Printing your images is just as straightforward. Home photo printers can now produce glossy colour prints that rival anything you can get from a traditional photo lab for price and quality, and printing can be as easy as popping your memory card in the printer or attaching a cable - no computer required.
Although modern digital cameras are generally very easy to use, they make use of highly sophisticated technology. Here's a guide to the components and features you'll find on most of today's cameras.
The Camera Lens
The most important part of any camera. A high quality lens will give sharper images and let you shoot in dimmer conditions. On a standard camera, look for at least a 3x optical zoom to up close. For extra flexibility, look for a longer optical zoom - 10x or more is great for wildlife and sports photography. Don't be fooled by digital zoom - it only zooms in at the expense of image quality.
LCD screen
Almost all digital cameras have colour LCDs, but some are much brighter and sharper than others. As a general rule, displays over 2 inches in size are easier to
frame your shots with and great for playing back images to check your results.
Camera Handling
Before committing yourself to purchasing a digital camera, visit a camera shop and actually handle a few models to see how they feel. It should feel comfortable in your hands. Some models have very small buttons making it difficult to operate for people with large fingers or those with arthritic problems.