Digital Camera Buying Guide - LCD Screens

All cameras on the market nowadays come with LCD screens, so this is no longer a novelty. These screens come in various sizes to ease the photo making process and get the shooting experience to be more pleasant. Most amateur photographers have probably forgotten about the viewfinder on the old film cameras. Everyone uses the LCD on the back of the consumer cameras, and some of these don't even have a viewfinder at all! The screen is convenient, you can keep the camera farther from your eyes when shooting, and can show you previews of the images or clips you have recorded.

LCD's come in various resolutions, and the higher the resolution, the more accurate the preview is. Also, you will need the LCD to browse through the menu option. So, to put it bluntly, don't even think about buying a camera that doesn't have a display.

ISO
One of the biggest challenges for low to middle end cameras is capturing images in low light. They usually appear blurred and too dark. Recent improvements in ISO are taking care of this issue, with ISO speeds in the range of 3,000 you can take any shot in dim light!

Thus, if you will take photos in low light, it is always a good idea to figure out the highest ISO on the camera you intend to buy and not settle for one with an ISO lower than 800.

Manual controls
More advanced photographers will want some degree of manual controls over the shot they are taking. Advanced compact cameras offer controls like exposure time, shutter speed and white balance. But if you don't know what these are, you are better off with a regular point-and-shoot camera: why pay for the manual features if you will only use the AUTO mode? Most automated modes cover the basic scenarios that are more than enough for an amateur photographer: portraits, landscapes and close-ups.

Getting the perfect camera, is never an easy thing, especially with the way digital technology is constantly changing. Fortunately, there are plenty of helpful websites online, that can narrow down your search and help you find the camera with all the features important to you.