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After discussing the various camera types available in India, lets focus on the features and what exactly the different jargon associated with them means. Most of us are ignorant of many features and aspects that we should be looking for in a digicam and usually get swayed by flashy ads and sleek models displayed in the media. Initially, lets cover the ones which matter the most to us here in India.

Resolution: Trying to find your way through the Mega Maze of Mega Pixels..! Well, don’t get swayed by those 8 MP, 10 MP figures. Resolution is important because it tells you how large an image you’ll be able to print. A 8 MP camera will allow you to print a 16×20-inch image – would you ever need to print an image that size (probably most of us don’t have a printer that can do it, either). A 5 MP camera will do fine for most users - it will allow you to print an 8×10-inch photo with all details still intact. And then if you’re only shooting photos to post on Orkut(Facebook, Bigadda etc) or just email them to your friends, images shot with a large resolution result in huge image files, not of much use. For that 2-3 MP resolution’s just fine. Also, whats more important is the size of the sensor rather than number of pixels. Usual size for standard digicams is 1/2.5 - 1/2.7 inches. About 5 MP is kind of optimum pixels that is placed on a chip that goes with sensors of this size. Manufacturers have placed upto about 8 MP on the same chip. How do they pack so many pixels on the same size chip? They interpolate. Interpolation can increase the resolution to interpolate and use a 5 MP chip to produce a 10 MP image. The quality will be not be as good as if the picture was taken with a true 10 MP chip.  So, just figure out what you need the digital camera for before going blindly on MP count figure.

Zoom:Many first time buyers are fooled by ads/salespersons about phenomenal zoom levels possible in a particular digicam brand. There are two types of zooms you’ll see referenced on a digital camera: optical zoom and digital zoom. Optical zoom is the maximum amount of zoom the lens supports at its highest resolution. This means that if a camera has a 4X optical zoom, you can zoom in to 4 times the image size and still have a high-quality picture. Digital Zoom, on the other hand, is just going deeper into a photograph and will always lead to pixellations and a lot more noise. The effect of Digital Zoom is same as zooming in a picture in your PC/laptop. My advice? Simply, ignore the digital zoom, and look for a digital camera with an optical zoom based upon how you’d actually use it. Unless you want to shoot wildlife(in that case you would need at least 10x to 12x), your usual day to day photography would be well handled by a 3x zoom which is available on most digital cameras.

Battery Life: This may be the last thing that people check while buying a digicam. However, it will save you much in costs and frustration if you factor it in before buying one. Most cameras now boast of a 2.5 or even 3 inch LCD screen which eats up the battery in no time. There are two kinds used by most digicams available here. Standard AA-size batteries and Rechargeable batteries made by the manufacturer, also known as a proprietary battery. So, here’s the cache, initially rechargeable lithium-ion batteries appear much more energy-efficient and cost-effective, but you’d need to wait for them to get recharged before you can shoot anymore, unless you keep one spare. Your friend may have a Sony and you a Canon, but neither of you can exchange your batteries to use in another’s camera. Standard alkaline batteries (AA size) on the other hand can be found at almost any place and you can buy a pair (or two) without burning a hole in your pocket and even if they run out.