Spring Is (Almost) Here and That Means...

Most people are starting think about traveling and there is one thing just about everyone brings on a trip regardless of where they go: Camera. With the technology enhancing faster than a guy on steroids, many people feel pressured to upgrade to a new camera as it makes what their current camera to be.. more or less an artifact. If you feel somewhere on the similar lines yourself, perhaps this post could help you on picking out the right camera, without spending anymore than you need to. Here are the things you should be watching for:

1. Megapixel
I'm going to quite frank here; megapixel isn't everything. Do not be tempted to get a camera over another simply because "it has a higher megapixel." It certainly does have a difference on resolution of the photo you take, but if you're not going to print anything higher than an 8x10, you don't need to stress too much over the amount megapixel; 10MP should be more than sufficient (most models now a days are at least 12-14MP on average). If you're not planning on printing your photos (SHAME ON YOU!) and want to just post it on facebook and/or myspace like rest of the population, you really don't need to worry about megapixel at all as those websites shrink the size down the moment you upload your private public moments to the web.

2. Battery
There are two types of batteries today's cameras run on: Lithium ion or AA batteries.
Lithium ion types are those blocky looking rechargeable battery that usually comes with the charger and as long as you fully charge and discharge them, they should be good for about 4-5 years. Your cellphones are also running on same type of battery if it helps to understand. It's also important not to lose the battery or the charger as it can cost you around $70 and up to replace either the battery or the charger (remember, it's suppose to last you 4-5 years). The cameras that run on lithium ion batteries tend to be more pricey compared to the ones that run on AA batteries.
The AA batteries should be self explanatory, but don't forget there are single-use and rechargeable in AA section as well. Though, you would have to buy them on your own, the cameras that run on AA batteries tend to be more affordable. If you find yourself outside in the wild a lot, it may not be a bad idea to stick with a camera that runs on AA batteries as you can carry many back up batteries. If you're a tree hugger and care about the environment, perhaps the lithium ion batteries should be your choice.

3. Brand
When it comes to brand of the camera, Sony pops up quite a lot. While I think Sony digital cameras are finally coming along nicely, there are better ones out there in terms of quality and what you pay for them. Don't get me wrong, Sony makes great other products such as LCD TV's and camcorders. I would say the only thing Sony's got over the other brands in cameras is the style of how it looks, which makes it more appealing, but when you take a photo, is your camera in your shots? Not really (unless you shoot a mirror to take a picture of yourself).
So what other brands are there you should consider? There are plenty. Canon has been making cameras since God knows when. While I do like Nikon DSLR's, I don't think their point-and-shoots are any better than Canon's point-and-shoots. Panasonic has been coming up nicely as well. If you're looking into Panasonic, chances are, you're looking at a camera with a massive zoom, while having a body small enough to travel with. Finally, don't forget the old school Pentax. Just because they don't have an ad, doesn't mean they are crap. So the question is, you want to pay for brand or quality? Ask your salesman at a camera store for some insights and do your research as well (incase the salesman is bias towards certain brand, which is understandable, but you want a camera for yourself, not him/her!).

4. Zoom
I promise, it's almost over. Just like megapixel, zoom doesn't determine how good a camera is. It's easy to be carried away by the numbers in their features end up spending for features that you never end up using in a camera. Zoom is something that men go for more than women and obviously, the bigger the zoom, the more money flies out of your wallet. Either way, if you're just taking pictures of your family, friends, and all the regular stuff, you really won't need anything more than 3 or 5x zoom. I mean, when are you going to use a 10x zoom on a family shot? if you need to zoom in at a situation like that, just step up to them. If you come across what of those once-in-a-blue-moon situations where you DO need something on the lines of 10x zoom (like a bird standing far, far away), just take the shot at the max zoom your camera has, then blow it up later on your computer. Even with 10MP, that should still be pretty darn clear (as long it's focused). If you're a sucker for taking lots and lots of landscape shots, maybe 10x zoom is the one for you (don't forget to buy a tripod!), other than that, people rarely use anything beyond 5x zoom so think about what kind of shots you're going to be taking with the new camera. Oh, and remember: never, never use digital zoom. It lowers the quality of the photo way too much. I suggest turning digital zoom off if you can. Trust me on that one.

5. Video Mode
Yes, most, if not all cameras now come with a Video Mode (or Movie Mode). Watch out though, there are two kinds now: HD (High Definition) and SD (Standard Definition). This feature, depending on what definition the camera shoots at, will make about a $100 difference in cameras that shoot HD or SD. If you like to shoot a lot of HD movies with the camera and have an HDTV at home, maybe you wouldn't mind vomiting up the extra cash. If you go for mainly photos and barely any videos, maybe it's not worth spending the extra. Think about important video quality is to you and how far you're willing to go.

There are obviously more things you should be looking for whether it is feature or quality, but that all depends on what kind of shots you want to take with the new camera. Oh, right. One more thing before I sign off: if your camera stills works great, not too old, and you're happy with it, you may not really need to upgrade to a new camera. But that's all up to you. Have fun.