How to buy a "Point and Shoot" digital camera

Point and Shoot digital cameras have become popular for a variety of reasons, but most importantly, they are affordable, easy to use, convenient and relatively quiet. The variety of manufacturers, features and prices vary widely making choosing one a bit difficult.

In choosing a camera, one should look at three key factors:

1) Intended use – the types of photos you want to take. For example, if you want to take sports shots, factors such as flash recycle and a continuous shooting mode become important. Also, decide on the zoom range necessary for what you intend to shoot.

2) Budget – how much do you want to spend

3) Camera attributes – What features are important to you and which ones should you avoid (For example, cameras with manual, shutter or aperture priority modes will cost more. Many people will never use these features).

Here are a few important attributes to look for in your new camera:

• Though megapixels aren’t everything, they’ll dictate what you can do with your photos – for example, how large you can enlarge your photos

• Ensure that the lens is glass, not plastic. Glass gives a superior image.

• Shooting modes – These options make it easier to shoot in specific types of situations, such as snow, landscape or night shooting

• Cycle time – The amount of time before you can take the next shot may be important in certain situations, such as when shooting moving objects or sports. The lower, the better.

Cameras generally give you what you pay for. The more feature laden the camera is, the more you’ll generally pay.

When in the store shopping:

1) Ask to see a few models

2) See how the camera feels in your hand

3) Check out the controls and menu system – see if its intuitive for you to use

4) Feel the build quality – this category of camera tends to take some abuse from being dropped, thrown in a bag with other items or being constantly put in your pocket.

At the end of the day, what is most important is how comfortable are you with a given camera…that will dictate your usage.