As more organizations embrace technology, they are looking for the best tools to suit their needs. Below are 3 points you might want to consider when acquiring a digital camera.

1. Pixels.

Digital images are composed of thousands or millions of tiny squares called picture elements, or pixels for short. Each square has its own color assigned to it, and the compilation of all of these little colored squares allows for images to appear smooth when viewed at original size. The term megapixel means one million pixels, and it is used to describe the maximum number of pixels found in an image produced by a digital camera.

Many people assume that the megapixel specification is the single most important criteria when choosing a camera. More megapixels do not necessarily equal better images, they mean larger images (both in physical size and in file size).

The megapixel count is achieved by multiplying the number of pixels in one horizontal line by the number of pixels in one vertical line. So, if a camera can produce images at a maximum resolution of 1600 by 1200 pixels, it is a 1.92 megapixel (1,920,000 pixel) camera.

It is not fair to assume that the images from the 5.0 MP camera are automatically better than those from a smilar 4.0 MP camera strictly based on their megapixel count. All it means is that the maximum image size of the 5.0MP is 2560 x 1920 and the maximum image size of the 4.0MP is 2408 x 1758. Many other features in the cameras impact the quality of the images they produce, and may be far more important for the typical user to consider than the maximum overall size of each image.

Larger image size may do nothing for a user who only wants to view images on his computer screen, or for use on the web, but the higher megapixel images are important for those looking to make prints of their images. Generally, higher pixel counts in an image translate to the ability to create larger prints.

2. Sensors – CMOS and CCD.

Digital cameras use a small sensor to capture the image. There are two types of sensors that may be found in cameras: CCD (Charged Couple Device) and CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). CMOS sensors are usually found in cheaper cameras and offer lower image quality than a CCD sensor that would probably be found in a more expensive camera.

3. Zoom – Optical and Digital.

Most digital cameras offer some sort of zoom, but it is important to identify which type is being provided. Optical zoom uses a lens that physically moves to produce the magnification. Digital zoom uses circuitry to enlarge a portion of the standard sized image and crops (cuts out) the content outside of the zoomed area. The quality of images produced using digital zoom suffer due to the nature of the process, therefore optical zoom is a far more desirable feature. However, the price of a camera with optical zoom is usually higher than for a similar one with digital zoom. There are also cameras that have both optical and digital zoom.

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Summarised by the WOUGNET Techteam from an article by Jason Kohrs