Do the digital camera review rounds as part of your homework before deciding on a digital camera, and you are going about it in the right way. Looking through the many available professional reviews, is time well spent.
However, you will want to be careful about rating the reviews themselves. Some digital camera reviews take a genuine, in depth and objective look at the camera, whereas others are little more than marketing exercises by agents!
The digital camera reviews you will find about some of the very latest digital cameras, are often based on pre-production models made available to the reviewers. In most cases this should present no problem, as the reviewers who get hold of these cameras are generally knowledgeable individuals, and will point out potential problems that still need sorting out.
Take seven snapshots of any digital camera review, to make sure that the reviewer has given you enough information to be able to compare cameras.
Digital Camera Review Snapshot 1 - Pixel Power
Is it a 5MP, or 6MP, or 8MP camera? What is the size of the image sensor (CCD)? How does it compare to other cameras in the same range? Remember, the number of pixels is not the only important aspect for a better image - you also have to check the size of the CCD.
Digital Camera Review Snapshot 2 - File Format
Which file formats are supported? Only JPEG, or also RAW? Many photographers are now waking up to the post-processing possibilities of RAW files, and you may want to have that option available!
Digital Camera Review Snapshot 3 - Lamp For Light
Does the camera have an auto-focus assist lamp for low lighting conditions? Without it you are often fairly restricted in low light situations.
Digital Camera Review Snapshot 4 - Battery Backup
How about batteries? A proprietary battery can have a very effective life span, but they tend to be expensive - and you do need a backup for when on the road or in the mountains. Many excellent digital prosumer cameras, such as the Olympus SP500 Ultra Zoom, work on simple AA batteries which you can easily replace when in trouble!
Digital Camera Review Snapshot 5 - Focus Feature
If you buy a good prosumer camera with which you want to do some experimenting (and being able to experiment is a major plus of having a digital camera in the first place!), you will want to know that you have a manual focus option for those tricky situations...
Digital Camera Review Snapshot 6 - Manual Makeup
What is mentioned regarding the camera's manual settings? Can you set shutter priority, or aperture priority? Do you have full manual control over the most important aspects of exposure? It will be a pity if you start shooting away, trying new things you never dared with your film camera (costs!), only to find that you have virtually no manual control!
Digital Camera Review Snapshot 7 - Zoom Zone
Ensure that the review you are reading points out the important optical (real!) zoom capabilities - and not only gloat about the digital zoom facility - which is sometimes little more than a cropping tool!
Lastly, compare not only cameras, but also digital camera reviews. Shop around for the most informed opinion, before you decide on the camera...
