Choosing a digital camera 1: The purpose

The wide range of features available on even entry-level digital cameras today has made high-quality photography accessible to the lay person. With a proliferation of ways in which you can share photographs online, everybody wants to own a digital camera.

But it is the very range of features that makes the task of choosing a camera a rather daunting one. How do you know how many megapixels you need? What does white balance mean? By focusing on what's important we will try to help you make an informed choice.

Why?
Begin by asking yourself why you're buying a digital camera. What sort of use are you going to put it to? Are you going to use it to create art or merely to record your family's most memorable moments? Are you going to be shooting wildlife or sports or portraits of people?

If you're looking to create art, for example, you would want greater control over the output. The most appropriate camera for you would be a digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera that allows you to control not only exposure and focus but also what type of lens to use. If all you want to do is click pictures of your family holidays that you can share and laugh about with friends and relatives, you need to look for automatic cameras that leave little for you to do.