| Choosing the right camera for your needs can be a bit | | | | you're one of them. You will spend something close to |
| tricky, as the amount of models and functionality | | | | $1,000 for his camera. Among the features to look for, |
| available on the market can be quite overwhelming. | | | | you could be interested in a compact design, webcam |
| This article tries to outline the most common buyer | | | | features, voice recording, wireless networking support |
| profiles and provide a few buying tips for each | | | | and at least 12x optical zoom. |
| category. | | | | 3. The freelance photographer |
| 1. The home user | | | | If you need to take occasional professional quality |
| This is probably the most wide-spread category of | | | | photos at events, create big sized posters, print on |
| digital camera users. If you want to shoot photos you | | | | various media and use a mid-sized print shop, you will |
| can email to your friends, colleagues or family, store | | | | need a digital SLR. Among the features to look for: |
| them in a folder on your hard drive and occasionally | | | | television connection interface, bracketing exposure |
| print some of them in a format not larger than an A5 | | | | control, both automatic and manual focus modes, |
| paper, then you fit in this category. As a home user, | | | | external flash compatibility and support for digital |
| you won't care about the resolution, since most | | | | security. A typical camera would be in the $5-900 |
| cameras on the market today provide you with more | | | | range, you shouldn't go for anything more expensive. |
| than you need. The price should be in the $2-300 | | | | 4. The low budget user |
| range. You will want to get an extra memory card, just | | | | A buyer in this category has even less demands from |
| to be on the safe side. Also, towards the $300 margin, | | | | a camera than the Home user. He will simply need one |
| you will find cameras with direct-to-printer support, | | | | that he would use every once in a blue moon, to take |
| face detection and in-camera features like red eye | | | | pictures at anniversaries or shots of his old stereo he |
| removal. | | | | plans to sell on eBay. This user has no need for an |
| 2. The trendy guy | | | | extra memory card, the internal storage will suffice. A |
| The trendy guy likes to be in line with the latest toys | | | | typical camera would be $200 or cheaper, have |
| on the market. If you like to show off in front of your | | | | webcam capabilities, come with a basic photo editing |
| friends with your latest acquisitions, as long as making | | | | software and only provide stock functionality like |
| use of their functions is not too hard to figure out, | | | | automatic flash mode and red eye correction. |