is usually a vast improvement on the entry level models. Television quality playback for movies is also made possible due to the 640 X 480 resolution that can be found on the majority of the cameras. Some digital cameras now offer an additional widescreen setting for movies.

Pocket Sized Digital Cameras

Pocket sized cameras are usually small enough to fit into even the smallest pockets, say perhaps even a pair of jeans for instance. Usually, I consider that any camera less than 25mm wide to fall into this class but as technology advances and digital cameras shrink even more, they will become even slimmer.

These cameras are normally constructed with a lightweight metal body and are very well made. This makes them a better bet than other types that come with the plastic cases of some lesser models. Design wise, there is good scope for choice although many digital cameras in this category share a similar rectangular shape. This means that finding a camera that you like the look of should be a breeze.

LCD screens are still a major feature of these cameras even with their small sizes. Most have at least a 2.5” screen and some even have one which is 3”. However, due to the size issue, many do not come equipped with a viewfinder. Picture quality is greatly improved now and if you select your digital camera wisely you should find you can take great snap shots.

At the moment, many of the digital cameras in this category have between 8 and 12 megapixels. Most lenses extrude from the camera body when it is switched on, but there are also a few to choose from with an integral lens. In terms of actually buying a digital camera, prices can range from £100 to £200 but most of them are roughly £130 to £150.

The quality of the models in this digital camera comparison varies greatly from camera to camera. For this reason, I recommend that you shop around to find the right model. One thing to remember is that the flash and lens are often close together therefore making red eye hard to avoid. Also, indoor shots can be not as good as the higher end digital cameras.

Pocket sized digital cameras tend to be easy to use and many of them are user friendly with a simple set of features. These makes the cameras in this category fall into the high quality point and shoot range.

One final point to remember is that the flash units can be limited in power with this type of digital camera. You should be aware of this limitation when you want to use this camera in lowlight situations.

Stylish Digital Cameras

I have usually found the types of digital camera found in this category both reliable and of good quality. When compared against the standard digital cameras available they are certainly better in build quality than the standard variations.

Cameras of this type, usually have around eight to twelve megapixels and zoom lenses are getting longer too. You can also generally find larger LCD screens but as is the case with many other digital cameras on the market, viewfinders are becoming a thing of the past.

These digital cameras are often small enough to fit into a handbag and are usually quite easy to carry around without being obtrusive. Generally silver in colour (as with many digital cameras), multiple colour options are becoming increasingly available. Many cameras now look fairly similar and therefore looks and style tend to vary very little.

This style of camera generally has good picture quality and often performs admirably in all manner of situations. The features available are similar to that of the standard digital camera but are easy to use and get to grips with.

Features such as image stabilisation (to help stop hand shake) and television quality movie modes are available on many cameras in the category. The build quality of these cameras is similar to the pocket sized models. I have generally found that the resulting pictures from these digital cameras are better and the flashes have a further reach.

Pricewise, they can be more expensive than both the pocket sized and standard digital cameras. Prices can be about £170 to £270 and they are probably more likely to be bought by somebody who would like a great quality camera that is user friendly but is prepared to pay a little more for it.

Simple and Easy Digital Cameras

Pricewise, these types of camera can cost between £60 and £120. There are cheaper options, but if you want a current digital camera from a well-known brand then this is the kind of price that you should be aiming for.

These cheap digital cameras usually have fewer features than the more complex models. This means that they are generally, easier to use. Manufacturers have put a lot of emphasis on this area over the last few years and lots of cameras available are now quite straightforward to use. These digital cameras do however, come with their own set of limitations when you compare them to the more expensive cameras. The cameras are routinely made of plastic and there is often a noticeable difference in their build quality when compared to other types of digital camera.

The chances are that this kind of camera will struggle to take good pictures indoors, in a lowlight. This can lead to blurring in some photos where the camera cannot focus properly, making each photo slightly darker. However, there are some exceptions to this rule if you search around. There is also the issue of shutter lag which is the time taken between the shutter button being pressed and the picture being created. It is because of this that photo opportunities could be missed. Although there are a few cameras that are able to get over this problem, the majority suffer from this major flaw.

Most digital cameras now come with LCD screens and they are increasing in size and quality. You may find however that they do not have a viewfinder. Many of the cameras in this range will now accept memory cards to increase the amount of pictures that can be stored.