Articles from Parent Magazine
by Matthew Panzarino
The Specs Explained
There are a few things to consider when you're looking for a new digital camera and sometimes the specifications can get a little blurry after a while, or maybe that's your eyes after hours in front of the computer trying to decipher the manufacturers websites... in any case, a digital camera's megapixel count is an important spec, but it is by no means the only one. Start with pixels, but make sure to check a few other important numbers when considering a purchase. A few basics about specs can help out at the counter when you're considering a purchase!
Battery life
Importance-o-meter: 10/10. Digital cameras quickly drain batteries especially off-the-shelf alkalines, which can be expensive and annoying. Battery life and cost often aren't related; some cheap cameras have great battery life, and some expensive ones use up a charge quickly. Either way, it's a good idea to buy spare batteries or rechargeables.
Zoom Range
Importance-o-meter: 7/10. Cameras with greater focal range can zoom out to fit more into a shot or zoom in to fill the frame with the subject. Optical zoom produces sharper images than digital zoom. 3X to 12X optical zoom is the usual range. 3x being great for those candid around the house or party shots and 12x for those baseball or soccer games where you’re on the sidelines and your kids are way out in the field. This gives you something to do to avoid nasty arguments with refs who obviously weren’t watching the play anyway!
Megapixels (resolution)
Importance-o-meter: 6/10. In general, higher-megapixel cameras let you produce larger, better prints. Even a 5-megapixel camera, which is really common these days, can produce images allowing for crisp 8-by-10 prints. So if you're interested in producing mostly small snapshots or images to send via e-mail or post on your blog, you probably don't need anything better than a 5-megapixel camera. If you want to create large copies of your future award-winners, you'll want a camera that captures 6 megapixels or more.
For more help on digital camera specs, stop by the store, we’re open 7 days a week!
