Which is the Best Digital Camera?   by Jeremiah Slivka

After spending sizeable amount of time at the mall figuring out which is the best digital camera for us, we finally have enough money to buy for that eye-popping, 7 mega pixel, 10x digital zoom, potable, candy colored, up to 512MB expandable memory of super hi-speed SD memory card and not to mention very portable, (that will be the envy of almost everyone we know). We march to the mall armed with our life savings and lotsa pride in ourselves, when we pass by a new display - an eight mega pixel, up to 1G expandable memory, with built it mic and stereo surround, video playback capable, with 22 scenic modes kind-of-camera. And we sigh because the producer of this amazing gadget claims that this is the best digital camera yet out in the market. And so as we always want to have the best, armed with our life savings and a few credit cards, we buy the "best digital camera." But then again, that doesn't last too long, after two months or so, there's another "best digital camera."

And so it confuses us. What makes a digital camera, the best digital camera?

Well, there are certain factors to consider when looking for the "best digital camera" for us.

MEGAPIXELS. One of the most important features of digital camera to make it into the best digital camera category is its mega pixel property. The higher the mega pixels the better the actual photograph will come out. A mega pixel is equivalent to one million pixels. The resolution of your image is based upon the mega pixel property of your camera. This means that as you enlarge the picture, you would get more detail and less blurry colors.

LCD SIZE. The best digital camera will always have a large LCD to help you frame your subject without having to squint to the viewfinder. This is also helpful when reviewing your images, some cameras enable touch up and editing features with its LCD. A 1.5-inch display is average, a 2-inch LCD display is good, but the best LCD size would be 2.5 inches or higher.

ZOOM. Most digital cameras have both digital and optical zoom. A higher optical zoom is always better than a higher digital zoom. Digital cameras are usually furnished with optical of between 3x to 10x. The better the optical zoom, the higher it climbs up to the best digital camera category.

MEMORY CARD. Always make sure that your memory card is the right one for your digital camera. There are different types of memory card like the xD, SD, Flash card and the likes. And these types of memory cards go with certain types of digital cameras. of course memory storage is also up there in choosing the best digital cameras. Choose the size of memory that you need, if you're a photo junkie, you might need more than 32MB. Memory cards can go up to 1G.

The key point to find the best digital camera is to find one that will best fit you and your lifestyle. Don't just buy the latest or the one that claims they are the best digital cameras out in the market. You wouldn't want to buy a DSLR and use it with your home activities or family outing and have to lug it around?! Or you don't want to buy the latest point and shoot camera when you're serious about being a professional photographer. (Of course, you can use this for starters, but if you're not a novice photographer anymore, you wouldn't want to get this kind of camera.)

Actually, the best digital camera is the one that you will enjoy and use. Not the type that you'll just leave rotting in its box or after a few weeks of usage or so, up there in the attic.

Tips for A Beginner - How to Take the Perfect Photo  by Adriana Bella

At one time or another all of us have been behind a camera. This is mainly to keep a record of family events or friendly get-togethers. One way or the other we have had to compose a photograph and while some of us are good at it others have missing heads or too much sky in the photo.

It is not difficult to learn how to take a good photograph. But the artistry that goes into a well composed photograph has to come from within the photographer and is not something that can be learned from a book or tutorial. It is similar to an artist and his paint brush. Your lens is your paint brush and what you do with it will define you as a good photographer or not.

However, the basics must be adhered to and the end result will take care of itself. The square that you see through the aperture is your canvas and then the painting can begin. There are two important aspects to a photograph. One is the object that you want to photograph. The other is the background. Using these two aspects in the same photograph can be done in various ways. They could be balanced equally or they could be highlighted for a specific effect. If you are on holiday and want to record your trip then you can take photographs which show the background. If on the other hand it is a photograph about people then any extra background can be excluded. Quiet often there are trees growing out of people's heads. This type of mistake has to be consciously avoided.

Just aiming and shooting is simply not enough. You have to be mindful of what is inside the frame and this will teach you to compose the picture with clarity. Remove any objects that will detract from the main subject that you want to photograph.

A mistake that is commonly made by many who are new to taking pictures is taking them from too far away. Too much background does not need to be in the picture unless it is the main focus of the picture. Adding an object, a person or an animal as a measurement for scaling can be done appropriately and will add value to the picture.

One other common mistake done by newcomers is centering the subjects in all photographs. Although this is the logical position in general an off center composition will add to the dynamism of the photograph. The rule of the thirds is an easy and popular way to compose pictures. This is where the frame is divided into three parts both horizontally as well as vertically. The subject then can be placed on one of the intersections and will give you a dynamic layout for the photo. The important thing to remember is that it will not suit all photographs.

The focus of the eyes of the animal or person being photographed is also important. They should look into the photograph and not away from it. Practice will ensure the angle of the camera. This is one area that can be corrected afterwards with imaging tools. But, there is a loss of quality and it is better to practice taking the perfect picture than to do this.

Make the lost of your lighting conditions and this will only come with practice and experience. So, it is important that in order to take the perfect picture that you practice regularly. Using a flash can be done within a certain distance. If you are over 20 feet away do not bother with a flash. Longer exposure time and the use of a tripod can be useful with photos taken of distant objects.

With all these tips taking a great photograph will be easy and a little practice will ensure that you will improve with time.