Today most point and shoot digital cameras are all of a certain minimum standard. Even a $100 digital camera produces a decent 4×6 print. So it’s a given that good overall pictures are possible with any of the umpteen popular brands available. Digital cameras have improved so much that even the pros use point and shoot cameras that are available for $200. Therefore the way I see a digital camera as “good” or “not good” is different. Here are some of the things that set two digital cameras apart. Here is what you should look for before you think of buying a digital camera:

1. Ability to handle light
All digital cameras today turn out good pictures in normal light conditions, but what I am concerned is a digital cameras ability to handle light. How well does it take photos in low light conditions? In bright light at ISO’s of 100 or 200 all of them do a decent job of taking nice pictures. But how nicely can it capture an image at lets say 7 in the evening when the sun is setting or at night indoors without the use of a flash? Therefore it is important that a camera take reasonable pictures at high ISO settings. Most digital cameras mess a picture completely when the light sensitivity setting is at ISO 800. The reason I picked up a Fuji Finepix camera was because it offers ISO of up to 1600. At ISO 800 the pictures are decent enough to print 4×6 photos, although there are more grains when the picture is viewed on the PC than a ISO 200 or ISO 400 shot. Even the Canon Ixus range of cameras struggle at ISO 800 setting. This is an important factor to consider.

2. Size
You want to carry the digital camera with you and if you want to do that size becomes a major decider. A good point and shoot camera is one that is small, that is compact and that slips into your pocket. Cameras that work on Lithium Ion batteries are always more compact and are preferable. You of course pay a little more for one that works on rechargeable Lithium Ion.

3. User Friendliness
How user friendly is the menu? You don’t want to have a digital camera that is confusing and has a difficult menu to handle. The best digital cameras are easy to use. Of course SLR cameras are a different breed and I am leaving them out. Most amateur users want a camera that is easy to use and quick to understand. The Canon and the Kodak range of cameras are the best in this regard.

4. Movie recording capability
A digital camera that does not offer this feature is not a digital camera! Always look for 30fps (frames per second) capability when you think of buying a digital camera. You always want to make that short movie clip when you are out for your friend’s birthday party or a get together. Remember the recording length is only limited by the memory card on you camera, and you can always add more memory, the prices of which are falling every day. For example Olympus makes lovely digital cameras but it loses out because it makes movies at 15fps and not 30fps. My first digital camera was an Olympus and I was very happy with its still image performance but when I wanted a better digital camera I did not go for Olympus since it did not address my movie requirement compared to my Fuji Finepix.

5. Battery life
I can’t emphasize more – You need a camera that holds the charge for as long as possible. It would be terrible to have a dead battery when you need your digital camera the most. Of course, alkaline batteries don’t suffer from this drawback because you can buy them anywhere, but they don’t have as long a life as other power sources. Moreover the size gets bulkier. Look closely at the manufacturer’s specification for battery life after a full charge. How many pictures can it shoot? One of the reasons I opted for a Fuji Finepix was because it had an rechargeable amazing battery life. It offered far more than what the competition was offering in terms of number of shots on a full charge.

6. Fast Fast Fast!
How fast or how quickly does a digital camera respond? A quick start up, quick picture writing to the memory card are important factors. When you use a digital camera you would like to shoot a ton of photos and its crucial that your digital camera has an overall fast behavior to it.

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