Basics of a Digital Camera

Understanding megapixels is one of the first things to consider when thinking of buying a digital camera. Megapixels are important because they determine the size and usually the quality of the images. Having more megapixels allows you to make larger prints.

Most current model digital cameras usually start around 5 megapixels and go up from there. You will be able to get excellent quality 4x6 prints and even good quality 8x10 prints with that amount of resolution.

Another major factor in your decision of buying a digital camera would be to decide what type of camera you wish to purchase. For example a single lens reflex camera is much more expensive however you generally have better picture quality and many more options much as you would in a 35 mm camera if you are still shooting at home.

If you are accustomed to using a 35mm film camera you'll recognize many of the same features. In particular the ability to change various lenses in the camera makes it quite popular.

If you are just starting out in photography you may want to consider a point and shoot camera. They are generally less money and much easier to use. Many of these types of cameras have preset programs which give you a variety of possibilities when shooting your photographs. This allows you to produce some wonderful images even if you don't have a lot of photographic experience.

After you get a camera, you must choose a good memory card for your camera. The most popular types of memory cards for digital cameras are Multi Media Card (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Smartmedia (SM), Secure Digital (SD), xD-Picture Card (xD), and CompactFlash (CF). Certain cameras require certain memory card types, so make sure you ask an expert which memory card is right for the camera you have.

You'll also want to consider how many pictures the memory card can hold. If you prefer to store many pictures on the camera you may want to get a card with a large storage capacity.

Once you take the pictures on your camera it's important to know how to transfer the pictures to your computer. You need to transfer them to your computer first or you can send them. You can either use a USB cable which generally comes with the camera or a card reader that plugs into your computer.

By using a card reader instead of the USB cable, it allows you to save the batteries on your camera because the camera does not have to be powered on during the transfer process. A memory card reader simply plugs into your computer using the USB cable and the card reader has various slots and all you do is remove the memory card from your camera and insert it into the card reader.

Depending on the type of computer you have, a message will come up saying that you camera is connected. Or, in the case of a Mac computer, you just go into iPhoto, which comes standard on newer Mac computers. Use the help tab at the top of your screen to find out how to download your pictures.

After you have downloaded your pictures, you can delete the pictures on your memory card, freeing up lots of space so that you can take more pictures. It is also a very good idea to periodically make a copy of the pictures on your computer and burn them to either a CD or DVD as a backup copy in case your computer's hard drive fails. You probably have spent a lot of time and effort in creating some beautiful pictures and you wouldn't want to lose them.

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Barry Craft loves photography. For his latest tips to help you become a better photographer.Get FREE copy of his latest report entitled, "Top 10 Tips for Great Photo Composition" by visiting Easy Photo Tips. Get your own completely unique content version of this article.

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