Here's what you need to know about buying that perfect digital camera--from lenses to batteries to storage considerations.
Size Matters - Size and Weight in a Camera
The first consideration before buying a digital camera for travel is its size and weight. Do you mind carrying a camera bag? Do your shoulders sag after an hour or so? There are plenty of cameras that fit in a shirt or jacket pocket, and others, slightly larger that fit in a case you can strap on your belt. But before you buy one of these tiny marvels, read on--there are other considerations.
Batteries for your Digital Camera
You probably don't care about batteries. That's ok, but let me warn you--they can wear out fast with today's digital cameras. The tiny cameras you've read about above usually have proprietary cells made to fit a particular space. In a pinch you might not be able to buy one at your destination, so consider carrying along a spare.
If you're from a country that gives you 110 volts from your wall socket, you'll need at least a plug adapter to use it in Europe. There are different ones, depending on the countries you are visiting. In the US, yoou can purchase these at many luggage stores for a few dollars.
Lenses--the long and short of it
The 3x zoom lens is pretty much standard today. That means it zooms from slightly wide angle to slightly telephoto--something like 35-100 mm on a 35mm camera. If you want to take pictures of buildings, you may want one that goes down to 28mm (35 mm equivalent). And for portraits, you'd like at least 100 mm or more. For competitions like races, or for photographing animals or objects really far away, you'd like 200mm equivalent lenses.
Sweet Memory - More is Better
The last thing you'll want to check is the size of the storage card that comes with your camera. These days, cameras seldom come with memory cards, so do check. If you need one, buy a large capacity one, it will usually be cheaper than several smaller ones. The larger the resolution of your photos, the more space they'll take on the card.
Connecting
Many of today's digital cameras are automatically recognized by recent operating systems. If your camera uses USB (Universal Serial Bus) to get the pictures into the computer, check that it doesn't need special drivers if you want to access your pictures at a shared computer or cybercafe with the least amount of fuss.
Digital SLRs
Digital SLR cameras have larger sensors that operate with lower noise than smaller sensors in pocket cameras. If you're considering a camera that's just a bit too large to fit in your pocket, you might think about a DSLR camera. My feeling is that if I have to carry a camera bag, I want to get the best images I can out of the stuff around my neck. Interchangeable lenses are also a bonus.
Today's Digital SLR (Single lens reflex) Cameras can practically shoot in the dark without using flash. This is great for romantic restaurants and museums that don't allow flash but do allow pictures.
