Different from traditional cameras, a digital camera is a device which captures the image without the use of film. The information is stored as digital bytes and you can then transfer it on your computer and play with pictures the way you want. It still uses some of the principles of traditional photography though: the light is focused through a lens onto a proper receptive surface. Instead of film, a digital camera uses a system to digitally capture light rays.

High-quality cameras use a charge couple device to capture light, while lower-end models use a CMOS device. After the discovery of CMOS, prices for digital cameras have been declining, as these sensors are easier and less expensive to manufacture compared to charge couple devices (CCD). Both CCD and CMOS achieve the same effect but the techniques they use to do this are significantly different.

There are many different cameras available on the market today and you may feel overwhelmed about their high variety and the multitude of functions each of them has. Most functions you don't even know what are all about and you will probably never use them. This article is aimed to provide you with some advice on how to purchase a good camera. First of all, image quality should be the main factor, and the higher the resolution, the better the image. You may hear people raving about digital zooming and how much can you do with it. However, it is better to choose a camera with optical zoom, even if it is smaller. Digital zoom artificially enlarges the picture and may look unnatural. An optical zoom will give you some interesting effects. It is also better to buy a camera with rechargeable batteries as you'll save some money on the long term. You can charge them at any time, even if they are not completely discharged.

Digital cameras come with some sophisticated incorporated software which can create custom photos. Some of these additional features include picture frame effects, panoramic images and multiple exposures. They may come in handy at times. High resolution cameras generally require more space to store the images so if you want to take many pictures you need an additional storage card. If you like photographing and expect to take a lot of pictures, you need a larger size so you don't run out of space. You should look for cards that have over 1 GB. Otherwise you may run out of storage space after a hundred photos.

Digital cameras sold nowadays are generally very small compared to what most photographers used few years ago. If you're an amateur photographer there's no need to walk around with bulky and heavy models. Even a small camera that can be slipped in your pocket can help you take a lot of great pictures.

We hope the short shopper's guide provided here will help you when choosing the camera that best suits your needs. Digital cameras have reinvented photography and the trend is set to continue in the coming years.