Buy a digital camera in 15 minutes

Posted on 10 Mar 2009 at 11:08

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If you were thinking that choosing your dream camera would involve a lot of stress, research and jargon, think again. Ben Pitt explains how easy it is to snap to it.

Buying a digital camera can be complicated and expensive. You may be baffled by the array of different shapes, sizes, features and prices, and discouraged by the prospect of having to put in weeks of research. But how do you get around this and still ensure that the camera you buy is the best for your needs and budget?

Here at Shopper, we review over 80 cameras a year. This gives us a comprehensive overview of the market and its underlying trends and technologies. However, unlike the specialist photography publications, we understand that some people want to be directed to their ideal camera with the minimum of fuss. In this feature, we've distilled our knowledge of the best models available between £80 and £1,000 to help you find the perfect camera in just 15 minutes.

Go with the flow

We've reduced your buying decisions to simple questions, which you'll find in the flowchart. If you have only 30 seconds spare, this is hopefully as long as it'll take to work your way to a recommended camera. However, if you have a few minutes spare, there are a few things that may help when using the flowchart.

First of all, it's worth bearing in mind that SLR cameras are dramatically different from the other types of camera we review in Shopper. They have vastly superior image quality, performance, options and tactile controls, although they are bulkier, too. If you already know that you want an SLR camera, read the 'Focus group' walkthrough.

The three main criteria to think about are camera size, zoom range and image quality. These are the areas where our recommended cameras vary most and they are interrelated. Bigger zooms and superior image quality tend to make the camera bulkier. As a result, there's currently no such thing as an ultra-compact camera with a big zoom and fantastic image quality. If you're able to settle for a compromise in one of these areas, you can get a fantastic performer in the others.

Panasonic's DMC-LX3 is compact and takes superb pictures, but it has only a 2.5x zoom. However, an SLR with an ultra-zoom lens takes fantastic pictures but is large and heavy. If you are really unable to prioritise between size, image quality and zoom range, Panasonic's DMC-TZ5 and Canon's SX110 IS spread the compromise out over these three areas and achieve an appealing balance.

Digital cameras vary hugely in size, from ultra-compact designs that are no bigger than a mobile phone through larger compacts and ultra-zoom cameras to SLRs. Rather than assess size as a sliding scale, we've divided cameras into those that are and aren't pocket-sized. This makes it easier to make recommendations, but we believe it's also a fair distinction.

A 300g camera isn't much harder to carry around than a 100g one, as long as it will fit in a pocket or small handbag. If you need a bigger bag for an ultra-zoom camera, it's not a huge strain to carry an SLR instead. You should choose pocket-sized if anything bigger will end up being left at home - just bear in mind that doing so rules out cameras with the biggest zooms and the highest image quality.

For most other decisions, it's a question of whether you're willing to pay extra for a certain feature or attribute. Bigger zooms and advanced controls cost more and, as a general rule, better image quality costs, too. There are plenty of exceptions, but among our recommended cameras these assertions hold true.