- Posted on May 30th, 2008 in Chief Shopper, Digital Cameras, Electronics
Birthday parties, barbecues, weddings – everything seems so much more vibrant and worthy of a snap or two when Spring and Summer come around. And if that isn’t reason enough to invest in a new camera – finalising your upcoming travel plans might accelerate your desire for the right digital camera to capture the moment.
The good news is that while the number of features, and bells and whistles on models has increased the cost of digital cameras has gone down. Don’t forget, though, it’s very important to make a list of what you need. Doing a bit of research on the types and features that are available will help you make the right investment.
Some of the things to think about include: what type of lens and zoom capability will you need; the quality of image resolution that’s important; what type of video capability you are interested in; and general functional issues such as how much storage and memory and what type of battery life is critical to your photo-taking tasks. Do you need something that’s waterproof? Durable? Following are a few suggestions by picture-taking profile:
The ‘particularly interested in snapping photos of sea life’ photographer.
This type of photographer needs something more durable and waterproof – especially as he or she runs to get a shot of that flying fish. The Olympus Stylus 720 SW is a good choice. It’s thin (less than 0.8″ thick), compact, and has state-of-the-art shock and waterproof technology that will allow you to use it in all types of outdoor situations.
The ‘I’m a professional’ type photographer.
If you spend a lot of timing dreaming up the perfect shot or trying to capture candid shots of your family on the weekends and vacations, you may be ready for a professional model. With 10.75 megapixels and lots of speed and agility the Nikon D40 will certainly go far to allowing you to take professional looking shots. But you need to be serious about using the camera – as at a price point of £500 it’s definitely an investment in your personal photo album. For a little less (about £400) you can try the Canon EOS 400D, with a lot of the same features, the Canon is a favourite for its ease-of-use, battery life and photo quality.
The ‘don’t you just push a button’ picture taker.
You know who you are… someone who can’t be bothered with more than just pointing and shooting. Well there is even a camera for you! The most popular range for point and shoot are part of the Canon Powershot family of cameras. A good choice for ease is the Canon PowerShot SD1000 Digital ELPH. It’s slim, flat, has 7.1 megapixels, a large LCD screen, with improved anti-reflective coating and is under £130. Also getting good reviews, although a bit pricier at closer to £200 is the Panasonic Lumix FX35. It’s a slick and nicely designed camera with 10 megapixels.
Be sure to do your homework, and then go and document this Summer’s fun in the sun. Whether a budding professional or someone more timid with technology, today there is a camera for everyone.
