And this new found hobby just doesn't stop at baby's first few months. It goes on and on to the first time baby crawls, the first steps, the first visit to grandma and grandpa and a host of other reasons to keep on clicking and clicking. This makes the digital camera a great gift for new parents. Furthermore, this makes us pop the question, is the camera a baby necessity? Should the digital camera be included in the new mom's shopping list?

Well it certainly is not as necessary as hampers, feeding bottles or diapers, but for most parents, they just couldn't do without a handy compact camera once the baby comes around. They're just too cute!

The more affordable compact digital camera would be one good equipment for new moms and dads to start with. It operates with your basic point and shoot that comes with auto focus and zoom functions. It also allows neophyte parent-photographers to adjust the lighting from indoor to outdoor to night time photography. In other words the compact digital camera provides you with the basic photography needs.

The quality and size of photos you take and print would depend largely on the compact camera's capabilities, from the very basic three or four or even up to ten mega pixels.

However, for new parents who would like to begin taking up baby photography as a serious hobby, the digital SLR camera may be a more appropriate choice. While it could come at a cost that is five or perhaps even ten times more expensive than the basic, the quality of photographs, its versatility and speed, and more importantly for documenting, baby's firsts, and its capability to take action as it happens, easily explains why.

The compact camera's auto focus and auto zoom functions are limited only to what has been electronically programmed. The digital SLR camera allows you to experiment and combine a wide range of options in terms of the choice of lens (such as whether for landscape or action photography) as well as its light sensitivity and shutter speed. It also allows you to choose the focal point of your photograph as you can manually adjust both the zoom and the focus separately, as much or as little as you want.

Of course, the digital SLR would require much careful handling compared to the compact camera, considering the sensitivity of its parts and the cost it entails when it comes to having them repaired or replaced. Chances of your digital SLR camera surviving as a toy-- such as a teether or a ball--, should your baby accidentally get hold of it, are slim compared to the compact camera.

Having a digital camera handy, may it be the compact camera or the digital SLR camera during your baby's first adventures is a sure fire way of making sure that happy baby memories are preserved and shared.