3 Tips for Finding the Best Digital Camera Under 200 Dollars

A mistake I commonly see are buyers being sucked into buying cameras that are beyond what they really need. Some questions to ask yourself before you start shopping:

* What is your budget? ( Under $200 )
* What do you need the camera for? (Taking Snapshots, Video, or Professional Photography)
* What conditions will you be mostly photographing in? (indoors, outdoors, low light, bright light)
* Will you largely stay in auto-focus or are you learning the art of photography?
* What type of features are you looking for? (Optical zoom vs. Digital zoom, external flashes.. etc)
-Digital Zoom: Digital pictures are made up of tons of tiny dots called pixels. A digital zoom just takes those small pixels and enlarges them, also known as a "fake zoom".
-Optical Zoom: An optical zoom is a "real zoom". When researching a camera you will want to look for a camera with an optical zoom .

Ask yourself these questions while you are purchasing your camera.

One of the main features used to sell digital cameras is how many megapixels a digital camera has.

In the past, megapixels were most commonly used to a retailers advantage, but more megapixels is not always the right option for everyone. Unless you want the biggest, baddest, and the best digital camera, I would stick in the range of anywhere between 7 and 10 megapixels.

Upon entering the market basic digital camera were selling for an excess of $300-400 or more!). At the time, the megapixel rating of the camera was actually a very important statistic; in the lower megapixel ratings (1-5MP), the amount of pixels affected picture quality. What this meant was that even a single megapixel made a difference in image quality, that is no longer the case here...

These days, with practically all new cameras coming out with a minimum around 7-8 megapixels. It seems mega pixels are not such a crucial variable any more. This is when you ask your self what actual uses you are going to have for your camera. The biggest influence on how high your new digital cameras megapixel ratingshould be... what?

The easiest way to answer this is to ask yourself "Am I planning to edit or crop any of these photos...? what about printing?". If your answer is yes I would advise to purchase a higher megapixel digital camera, preferably with an optical zoom (the "real zoom"). Otherwise, just stick between 7-10 megapixels with your personal preference on zoom settings.

Fujifilm FinePix S1800 12.2 MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 3-Inch LCD
Amazon Price: $151.95 (as of 12/08/2010)

Canon PowerShot SD1300IS 12 MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Pink)
Amazon Price: $129.00 (as of 12/08/2010)

Canon PowerShot SD1400IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Black)
Amazon Price: $179.00 (as of 12/08/2010)

If you are anything like myself, you remember the feeling when you run out of space on your memory card, right as you arrive at your final destination (mostly, conveniently far from the nearest computer to free up space!). You need to think if any additional add-on's would benefit your individual need for a digital camera. Here are some of the most common accessories to keep in mind come checkout:

* Camera Case
* Memory Cards
* Spare Batteries/Recharger
* Tripods
* External Flashes
If your learning the art of photography:
* Reflectors
* Lenses
* Filters (and other lens attachments)

Amazon will bundle such extras with most packages to give a discount when buying more than one item at once, if you'e looking to purchase extra peripherals.

You made it! Hopefully I was able to bring you to the end of your journey for information on the purchase of your brand new digital camera. Feel free to share my article with your friends and family to allow them peace of mind AFTER buying their new toy. 'Tis the season, am I right? Happy holidays (and camera shopping!!!)