There has been a technological revolution over the last twenty years. From the spread of the pc to the rise of CDs, DVDs and MRP3 players; how we approach and record our images of the world is changing. One of the most significant developments to have appeared on the market has been the digital camera. Almost everyone who owns a pc also owns a digital camera. The beauty of these is that you can view your picture as it will be and then decide whether to snap or not-once snapped you can see the picture again. Pictures taken with a digital camera can be uploaded to a computer and then printed out on the special paper that you can buy; alternatively you can put them on disc and take them to a professional processor.

The digital camera is uniquely different from what went before. Prior to the invention of the digital camera, even the most high tech cameras depended on mechanical and chemical processes. Digital cameras work differently because they have an inbuilt computer that records images electronically. Basically they are filmless cameras. When they first came out digital cameras were beyond most people's budgets-as they have become more popular, the price has dropped to the point where they are as affordable and flexible as similarly priced film cameras. The amount of images you are able to store depends on the amount of memory you have-storage can be anything from 16mb to 256mb. The memory size also has an effect on the resolution of the pictures you are taking-memory cards are removable however, and can be replaced with something that has more storage capacity.

There are three main styles or shape of digital camera, the first is small enough to fit into a pocket, it is the most sort after style and also quite expensive. Next you have the standard size, which is bigger and able to do all the things that the point and shoot camera will do. This model is good value for money. Finally there is the digital SLR which produces the best photographs. It is an extremely flexible model and you can switch lenses with this one, but these enhanced features come with a corresponding price tag.

Other information you should be interested in when buying a digital camera is pixels-briefly put, pixels are the dots that go to make up a picture. These pixels are measured in thousands of such dots; called megapixels. The more megapixels you have the sharper your pictures will be and the bigger the price tag on the camera. If all you want to do is produce 4x6 photos and maybe email some images then a 4 megapixel camera should be adequate for your needs. You need to bear in mind however, that the quality of the images you produce depends on three things; the speed of your computer, the type of software that the camera works with, and the quality of your laser or inkjet printer.

The final thing that you might want to bear in mind is optical zoom-this lets you magnify what you are shooting and gives you more control over framing the shot. The one most recommended for flexibility is the 3x optical zoom, don't let vendors confuse you with digital zoom-it is not a viable consideration. With this information at your fingertips you should have no trouble in purchasing you first digital camera.