How to choose a digital camera

How do you know which digital camera you need?

Such questions puzzle consumers, especially given that now many cameras of different quality and with different properties have similar technical characteristics. Here are some tips on how to choose a digital camera.

First of all, decide how much you are willing to spend.

Due to tough competition cameras of various well-known brands in the same price group will have approximately the same opportunities. That is, having spent 8000 rubles. on a "digital compact" from Olympus, Sony or Panasonic, you will get about the same result. And yet, of course, there are nuances.

Choose a camera in the store with a fairly large selection of models - at least a few dozen. Choose from famous manufacturers: Canon, Fuji, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony.

Do not come to the store at a time when crowds of customers are walking on it: it's better to come either right after the opening, or closer to closing, in the evening. With you can take: a friend for support, a pen and paper. Do not take money with you yet.

Choose several models that are popular simply outwardly and suitable for the price. For now, do not pay attention to the number of megapixels: although this is considered to be the main characteristic of the camera, the megapixel digital camera does not affect image quality as much as the maximum size of the photo you can print without losing quality. For professional studio photography, a 10-megapixel camera and above will do. With professional shooting for exhibitions or color magazines and 5 Mp is enough. On an amateur shooting yourself, a loved one with good quality is 3-4 Mp, and for shooting landscape photos the camera at 1.5-2 Mp will suit at all.

Note: sometimes for devices the image size obtained by "digital stretching" is indicated as the highest resolution. This is an advertising trick!

Ask the seller to give the selected cameras to your hands to try and take a few pictures. In case of refusal, immediately leave this store.

Perhaps you will be quite persistent in offering any models. Trust such proposals is not necessary, especially in stores of large retail chains.
After all, for the sale of certain models - for example, obsolete, with an increased price or from questionable lots - the seller can receive additional compensation.

In addition, the qualification of the consultant in 95% of cases is not enough to hope to get real help from him.

But in specialized phototechnics shops is much more likely to buy just what you need. Just do it anyway, make an amendment to the fact that, for example, in any store there is a stale product that someone has to sell. And I would not want it to be you.

Try each of the cameras you choose to evaluate according to different criteria: is it convenient in the hand, is the brightness sufficient for the screen (for this, turn on the device). Check how much "brakes" the screen - and any screen in one way or another can brake. To do this, move your hand in front of the lens.

Turn off the camera and turn it on again. How long will it be fully operational? It suits you? This is an extremely important parameter. A child or an animal will not wait for the full readiness of the device, what can we say about shooting a scene or sports competitions! It's scary to imagine how many unique frames in the world have been missed for the simple reason that the camera has been too ready for shooting for too long.

"Rate of fire" in general - almost the most critical moment when choosing a camera. After the duration of the preparation for work, check how fast the camera is aiming at the target. To give the device focus, you need to press the shutter release button halfway. Do this for each of the selected cameras, assess how quickly and well they are focused, and test the process for both nearby objects and for far-located ones.

Fixed objects do not represent a particular problem. And to assess the real speed of focusing, aim the lens not at the window, but at moving objects - at least for the same customers, who are constantly moving around the trading floor. This is a very tough test for the camera - especially when the store is weak. Not all models can complete it.

Another side of "rate of fire" - the speed of recording the picture on a memory card. Ask the seller to install the maximum image quality and maximum size on the device so as not to "get caught" by the fact that one camera will record a frame of 1600x1200 and on average quality, and the other - 3264x2448 with the maximum quality, which is about 8 times larger.

"We click" a few frames in a row - we test shooting in the mode of quick reporting. Does the device make at least one frame per second? Not a bad result! When shooting with flash - and it's wonderful. At the same time, estimate the flash recharge time.

Be sure to see how good the camera "brings objects" closer. It's one thing to see "ZOOM 3X" or "10X" on the price tag or leaflet, it's quite another to see the result with your own eyes. "Approach" the objects with the lever at the shutter release, sometimes with a ring on the lens.

By this point, you are most likely already almost made a choice. Find out if your model has been sold for a long time.

To too new (for sale a month or a half or less) and the old (more than a year) models are cautious. The price of the new models is probably a little overstated - it is worth waiting for it to fall. The old device has, most likely, a more advanced version is more modern, but it just might not be in this store. By the way, not the fact that it will be more expensive. New versions of devices appear, as a rule, every six months.

It is recommended to go to a couple of other stores before buying the model you like. At least to compare prices. That's why it's better not to take money with you right away.

Pay attention to the source of power - in itself, it does not affect the quality of the images, but here's the convenience of using the camera, as well as the cost of operation - even more! Among the devices there is not much variety: some "feed" on branded lithium cells, others use the usual finger-like elements of AA (alkaline batteries or metal hydride batteries).

Is the model new and do you really like it? Take it, do not wait. Now you know how to choose a digital camera.