As an Information Technology professional and avid photographer, I am frequently asked the question that every photographer hates being asked. “What camera should I buy?” Photographers don’t like answering this question because we’re not entirely sure what camera you should buy. There are some fairly objective criteria for camera selection, but camera selection ultimately comes down to its usability. Usability is different for different people, because the way I use a camera is different from the way everyone else might use the same camera. Photographers can, though, provide some insight into the wealth of jargon that surrounds the modern digital camera.

Megapixels

What often seems the most perplexing thing about digital cameras is the term “megapixels.” First, this is a compound word. The prefix “mega” is actually a technical term that means million. The important part of this word that is, of course, confusing, is the root word “pixel.” A pixel is simply a tiny square of color. So, “megapixels” means millions of tiny squares of color. An 8 MP camera, for example, makes a digital image that is made up of eight million tiny squares of color.

This leads to a related topic. Image resolution is the width and height of the image measured in pixels, which are tiny squares of color. So, an image that is 1280 x 1024 is 1,280 pixels across and 1, 024 pixels up and down, and because 1,280 pixels times 1,024 pixels equals 1,310,720 pixels, or about 1.3 million pixels, the image was captured using a 1.3 MP digital camera.

Most people print their digital images at the four inch by six inch size, and a very few are printed as 8X10’s. I won’t go into more technical detail here. Since most of your pictures, if they are printed, will be 4×6’s, there is a functional limit on how many megapixels you’ll actually use. This is why an 8 MP digital camera is going to be more than adequate for most people. Today, a pocket digital camera is most commonly a 14 MP camera, which makes a very large image. The most you will really need right now is a 10 MP camera, if you’re going to print 8X10’s and posters, so if cost is a significant factor in your decision, save some money by opting for a camera with fewer millions of tiny squares of color.

Zoom

In the good old days of film cameras that worked exclusively on optical principals and optical equipment, the idea of zoom was very simple because the only option was optical zoom.  However, with the introduction of digital imaging, the game changed dramatically.  Someone thought it would be a good idea to use the capabilities of digital imaging to make smaller digital cameras.  Optical lenses, the critical component needed to provide optical zoom, are not very small.  So, in order to provide a function similar to optical zoom while making a very small digital camera, someone took the idea of cropping, cutting out a middle portion of an image, and renamed it digital zoom.  Digital zoom, therefore, creates blurry and otherwise bad pictures because it’s not actually using all of your megapixels.  The best advice is to zoom with your feet.  However, this isn’t always practical advice, so if you have the option go for something with large optical zoom and small (or none) digital zoom.

Storage

With a digital camera, your pictures are not stored on film.  They have to be stored on something, though, and they are digital photographs, so we store them on digital, or computer media.  Computer media is an electromagnetic disk of some kind, and since a mechanical disk has serious mobility issues, among other issues, the obvious choice for storing digital images on a digital camera is a non-mechanical, low heat electromagnetic disk.  Enter, flash memory storage.  There are a variety of physical interfaces that allow the digital camera to read and write images to and from the flash disk, but the most common is called Secure Digital, or SD Flash storage.  The important thing to remember is that your camera only uses one physical interface, and you need to get the same kind.  Large numbers of storage measurement mean that you can put more images on the disk.  Today, a flash disk is measured in gigabytes.  More gigabytes means more pictures on the disk at a time.

Shooting Modes

The way that digital cameras are configured is by selecting a shooting mode.  There are numerous ways to set the shooting mode, depending on the manufacturer and camera body style.  Some use a selection scroll button, others use a knob that you spin.  The following are the standard shooting modes and what they’re for.

Automatic

Automatic is usually represented by a green rectangle.  If you’re not sure how you want the camera to behave, other than capturing the scene that is in front of you, use automatic mode.  It is most likely to engage the flash at every inopportune opportunity, but it will capture the image.

Portrait

Portrait is usually represented by a head, bust or face.  Portrait mode is intended for taking face shots, or portraits.  A professional photographer is highly unlikely to use portrait mode, but if you want the easy way to make a decent picture of your kids as they’re headed off with their dates to prom, portrait mode is a good bet.

Night/Scene

Not all cameras have this mode, so there isn’t necessarily a standard icon; check your camera’s manual.  The general idea here is that you want to make a picture at night, or in low light, and you want something other than a silhouette.

Video

Up until a couple of years ago, not all cameras had video.  If you go out and buy a new digital camera, even a D-SLR, it will probably have a video mode; an HD video mode, even.  In video mode the shutter release button will be the stop and start button, so you’ll have to keep an eye on the LCD screen to be aware whether you’re actually recording or not.  It’ll take a few tries, and you’ll probably make a couple of really bad videos, but with some practice, you’ll be recording the most embarrassing of family videos like everybody else.

Battery

After camera quality, the most important thing to consider is the battery.  First is what kind of battery to select.  Some cameras use proprietary special batteries, and other cameras use what some might call “normal” batteries like AA batteries.  There are advantages to both.  A camera that uses a proprietary battery will probably only use one rechargeable battery, and the camera will probably come with a charger.  A camera that uses “normal” batteries, on the other hand, will use two or more batteries, and you will have the option of purchasing disposable batteries (which is not economically or ecologically sustainable), or purchasing rechargeable batteries and a charger.  Personally, I prefer to use a camera with its proprietary battery because I only have to worry about replacing one battery at once, it comes with its own charger, and the battery is unlikely to be diverted to another device.  Finally, spend the extra money to buy a second battery or set of batteries, that way when the battery in the camera goes dead, you have a backup battery in your bag.

Battery Life

There are two things that almost every camera has that will drain your battery more than anything else.  The first thing is an LCD screen.  While one of the major advantages of a digital camera is the ability to view the image without waiting for the film to be developed, the longer the LCD screen is displaying an image, the faster your battery will run down.  If you can find a camera with an optical viewing port that is large enough to be useful, it will not drain your battery nearly as quickly.  The second battery drain is the instant preview “feature.”  If you don’t recognize the name, this is where the camera displays your picture for a few seconds immediately after you take the picture.  If you want to take a bunch of pictures in a very short period, instant preview will increase the amount of time you have to wait between taking each picture.  It will also drain your battery.  If you want to look at your pictures, use the play button, or wait and look at them on your computer screen.

Mobility

Cameras are on everything, anymore.  If you have an Apple or Android device that was manufactured within the last five years, it has a very nice digital camera, so you may not need to buy a digital camera at all.