Taken from Digital  Camera Reviews –

 http://www.digital-cams.net/tips.html

 

When it comes to choosing a digital computer there are a number of different issues to have a look at. From The computing platform, image quality, camera features, budget and the intended use of the digital camera. Although we all wish we could have a top of the range Digital camera, it is not always possible, as some of the digital cameras on the market at the moment are very expensive. You will need to weigh up the pros and cons of the camera, including price and the purpose of the camera. Obviously if you are a Professional photographer you are not going to buy a $50 camera, and if you are using a the camera for family and holiday snaps, you wont go out and buy a $ 3000 camera. At the end of the day, it's you that has to buy, use and pay for the camera. I will give as many use full tips as I can, which will hopefully point you in the right direction.

Computing Platform

This is an obvious first choice, but is becoming less of an issue than it once was. Most current cameras can be interfaced to both Mac and Windows platforms, although if the camera is only going to work on one platform, that will more than likely be Windows.

Image Quality

Image quality is a complex subject involving exposure accuracy, color purity, optics, and image compression techniques. I will cover this in more detail when I deal with resolution and image quality, but all cameras have will offer a different quality picture, the better the quality and resolution the camera offers, the better the end result will be. One thing to keep in mind is that the Higher the image quality, the higher image capacity will be needed, so make sure that the on board memory card will be sufficient for the image quality on offer.

Exposure Versatility

One notable disadvantage of digital cameras is their inability to handle radically different lighting conditions just by using a different type of film: With a digital camera, the camera is the film, so whatever you buy is what you'll have to live with. This means you'll want to be sure your cameras exposure system (shutter, variable lens opening, supplementary flash) can handle a wide enough range of conditions.

In this category, look at a cameras "equivalent ISO number," which is a measure of how sensitive the cameras sensor is to light. A higher number means the camera can successfully capture images with less light. You should also look at the shutter speeds and lens apertures. Typical numbers here are shutter speeds from 1/30 to 1/1000 of a second, and lens openings from f2.8 to f16. The wider the range spanned by both these sets of numbers the better.

Another factor to take a look at the capability of the built-in flash if one exists. Key factors here are the distance range over which the flash will be useful, and the number of "modes" it has.

Battery Life

You'll find a wide variation between cameras in how long their batteries last. Some manufacturers specify battery life, and others don't. Be wary of manufacturers claims for battery life as well, as they are sometimes overstated, or may be specified with costly battery types (such as lithium cells). An important question is whether the camera can run off rechargeable batteries: If you plan to take a lot of pictures, the ability to use rechargeable cells could save a lot of money in the long run.

Included Software

The software included with the camera can be pretty important. In fact, this is an area where you'll find some of the greatest variation between cameras. In our reviews we'll try to give you some idea of how the different units fare in this respect. Things to consider include how convenient it is to unload images from the camera. Can an entire camera-full of images be pulled onto your hard drive quickly for later processing or is the camera held captive while each image is individually processed? Alternatively, can "thumbnail" images be viewed prior to downloading the full-size files? - This can save a lot of time in culling the few best shots from a large group. You also need to take into consideration the format the pictures are dealt with. Are they going to be accessible to a wide range of Software products, such as word predecessors and presentation software.