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Step 1 - Budget
Compact Camera
Price Range: Up
To £150
Budget compact cameras offer users
all the basic functions that are required
to take good quality holiday snaps or
indoor and outdoor family photographs.
This type of digital camera is very
simple to use and is ideal for people
starting photography for the first time
or just want a point and shoot camera
without the complexity of having to use
lots of different camera controls.
Key Benefits
1. Very simple
to use
2. Relative low
cost
The key areas
to look out for in budget cameras are
their build quality, picture image quality,
photo files storage capacity and their
sheer size.
Build
Quality
It is best to look out for camera bodies
that are made out of hard wearing materials
as some camera casings can flex. As cameras
continue to get slimmer it is even more
important that the outer casing is strong
enough to protect it from knocks or unwanted
pressure.
Picture
Image Quality
Budget cameras tend to offer up to 5 megapixels.
3 megapixels is fine for postcard size
photo prints but you will require at least
5 megapixels if you want to create larger
prints up to A4 in size.
Many of these cameras also have fixed
lenses which means that the user cannot
zoom into a desired photo subject.
We are also now starting to see cameras
for under £150 that have image stabilisers
to reduce camera shake, which can occur
when taking photographs in low light conditions.
LCD Screen
Display
It is important that the LCD display shows
an accurate representation of the lighting
and colours of the picture that you are
about to take. The higher the screen resolution
then the more accurate the image . Also
do have a look at the how the camera's
settings are displayed on the screen and
how easy it is to navigate across its
features using the menu buttons.
Photo
Files Storage Capacity
The number of photographic files held
inside the camera is dependent on the
megapixel rating (the amount of information
picked up by the image sensor) and the
storage capacity of the memory card.
Budget cameras
are typically supplied with 16MB which
is only sufficient for 15 photos at a
3 megapixel rating.
They are supplied with low capacity memory
cards in order to keep their selling prices
down. For further information on memory
card storage capacities please Click
Here.
Physical
size
Many of these cameras are generally too
big to fit into a regular jacket pocket
or a handbag. However, as prices keep
on falling we are starting to see some
pocket sized and slimline models that
are creeping into this budget category.
Positives:
Easy to use
and very affordable.
Negatives:
Lack of control
over the camera when taking photographs.
Our Verdict:
The digital
cameras featured in this category are
ideal for taking snapshots of family and
friends as well as holiday photos. These
models are relatively sophisticated and
are certainly affordable.
You can also check the latest product
reviews using the links on our product
review page in order to shortlist
your preferred budget compact camera.
Now check our
Specification Guide
against your intended camera usage:
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