1- general things to look for         2- camera brands        3- accessories        4- finding reviews and the best prices       5- conclusions

Digital Camera Buying Tips

page five of five

This whole guide is designed to be read all the way through from beginning to end... so although the conclusions are here, I HIGHLY recommend that you go back and read the rest if you haven't already!

CONCLUSIONS AND CLIFFS NOTES TO EVERYTHING

1) Get a camera that has a resolution of 2 or 3 megapixels. Less than that is not good enough; and more than that is unnecessary.

2) Buy a good brand.

3) When you shop, compare carefully for things that you wouldn't immediately think of, like battery life. Read reviews! Know that you'll have to get an extra memory card no matter what; but check carefully whether the camera(s) you are looking at do not include necessary items that you'd have to buy separately, such as a battery charger.

4) Narrow it down to a few models you like; then go to Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. and play with them and try them out.  But don't actually buy from there!!

5) When you find a model you like, price-shop and buy online. Remember to include shipping, and sales tax (or lack of it!) into your final price. Expect that they will call you to try to sell you extra memory or accessories; just politely decline unless the price is right. Be armed with the figures so that you can say: "You're trying to sell me that memory card for $120? That same card sells for $60 at Best Buy. Unless you can match that price, I'm not interested."

6) Pick up an extra memory card. And a spare rechargeable battery is usually helpful (but not always necessary). A card reader is a nice convenience, but not necessary; your camera will come with everything you need.

7) Oh, and of course, USE SHUTTERFLY.COM!!!

Thank you for stopping by to read my Manifesto. If you have found this helpful at all, or have any questions, comments, or feedback, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you! Please drop me a line.

1- general things to look for         2- camera brands        3- accessories        4- finding reviews and the best prices       5- conclusions