Are You a Common Type of Digital Camera Buyer?

Choosing the right camera for your needs can be a bit tricky, as the amount of models and functionality available on the market can be quite overwhelming. This article tries to outline the most common buyer profiles and provide a few buying tips for each category.

1. The home user

This is probably the most wide-spread category of digital camera users. If you want to shoot photos you can email to your friends, colleagues or family, store them in a folder on your hard drive and occasionally print some of them in a format not larger than an A5 paper, then you fit in this category. As a home user, you won’t care about the resolution, since most cameras on the market today provide you with more than you need. The price should be in the $2-300 range. You will want to get an extra memory card, just to be on the safe side. Also, towards the $300 margin, you will find cameras with direct-to-printer support, face detection and in-camera features like red eye removal.

2. The trendy guy

The trendy guy likes to be in line with the latest toys on the market. If you like to show off in front of your friends with your latest acquisitions, as long as making use of their functions is not too hard to figure out, you’re one of them. You will spend something close to $1,000 for his camera. Among the features to look for, you could be interested in a compact design, webcam features, voice recording, wireless networking support and at least 12x optical zoom.

3. The freelance photographer

If you need to take occasional professional quality photos at events, create big sized posters, print on various media and use a mid-sized print shop, you will need a digital SLR. Among the features to look for: television connection interface, bracketing exposure control, both automatic and manual focus modes, external flash compatibility and support for digital security. A typical camera would be in the $5-900 range, you shouldn’t go for anything more expensive.

4. The low budget user

A buyer in this category has even less demands from a camera than the Home user. He will simply need one that he would use every once in a blue moon, to take pictures at anniversaries or shots of his old stereo he plans to sell on eBay. This user has no need for an extra memory card, the internal storage will suffice. A typical camera would be $200 or cheaper, have webcam capabilities, come with a basic photo editing software and only provide stock functionality like automatic flash mode and red eye correction.

Getting the perfect camera, is never an easy thing, especially with the way digital technology is constantly changing. Fortunately, there are plenty of helpful websites online, that can narrow down your search and help you find the camera with all the features important to you.