when you buy a camera what are the most important things to look for and what is the meaning of 10 X zoom?

Question

I whant to buy a camera but I do not know the most important thing when looking for one. So far I learnd that pixel is one thing but what is the meaning of 10x zoom and what is better reg zoom or digital zoom. Thank you

Answer 1

Since you are talking of pixels, I assume you want a digital camera.
Well, like most things, price tells you a lot about quality. 10x zoom can mean two things. It originally meant telescopic type lenses made the subject look closer. Now they have digital zoom. It just crops the outside of your picture. Bad thing is this kill resolution.
About the pixels, most cameras are rated in Megapixels. A 0.3 megapixel camera will shoot 640x480 pixels. You only need a large number of megapixels if you are going to print 8x10. Most pictures I take, I put on the computer or send to friends are 640x480. With my camera set to this lowest setting it will take over 500 pictures on my memory card. I replaced the 8MB card that came with the camera. 5Mega pixels will probably be more than you will ever need. 3 is plenty for most people. If you want a cheaper camera you are not afraid to lose but want to carry around in case there is a good picture, 2 megapixel would do just fine. My friend has an 8 megapixel camera but he blows them up to poster size and sells them. Looks like you have internet access, read up on some cameras.

Answer 2

For me, optical quality is the most important thing. (there is no use in have a high megapixel camera if it takes lousy photos due to lousy optics).
Canon is a very good brand renown for quality optics.
Next would be how many megapixels it has (6-10mp is a good range, depending on your needs).
A 10X optical zoom is great...as long as the lens is good. Just make sure the brand that goes with is it a quality brand.
But, 3X, 4X etc optical zoom are also perfectly good...10X or 12X zoom just gets you closer to your subject, thats all.
Usually brand and price (but not always) is the determining factor of whether a camera is very good...and the cheaper it is the less likely it is to have a quality lens (optics) or better features than its higher priced competitors..
P.S. never ever consider using digital zoom because the photos produced are not as good as that from the optical zoom.

Answer 3

Here is the most important thing to me. PRICE.

Oh, yes I would love to have a Canon EOS d1markIIs (16.7mp), but lets be real.

The amount of megapixels is really relevant to the size of the print you want. 4-5mp will print a very good 8x10. 5mp and up will print larger. (But who really prints that large).

Yes, the more mega pix the more detail you have. But take a 10mp pix and look at it at 100% magnification and it will look like a 2mp pix at 100% (the sharpness is based on the lens, the software, the compression ext... and don’t forget the printer). I have used 2, 3, 4,5,6, and 10mp cameras and have found out that 2mp=4x5, 3=5x7, 4=8x10 (this is about as big as you want to go with those megapix. The printed pix looks fine to the average person.

If I were to buy a compact digital I would look for...

An optical viewfinder (this way you can shoot in low light or when you can not use the LCD).

A hot shoe for an external flash. (The built ins are not very powerful).

At lest 4 but I would spring for 5 or more mega pix if I could.

Optical image stabilization (steady shot). Not a must but very nice

Good ISO boost to 400 (most compacts will only go to ISO-100 after that there is a lot of noise in the pix). The higher the ISO the less light you need to shoot at a fast shutter speed (no blur).

Rechargeable batteries, (AA or proprietary)? That is up to you.. AA=cheap / proprietary =long lasting but expensive.

Photograph is an all or nothing proposal. You want professional photos, get a pro to shot ($$$$$) or learn what the pros know (that take time and practice). Photography is an art, learn composition first (with any camera) and all your pictures will look much better.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Start with the budget. This may seem backwards, but it's not. You can find a decent camera to match any amount of money you want to spend.

Next, find a friend who will help you learn how to use the camera. This "friend" could even be the clerk in your local photo shop. By "photo shop," I mean an actual camera shop or at least a camera department where the sales staff only deals with cameras and not dishwashers, too. Buy the camera that your friend recommends so that they will be able to teach you how to use it.

My advice (along with MANY others) is to totally ignore "digital zoom" in evaluating cameras, as this degrades the image so much that you won't want to use it.

After you know what you are doing and are ready for your next camera - and this will come sooner than you think - you will be in a position to make your own choice.

If you have some vague ideas about price and desired features, go to http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp and see what they select for you.

Choose the best one by deciding what you want to do, how much you want to learn, how far you want to progress and how much you want to spend.

http://www.dcresource.com/buyersguide/
http://www.dcresource.com/buyersguide/shopping_tips.shtml
http://www.steves-digicams.com/best_cameras.html
http://www.popphoto.com/buyingguide/

Answer 5

10x zoom means it magnifies the picture by 10 times, like you were 10 times closer than you are. Regular zoom is also MUCH better than digital zoom; the quality of digital zoom decreases dramatically the more you zoom.

As for the most important thing, it depends, but I would always want a manual viewfinder (one you just look through, the old kind), so that you don't always have to use the screen.

Answer 6

There are so many things to consider when buying a digital camera, that it's easy to get confused. How many Megapixels? Do you want interchangable lenses? Do you want a movable screen? What is the fastest/slowest shutter speed you are looking for? Do you want manual controls?

The MOST IMPORTANT THING is "what are you going to do with the camera, and what are you expecting from it?"

If you just want a small camera to carry around in your bag for occasional shooting, Go for a compact or ultra-compact. If you want to make nice, large prints such as 8"x10" or larger, get the most Megapixels you can afford. If you really want manual controls, find a model that has that feature. If you want interchangable lenses, get a D-SLR. Start narrowing down your expectations, and relate those to camera features.

A great place to compare cameras is www.dpreview.com. They have written reviews, as well as public reviews of digital cameras. And you can search for cameras based on features, and compare cameras side-by-side.

Answer 7

I would say brand is the most important thing. Certain companies (Canon, Nikon) have a track record of making one high quality camera after another. Others have a reputation for something less.

Answer 8

you want total megapixels to be high, since that is resolution. that's pretty tops.

next is optical zoom.

third is battery life.

ignore digital zoom since you can do that with photo editing software.

Answer 9

Image quality is the most important for me. Here's a glossary of terms used in digital photography:
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Glossary/

This should help to get you 'up to speed'.