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This is probably our most popular product category. Makes sense because just think of what you can do with it: digital pictures are instantly viewable, uploadable to your computer, displayable on your TV, emaileable, all without the need for developing time. Photography has changed forever since the advent of the digital camera, 15 years ago. The development of digital cameras has come a long way and new models come onto the market all the time with the technology rapidly advancing.
To not lose track of what is available on the market and help you find the best camera for you, alaTest has summarized the most important features to focus on when choosing one.

Contents

• What camera to buy?
• Different Types Of Digital Cameras
• What other main specifications do you need to take into consideration?
• Resolution
• Price
• Zoom
• Flash
• Storage Media
• Video
• Battery
• Other features

What camera to buy?

Different Types Of Digital Cameras

Are you using the camera for pictures of the kids on holiday?

You know, from time to time, to keep the memories alive. Not to get them published or blow them up to poster size to hang on the wall or do super zoom experiments with. Go for the compact camera.
See all Digital Compact Cameras

If you want to experiment, take night shots, light effects or be artistic in some other way, go for the SLR.
See all Digital SLR Cameras

Basically you can distinguish between digital compact cameras, bridge cameras and SLR.

What other main specifications do you need to take into consideration?

Resolution

How large do you want to be able to make the pictures? The more pixels the more possibilities you have. All models on the market today have sufficient pixels to meet basic needs. Are you looking for professional quality, anything below 6M could be challenging.

Pixels are the little dots a digital image consists of on a monitor or display. The more pixels a camera has, the higher the image resolution will be.

Price

The range is wide. For on-the-fly occasional use, why invest a huge amount? You may get it wet beyond repair, leave it at the airport or have it stolen in some foreign city…

When aiming for the best quality a sizeable investment is worth it.

When deciding on a high end camera, take a close look at professional reviews. Expert advice can save you a bundle. On alaTest, for example…

Zoom

Do you need extreme close ups or is it to get the Eiffel tower exactly in the frame? A list of the different lens types out there is a hint that, when you are looking for casual use, the best thing is to keep it simple. Each lens type has its own specific qualities. A bit of research is required to get the right one.

Flash

Nowadays the majority of the digital cameras provide built-in flash. Make sure that the flash can be switched on and off manually as this has influence on the quality of the pictures.

Storage media

Decent memory size can avoid some very annoying problems. If it is too small, you may have to delete some pics in order to take that last one. You will have to buy additional memory on top of what the manufacturer provides as this is usually not sufficient for intense use without capacity worries.

Important is to consider what kind of media the camera supports. When you want to exchange your card to other media like mp3, PDA etc. you need to have the right format.

Video

Most digital cameras are able to record video sequences. As the recordings have time limit it is important to find out what the camera in question can offer you. In most cases, it will be necessary to use additional memory cards to be able to use the feature effectively– video needs a lot of memory. For a decent quality, 25 pictures per second is the minimum. Most of the digital cameras on the market record videos with 640x480 pixels and 30 pictures per second.

Battery

Flexibility is king. It is very helpful to be able to use different batteries, i.e. disposables as well as re-chargeables. You just don’t want to run out of power, keep a few disposables handy at all times.

Other features

There are so much more things cameras can do these days. Consider these options before you buy. You might be missing out on some fun! Think of voice recording, advanced image modes (3D pictures (!), stop motion animation), editing options and more.

Choosing the right camera is not a simple process especially when you have requirements. Read up on it: expert reviews, user reviews and the like. Good luck!
By the way, alaTest is not liable in the event of a camera purchase that turns out to be not quite what you were looking for after all. We do however want to know what you think of the camera you bought. Visit our product page and give the community your view. They (and we) will appreciate it!