how do we know the quality of a digital camera?

Question

how can we assess the quality of a digital camera?
i'm confused with the megapixel and optical zoom specifications.........
for example......camera1 has 8MP and 12x optical zoom and camera2 has 12MP and 6x optical zoom........now how do we decide on the quality and which one to buy?

Answer 1

Optical zoom is always better than digital zoom; digital zoom simply increases the magnification of an existing picture even to the point of graininess. The picture resolution is important too, so 12mp will give you a clearer, crisper picture than 8mp - but most people don't need that amount of resolution for just 4" x 6" pictures.

Also, alot depends on the build of the camera. You might have a camera with all the bells and whistles on, but it could take awful pictures. Take a trip down to a shop that deals only in cameras, and have a chat with someone in the know there. They can advise you on which cameras suit your need, and which have a good reputation for quality pictures.

Answer 2

All of the major brands are good. Choose a brand that appeals to you. Then you have to think about getting a spare battery, what size memory card, if you want an extended warranty, how much you can afford, what size zoom, if you want manual controls, the size of the camera, finding a reliable place to purchase it, and the list goes on and on and on.......

The first thing to realize is that almost any digital camera will take good pictures. If more people would read the manual more than once, they would be able to take better pictures. Usually, the person assumes it is the camera when it could be them not knowing exactly what to do. Just give yourself more photographic knowledge by doing more reading on the internet.

I really believe buying a camera is an individual choice.
The person needs to read alot of reviews on cameras so they can decide on the features that they really want and need.
Go to the store and hold them so you can see if they feel comfortable in your hands. If possible, take some pictures in the store to check the quality of the pictures.
I can only give a suggestion of what to look for in a new digital camera.
Good Luck

my suggestion
go to yahoo shopping
digital cameras
digital camera GUIDE
be sure to check titles on the left side
the guide should answer your questions

Answer 3

I asked a similar question of a lady i know that is a photographer. She says always go with the brands thats been around for a while. Canon, Poloroid, Kodak, etc. Although I have ran across a Pentax which it supposed to be a good camera, but Im not speaking from experience and she had no idea about them.Megepixals i think just make the pictures more clear and the optical zoom is how far in and out you can actually zoom from the best i understood her explinataion.

Answer 4

When the subject is digicams and the number of pixels, its good to refer to this article at shutterbug.com: "The Pros & Cons of Pixel Packing" which was in the Nov. 2007 issue of Shutterbug. You'll find that stuffing more pixels into a small space doesn't always mean improved image quality, especially at higher ISO settings.

Ignore digital zoom unless you're into really poor images.

As already stated, stick with the old companies like Olympus or Nikon or Pentax or Canon.

Answer 5

Don't get caught up in the mega pixel hype. 12MP is not twice as sharp as 6MP it is twice as large so you can make larger prints like posters and so on. The pixel density remains 75X75 per inch on all of these cameras except Olympus for some reason they do 150X150 DIP. Look at things like lens and optical zoom, electronics, and manufacture. If you go larger than 3X zoom make sure it has image stabilizer. 5MP or better is great for printing up to 8X10 photos. Good brands are Canon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony. I like the Panasonic personally. You get good electronics and they use leika lenses and leika makes some of the best lenses there are. Keep in mind that unlike film cameras these are all electronic except for the lens so if you get electronics you trust and a good lens you will have a good camera. But do your self a favor and don't get caught up in more mega pixels is better because I'd rather have a good 5MP camera with a fine lens than a 10MP camera with a cheap lens.

Answer 6

the more megapixles you have the better the picture it is when you zoom in. as for the optical zoom say if it says 12x that means 12 times the normal picture size. Good Luck