Digital Camera Technology - 7 Top Features

Technology seems to evolve and change as fast as the wind and digital camera technology is no different. It seems that every month, if not every week, manufacturers are launching the latest and greatest in digital cameras to entice customers.

It helps to remember that the goal of buying a digital camera is the convenience it offers in snapping pictures and then having quality photos of life's memories. It is a fact that no matter what camera you decide on buying there will always be something new and "better" that will come out, so do not let this distract you. There are certain aspects of digital camera technology that are most important to getting quality pictures. Focusing on these aspects combined with an affordable price is a safe formula for getting the best digital camera.

7 Most Important Aspects of Digital Camera Technology

1. Megapixels: The higher the mega pixels the better and sharper the resolution of the pictures. The resolution of your image is based upon the mega pixel property of your camera. This means that as you enlarge the picture, you would get more detail and less blurry colors.

If you will only be emailing pictures or viewing them on your computer then resolution is not an issue and any number of pixels will do. However, if you intend to print your pictures, enlarge them and perform other editing functions then you will need better resolution and therefore a higher pixel count in order to have quality photos. Digital camera technology offers offers a resolution of at least 5 megapixels, which is enough to make a sharp 11-by-14 print.

2. LCD Size: One of the best aspects of digital camera technology is the LCD screen. These are screens that allow you to see pictures you just shot in real time. The best digital camera will always have a large LCD to help you frame your subject without having to squint to the viewfinder.

LCD screen digital camera technology is also helpful when reviewing your images. Some cameras enable touch up and editing features with its LCD. Some digital cameras offer a histogram on the LCD, a good feature to determine the quality of images taken. A histogram is a graph that will show you highlights that are overexposed to the point of being pure white, and shadows that are underexposed and show as pure black.

A 1.5-inch display is average, a 2-inch LCD display is good, but the best LCD size would be 2.5 inches or higher.

3. Zoom Lens: The zoom capability is one of the most important aspects of digital camera technology. Digital camera technology allows camera to have both digital and optical zoom, but a higher Optical Zoom is always better than a higher Digital Zoom because Digital Zoom merely captures pixels and magnifies those and produces inferior photos while Optical Zoom gives you all the benefits of the camera's maximum resolution, combined with the ability to focus in tight on faraway action.

Digital cameras are usually furnished with optical zoom ranging between 3x to 20x. The higher the optical zoom the better the photos.

4. Image Stabilization: Without image stabilization you need a steady hand or a tripod to avoid blurry pictures at extreme telephoto lengths. More advanced digital cameras, including SLRs, tend to employ one of two methods, Optical Image Stabilization, in which an element in the lens adjusts to compensate for movement or Sensor Movement, in which the camera's sensor moves in order to compensate for the shaking.

5. User Friendly Controls: Another important aspect of digital camera technology is the user-friendliness of the controls. While digital camera's technology are getting smaller and "cuter" using these tiny cameras is not always so cute.

Consider the accessibility of menu options, such as macro mode, resolution, flash and exposure settings while holding the digital camera and taking pictures. Hard to reach buttons and settings will make picture taking more difficult and a hassle.

6. Batteries: Battery capability is an important factor of digital camera technology. Digital cameras suck up a lot of battery juice and this can become a costly part of owning and using the camera. Digital camera technology provides for camera's compatible with either rechargeable or disposable batteries.

Picking a camera that uses rechargeable batteries can save a lot of money over time. Also, many cameras allow the use of both so in the event the rechargeable is charging you can pop in some AA's.

7. Memory/Storage: Memory and storage digital camera technology typically offers digital cameras that come with a 16MB "starter" memory card that at its highest resolution can store six to eight pics.

The standard memory card the digital camera comes with is not very important because you can and will want to buy another one, or else you will have to transfer all pictures taken almost immediately after taking them to make room for more.

Digital camera technology is always going to evolve. Ignoring the hype and focusing on getting the best of the above features at a price you can afford is a good solution to getting the best digital camera for you.