• Optical vs. digital zoom
• Slim design
• Other cool features
• Features and battery life
Optical vs. digital zoom
Unlike just about everything else digital, this is one case where digital is not better. A little digital zooming is just fine, but too much will cause your picture to look grainy and "pixelated." So why would anyone choose a digital zoom? The simple answer is that digital zoom costs less than optical and digital zoom is better than not having any zoom.
Optical zoom works just like the zoom lenses in film cameras and may use multiple lenses and motors to create the perfect picture. Obviously, the more advanced and powerful the zoom, the more expensive it will be, but a powerful optical zoom gives you more control and better results on your prints.
Slim design
Many digital camera manufacturers have found a way to pack all their technology into a slim camera design that can fit in a shirt pocket or purse. Typically, these cameras also include a larger LCD screen, which makes it easier to see the quality of what you just shot. These camera designs are great for “on-the-go” or for those looking for a stylish camera with a larger LCD screen.
Other cool features
Most digital cameras are fully automatic and simple to use. But just as with film cameras, some better digital cameras give the advanced user manual options for shutter speed, focus, speed shooting, backlighting and a host of other features. This allows the serious amateur the creative control of a fine film camera. Here are some more features:
Photo editing software
Most cameras come with basic photo editing software that allows you to download pictures and create prints, album pages and e-mails while providing some tools to correct some imperfections, such as red eye. This is all most of us will ever need, but the serious hobbyist and graphic artist will want a more robust photo editing program with more options and greater control.
Internal memory
Most cameras come with built-in internal memory that stores the pictures you shot. It is, however, limited to about a dozen photos—so if you are going on vacation or getting ready to record those first baby steps, a memory card (at least 256MB for a 2-4 megapixel camera) is essential.
Photo burst mode
When you want to shoot several images over a short time frame, try using a photo burst option, which allows you to automatically take a rapid succession of shots at an amazing rate, for example, one shot every half-second.
Movie making
While they rarely match the quality of digital camcorders, select digital cameras allow you to shoot short movie clips. These clips can usually only comprise several seconds, and they're not nearly as crisp and smooth as footage shot with a camcorder, but it's still a fun feature to play with.
Features and battery life
You might notice that when using certain digital camera features, your battery life will drain much faster. Some examples of battery-draining features include:
- Using the LCD screen all the time instead of the optical viewfinder
- Storing sound (some cameras have built-in microphones that allow you to record audio clips)
- Shooting features such as continuous shooting or panoramic shooting
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