Just like choosing a CamCorder finding the right still picture recording camera from the vast market is also a devil's job. In photography unlike videography you need more talent, more hard work and more experience to make your photos look good. You have to choose from the millions of frames around you. If the choose of frames is not exact you will loose the valuable moments. But making videos is easy. You can be really sure of not missing the moment. Ofcource to make good videos you need talent, but atleast you can be sure of capturing the valuable moments.
Like wise to make good pics choosing the right cam is important. As in the case of CamCorder, first choose from digital and film based cams. If you go for film based cams you will get professional cams for around $200. But as a beginner you will have to take lots of pictures. So while you are learning you will have to spent a lot in films and other procedures. Also you cannot see the picture at the time when its caught. So I think its better to look for a digital camera. You need a computer, ofcource. You must be having one..right..?
Once you have made the choice to be digital a big world of digital cameras comes before you. Remember we are looking for a amateur-to-professional camera.
Let me tell you what you must have in minimum in such a camera.
First you need atleast 4.0 Mega Pixels. But something at 5.0 Mega Pixels or 8.0 Mega Pixels is prefered. But never let it go below 4.0.
Then something important is the Zoom. Minimum 3X optical Zoom. Digital zoom is not at all useful in still picture recording. If you use it you will get pixelized picture. 3x optical zoom must be fine.
After that you need a 2.0" LCD display. Below that you will need a microscope to see what's taken. 2.5" is prefered. But remember LCD screens take a major part of the battery. So more battery will be used if the screen gets very big. There are cams with 3.5" LCD display.
Then you will need to have a pretty good battery. Do not prefer cameras which have a standard size battery ( like a AAA size battery ). Instead look for cams which have a specific battery made only for that camera. Like the casio exilim camera which have a 12V battery made only for the camera. Such batteries last longer than the standard sized batteries. Some might say that if you have a standard sized battery you can always purchase it from a near-by store when you are out of power. But wouldn't it be better to have a battery which can take upto 360 pictures rather than replacing the battery after every 50 pictures..? ( According to CIPA standards Casio Exilim's battery last for 360 picures and from my experience it lasts for 270 to 300 pictures in real life!!! ). You can always purchase an additional battery from the manufacturer in case.
These days most cameras have slots for expanding memmory like SD card slots or Multi Media Card slot. So you wont have to ask for that at the manufacturer. Its a standard. Also do not bother if the internal memmory is as less as zero. You can always expand it.
Something which you will have to look for is the view finder. This is not always available. If you use the viewfinder you can conserve the battery power and take more pictures. Also the use of viewfinder gives the photographer more control over hand shakes.
Make sure that the one you choose has a pan-focus facility so that you can shoot the exact frame you thought of, without waiting for the auto-focus to complete. This is very important.
Then something which you can ask for is continuous movie recording and sound recording capabilites. These days cams come with in built Mp3 players and can even work as webcams. For a still picture camera the image stabilization feature is not something mandatiory but can came handy if available. Also an all-weather cam must be a good choice as with such cams you can even shoot your friends skating in the snow.
Your cam must have some basic functions like : auto focus, night mode, trimming, cropping, some basic filters ( like majenta filter to shoot the sunset )... Along with auto focus you will need a manual focus function to give the pictures your personal touch. This can come handy once you have started turning a pro.
As a beginner you will have to look for a cam which is small in size and hence must be able to be carried every where you go. Also you need to spent a lot of time trying with different camera angles and different frames. So look for the right cam with these options in mind. Always make a "must-have" list and a " nice-to-have" list. Wish you a nice time finding one.
Suggested Model : I have a Casio Exilim Z30 with me. Its great ! Its has only 3.2 MegaPixels but everything else is fine. Its was a bit expensive but its really cute. Now newer models are available with more features at half the price. A $300 to $ 500 budget must be fine. Remember you are making a choice only once..right..? And its better to chill out more bucks in the beginning than to spent it in instalments at the repair stations frequently. Sony and Canon have got really nice models too. You got a lot of them. Try it for yourself before purchasing. First find a cam and then find some of its existing users and get their feedback. That will make your choice perfect.
Good Luck.
b.
