Before purchasing, make sure to get some opinions. There are plenty out there and don’t get caught up in every little downside to a camera, as some things just don’t matter so much. Experiences of the experienced and those who give honest, almost neutral feedback can give you some of the best insights into what you are actually getting from your product.

First Things First

What will you buy your digital camera for? What do you know you will use it for, and what would you like to do with it, perhaps something you have not had a chance to try with your current camera, or something you have seen done that you like. Decide on a price range, and stick with it, if you want to buy digital cameras at the professional level then sure your range will need to be a little higher, but don’t set your range unnecessarily high, there is a good lesson in finding more for less. And make sure you know what you need before buying as most salespeople at big electronics stores know only as much as is indicated on the packaging.

Point and Shoot vs Digital SLR

For day to day or the vast majority of consumers, a point and shoot camera is the way to go. The range of point and shoot digital cameras is so vast that the top end will do many things that mimic what professional cameras do. At the most basic the camera does everything for you and just takes the shot, taking into account the conditions it measures. At the most advanced you will have control over shutter speed and a few other features.

Digital SLRs are for pros. These cameras allow you control over almost every aspect of taking the picture, allowing you to take a great, or if you want or aren’t accustomed to them, terrible picture. One of the best things about buying new digital SLR cameras is that it is now possible to make almost everything point and shoot as well, which can help you to learn about specific functions as you go along. The best thing about SLR cameras is that you can change lenses and take pictures with a telescopic lens or microscopic lens as well.

Other Options

Resolution has become one of the most basic guages of judging a digital camera. The higher the resolution, usually measured in mega pixels, the better the picture. This is not completely true, but does hold some merit with picture quality. Four mega pixels and up is what I would look for in a standard digital camera.

Zoom is another major feature. The usual for a consumer camera would be around 3x zoom, with a 4x digital zoom. Digital zoom fakes a zoom, by zooming in on the image it receives, this reduces the quality, often to such a degree as to find the pictures worthless. The usual zoom is fine for most people, but not all, get more only if you need it. If you need super amounts of zoom, then you need an SLR so you can change lenses.

Storage has become so cheap its not a big factor. A 1GB memory card can take about 2000 pictures at a resolution of 1600×1200 and 500 or so at much higher resolutions, there should be no lack of space.

So to summarize, choose SLR or point and shoot, look at zoom, look at resolution, look at storage, and finally, keep within your budget.

The more popular the product you are looking at, the more likely the chances of finding many reviews. These kinds of digital camera ratings tend to be rated by everyday users. These are people who have bought and used these cameras and will be able to tell you what they liked and disliked about their camera. These kinds of reviews can be biased as some people just love particular brands, putting a slight skew on things. However, look at many opinions on a camera and make up your own mind. Although someone might gripe about the pixel rating of the camera being too low, they might be comparing it to some really fancy camera, and you might not need that much resolution from your camera anyway.

Many Factors to Digital Camera Ratings

There is a slow filtering that happens with new technologies like digital cameras. As a new technology hits the market it first makes an appearance on super-expensive cameras, there is much oohing and aahing about the camera, but then the hype dies down a little. Then these features slowly make their way down through the range, until they eventually become a part of every product out there. Digital camera ratings often take into account the very latest fads, and how some cameras don’t have certain features. To get the best value for money, hold onto your cash and wait as long as possible, because there is a good chance it will come down in price. On the other hand, there are some features which you might not need at all. Not everyone needs to ability to add little hearts and stars to their pictures while it is still on their camera, but some people love it, pick and choose as necessary.

Here are some of the most basic of digital camera ratings that you should look at.

Pixel rating: The higher the better, but not always proportionately. There were earlier cameras with high rating that still produced rubbish shots. For home use, 3 megapixels will do, but its good to check how many picture options the camera has, so you can choose an appropriate rating according to what you’re taking pictures of.

Zoom: If you only do shots of your friends, then no zoom will do, this is standard for cellphone cameras. If you want to zoom in really far, you’ll need professional lenses.

Viewing screen: Bigger screens eat more battery, they’re nice for showing your friends, but don’t offer and picture quality benefits.

That should be it for getting your first camera.

Sony digital cameras are a more recent area that Sony have reached into. Along with many other electronics manufacturers, they have tried to take advantage of this very competitive market. Sony digital cameras have become well known, and a staple of those who are looking for digital cameras that look good, have good quality and are easy to use. This they have done with great ease.

And this is the point where Sony make real headway on their opponents. Although cameras might be well made, they are still consumer products and if they take a beating, will eventually stop working or break. This is where the real benefits of a great warranty can save you.

Sony Digital Camera Warranties

The main reason people opt to buy Sony cameras is because they are well made, high quality cameras, they are just so well thought out that using them seems effortless, even to get more complicated effects. But when push comes to shove, literally, your camera will break, or at least give up after some time. Having a good warranty can save you a whole lot of cash.

Sony has a great reputation and this extends beyond the counter where you purchase it. If your Sony digital camera has any problems, one of the first steps is to contact the store where you bought the camera. If you bought it online, or even at some stores, there is a chance that you might have to contact Sony directly to sort out the problem.

When getting support, you will need to produce your warranty, if you didn’t send it in at time of purchase, as there needs to be proof of purchase. This might often include returning all the packaging that your Sony digital camera came in, or at the very least, the cash or credit card receipt from that camera.

Make sure that you are completely honest with whoever you talk to about your camera, if you dropped it in the swimming pool, tell them, they might choose not to replace it, or charge you for fixing it, but tell them exactly what went wrong so they can decide whether your camera needs to be replaced or whether you are just out of luck and need to buy a new one yourself.