If the process of purchasing your first digital camera seems confusing, take heart, you are not alone. In this article I will simplify the process for you.

If you already know what model of digital camera you are looking for, you can likely find it now by scanning our pages of Digital Camera Deals.

Because digital photography has become such a hugely popular pastime, you will find that, as a buyer, there are thousands of camera models to select from, offered by a multitude of competing camera vendors. For a first time buyer, the range of choices can be overwhelming. But by addressing your photographic aspirations first, you can quickly cut down your options and come up with a few competing models from which to make your final selection.

1. Digital Camera Basics - The Things you Should Know

You only need to get yourself to a public gathering, like a school concert, to appreciate how popular the use of digital cameras has become. Position yourself at the back of the event and you will see cameras appear over the heads of their owners at every flash-worthy opportunity.

You cannot fail to notice the brightly lit LCD screens on the reverse side of the cameras displaying the exact scene the photographer is about to capture for their family records. It is clear that no one using point-and-shoot cameras is using their camera's viewfinder to frame shots these days. This is something to keep in mind when choosing a camera, as most compact models are sacrificing the viewfinder for a larger LCD screen.

Something you may also notice is that, held almost at arms-length from the photographer's eyes, today's compact digital cameras are operated a lot more like overt scanning devices than the snapshot stealing film cameras that I grew up with. In fact, many digital cameras also sport a video mode, so there is more to this observation than one might think at first glance. In a very real sense, our digital devices are converging.

Reusable Electronic Pixels. Today, instead of projecting the photographic image onto a sheet of light-sensitive film stretched across the focal plane at the back of the camera, the digital camera uses a vast array of reusable light-sensitive electronic pixels to do the same job. The image is converted into a digital format and immediately transferred to a memory card that can be swapped out, and is itself reusable.

Low Cost Per Image. Younger photographers, who may have never seen a film camera, are unlikely to appreciate the huge savings afforded by recyclable memory cards, which have removed the need for costly high quality rolls of film. Today, film cameras are on the wane and are unlikely to be of interest to anyone but professional photographers, many of whom who still appreciate the physical tangibility of the film medium and its inherent longevity independent of an electronic device.

As a digital photographer you do not have to "count the frames" as I once did when I began capturing images on film in the early nineteen eighties. You are free today to swiftly capture 500 images in a single day, rather than a carefully executed 50, and immediately discard the ones that don't make the grade. Because physical memory drops in price yearly, the already low cost of a single image will continue to drop as well.

More Great Shots. In fact, this one benefit that digital photography provides is the secret to drastically improving your photographic record. If you can afford to shoot ten times the number of pictures you cannot help but double or triple the number of great shots you produce. Just be sure to load up on physical memory cards before you head out the door!

Sharper Images. If you have ever snapped what you thought might be a fantastic photo, only to be disappointed when you see the blurred end result, you'll be pleased to discover that many of today's digital cameras have image stabilization built into the lens. The camera can actually detect unwanted motion and compensate to produce sharp images that would otherwise have been lost.

2. Digital Camera Brands - Is One Better Than Another?

If you had you asked me 25 years ago which brand of camera you should consider going with, I would undoubtedly have shot back with Nikon. I really liked the look and feel of their cameras and I believed their Nikkor lenses were the best that could be found.

However, today Canon probably has the upper hand in terms of popularity. For this reason, and because Canon cameras are every bit as good these days as Nikon and Canon's other competitors, I strongly recommend considering a Canon digital point-and-shoot if you are interested in a compact camera. When it comes to SLRs it's something of a toss up between a Canon digital SLR or a Nikon digital SLR for a first camera. But, if pressed, I would recommend you check out these Nikon D40 reviews to see which economical but superb digital SLR gets my endorsement.

If you have cameras in the household, and SLRs in particular, then the brand of SLR lenses you can get your hands on today pretty much determines the brand of your next SLR. For example, if someone in your home owns a Nikon SLR and you intend to use their lenses, then you'll require a Nikon SLR yourself to do that. Nikon lenses have a bayonet (insert and twist counter-clockwise) mount, while Canon lenses have their own mount design that twists clockwise.

Also, Canon made a major (forward thinking) design change to their lens mount when they moved into digital photography. Unlike Nikon lens mounts which are always backwards compatible with every lens Nikon has ever produced, that is not the case with Canon. If you buy a modern Canon digital SLR you'll need to use a modern Canon lens with it. To Nikon's credit, they got the lens mount right when they began their lens line more than half a century ago.

You can read the other half of this article at Best Digital Camera Discounts.

Stephen Carter runs Best Digital Camera Discounts, where, if you find a great price on a camera, there is a very good chance that the offer represents the lowest price you are likely to find anywhere. If you are not inclined to follow one of the recommendations for a camera made on this page, try browsing our digital camera categories, or use our search engine to find currently available offers.

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