Forget film and fiddling – capturing the perfect shot is as easy as pointing and shooting with the right digital camera.



You can now snap one up for as little as $200, although spending $1000 isn't hard for great optional extras. The trend for tiny pocket-sized cameras is giving way to serious amateur-photographer models, boasting the sort of clarity that once only professionals could achieve – here’s our guide to get you snap happy!

Compact vs Digital SLR

Two types of digital cameras are widely available: compact cameras and digital single lens reflex (DSLRs). Compacts are pared-down cameras you can slip into your pocket, where all the basics (like aperture and light balance) are automated. All you have to do is point and shoot. Digital SLRs allow you get your hands dirty with interchangeable lenses (so you can pick the size of the zoom) and afford more creativity. They also power up more quickly than compacts, and offer higher megapixels and longer zooms. On the downside, they're a little on the larger side, so you won't be sticking them in your shirt pocket.

What's New?

The hot trends in cameras at the moment are anti-shake mechanisms – where the camera readjusts itself for a wobble in the wrist at the crucial moment – and face-detection technology. The camera locks its focus onto a face in a shot, recognising the skin tone, so if that person moves across the room, it automatically refocuses to keep their face in shot. At the upper end of the market, dust removal sensors are also a hot feature. Generally, when dust sits on the sensor, being the closest point, the camera will focus on it. When your camera has dust removal, the camera realises that it has dust on its sensor and shakes it off for clear shot at your intended subject.

In The Hand

When buying a camera, it's essential you feel comfortable with it. Most compacts don't have eyepieces any more (those old-fashioned windows you used to look through). Instead, you're looking at an LCD screen at the back, although they can be hard to use in bright sunlight. The trend is now for bigger LCD screens (up to three inches). Some companies issue two models of compacts – tiny, stripped-down numbers great for a night out, or those with better grips and a few more manual features, so you can still get decent snaps even in low light.

Powering Up

Cameras run on either AA batteries or smaller, lighter lithium batteries. You can now buy not only rechargeable AA batteries, but also high-grade AAs that have a lifespan similar to lithium batteries. The type of battery will affect how heavy the camera is and also what size battery charger you need to pack when you're away on holidays. Lithium batteries are more compact and often have a longer life span, but AAs come into their own when you're enjoying the most beautiful sunset and your battery runs out – it's a whole lot easier to grab a handful of disposable batteries from a shop than to recharge, so you don't miss your shot.

Modes of Operation

Cameras come with a range of 'modes' or 'scenes' which give you a helping hand, automatically adjusting shutter speed, light balance and focus when photographing different scenarios. These settings include night, landscape, sport, snow and close-ups (macro), as well as the no-brainer auto mode.