How To Buy Guide - Camera Guide

There are lots of ways you can divide digital cameras, but the most important distinction is between point-and-shoot digital cameras and digital SLRs.

Point-and-Shoot Digital Cameras

These cameras look deceptively simple. They generally have a boxy shape with a built-in zoom lens, and are much more compact than a digital SLR. All of them include LCD screens for viewing photos and allow you to delete unwanted shots.

Just because they don't look as "serious" as a digital SLR, don't be fooled – point-and-shoot digital cameras are a lot more versatile than you'd think. There's a wide range of models: the lower-end models can be very simple, while the higher-end models have advanced pro-quality controls and options. Their small size makes them more flexible than other cameras. And if you want to print big pictures, you can find point-and-shoot digital cameras that shoot in greater than 10-megapixel resolution.

Point-and shoot cameras are best for shooting casual photos, but can hold their own with more demanding work, too. They're great for casual photographers, and thanks to the advanced controls many have built-in, even professional photographers can get great photos out of them.

Digital SLRs

SLR stands for "Single Lens Reflex." What this means is that when you look through the viewfinder, you're actually looking through the camera lens, so you see the exact final image you're going to wind up with as you're taking the picture.

Digital SLRs are the big cameras we're all accustomed to seeing professional photographers use. They're bulkier than point-and-shoots, so they're not the most convenient cameras to carry around with you. They also cost 3 to 4 times the price of many point-and-shoot digicams. But with those trade-offs come some definite advantages. Unlike point-and-shoot cameras, digital SLRs have interchangeable lenses – if you're shooting a very specific project, you can change out the lens on a digital SLR to get a better shot. They also have much larger sensors than the point-and-shoots, which yields photos with less noise.

A digital SLR will also allow you much more creative freedom to manipulate depth of field and other creative functions using manual controls like ISO settings, shutter speeds, and filters...provided you know how to work it. If you're a professional or an advanced amateur photographer, you'll be able to capture just what you need with a digital SLR.

Mid-Range Digital Cameras

There's one more type of camera that doesn't get much attention, and that's the mid-range, or "advanced amateur" camera. These cameras bridge the gap between point-and-shoot cameras and digital SLRs. They generally have solid bodies that are slightly bigger than point-and-shoots. They offer the simplicity and portability of point-and-shoot digital cameras, along with many of the advanced manual features that let you get the most out of a digital SLR.

If you understand how to use ISO, aperture and shutter speed to your advantage, but don't want the bulk of a digital SLR, this might be the type of digicam for you.