Digital cameras have advanced enormously in the last few years with many clever features incorporated into them; the number of functions they now have sometimes confuses potential buyers. If you were to buy a digital camera tomorrow, what functions would you want to see it have as standard? To get you ‘kick started’ there are some useful tips outlined in this article. If this is your first camera then you must be honest with yourself if you have no idea what functions you would want your camera to have.

Will you be taking it everywhere with you? Even with the overall reduction in cost and improvement in abilities and design during recent years, the cost is still something to factor in. Some people like to manipulate the images on their computer but this is only possible with more modern home computers. If you can get a free camera as part of a computer upgrade this might be worth looking into. Manufacturers usually do a deal with an image manipulation software company and supply it when you buy a digital camera, however item such as printers and special paper will need to be purchased separately.

While many home printers are fine for general printing, you will need a special printer to carry out photo printing as well as special ink cartridges. By adjusting the megapixel setting up to the maximum you will ensure your pictures are of a much higher quality. Digital cameras need memory cards for picture storage; some have a small built in memory as well. The storage capacity of some current storage cards can go up to 32 gigabytes; all the most up to date cards have one thing in common, and that is they can all store hundreds of images even at very high resolution.

Before you buy it is good idea to test and check if you feel comfortable holding and using it. Despite the leaps forward in technology, many manufacturers are so focused on gadgets that they forget that a person will want to use this so it has to be simple to operate. A point to remember when you are looking at buying a digital camera is what type of batteries it uses because ideally they should be rechargeable; they may cost a little more initially but can be charged 1,000 times so are very cost effective. All digital cameras have a LCD screen which is a small screen located at the back of the unit; some models have a swiveling action, which is great for viewing your pictures and taking those from awkward angles.

Today, the viewfinder is being fitted on fewer types although screen sizes have increased dramatically but are the biggest drain on the battery. For those of you that like to get a little closer to the action, you can’t beat the image results from an optical zoom. Digital zoom only cameras should really be avoided as pictures using a digital only zoom are usually less clear. Better quality models will usually come with a tripod socket as it can be another one of those really useful additions, so ensure when you buy a model where this is fitted. Perhaps now you will be able to buy a digital camera with a little more self-assurance than before.