Best Digital Cameras

Best Image Quality = Megapixels X Sensor Size

Put in other words, the key thing to note about mega-pixels is that they only help in a better image quality camera if they are accompanied with big enough sensors.As far as megapixels is concerned figure out the prints that you are looking for and then consult the table below:

The simple reason why DSLR’s take stunning photos is because they have bigger sensors (and also because they have bigger lenses).

However for choosing the overall best camera just looking at the theoritical image quality is not good enough - what you get in practice will depend on three other factors which are
1. Response Times
2. Zoom Lens
3. Image Stabilization


Response Times
This is typically found in the specs under the 'burst mode' or the 'continuous shooting' count in shots per second. For heavy duty action or sports photography something like 3 shots per second should be good enough - though for casual everyday use slightly lesser should also suffice.

Zoom Lens
The best cameras for 2011 do not skimp on the optical zoom lens anymore. Higher optical zooms let you magnify the subjects without loosing the quality - this is different from digital zooms which degrade quality on magnification. The best sub- $200 cameras now boast of optical lenses as high as 10x or even more.

Image Stabilization
High powered optical zoom though requires better image stabilization. The reason being that as you increase optical zoom, the slightest shakes in the camera body can result in blurry images. The best stabilization is the in-body one - though this is limited to mostly DSLR’s and interchangeable lens cameras. In-body stabilization basically means that the camera is engineered to mechanically stabilize your images regardless of the lens which is attached.


The best cameras can be broadly divided into the following four categories based on the use case:
1. DSLRs
2. Compact Interchangeable-Lens Cameras
3. Ultra-Zooms
4. Compact/Point and Shoot

DSLR’s
The best DSLR’s are the cameras to buy for pro-shooters. They are also the most expensive and have a huge learning curve. Consequently the DSLR’s also offer the best in class picture quality, great response times and full manual controls regarding exposure and focus. The downsides are they are typically very heavy to lug around so cannot be used for everyday shooting.

Compact Interchangeable-Lens Cameras
The best compact interchangeable-lens cameras also offer serious shooting without the bulk of the DSLR’s. The picture quality is excellent and they are a lot cheaper than the DSLR’s. However, interchangeable lens cameras lack the lens options available to DSLR’s and also missing is the through-the-lens optical viewfinders.

Ultra-Zooms
Ultra-Zooms are the new class of compact cameras which come with very high optical zooms (>15x). The result is some serious shooting capabilities without the hassle of changing lenses. The best ultra-zooms come with some great image stabilization also, but they are more expensive than the typical point-and-shoot and often times slightly bulky also. For a more regular use consider the best compact ultra-zooms

Compact/Point and Shoots
The best compact/point and shoot cameras are great cameras for everyday use. The are typically inexpensive and are great cameras for everyday use or even if you are just starting out.
Most come with automatic settings , so if you don't want to get into the gory photography details and limit yourself to casual shooting - the best point and shoots is what you should be looking for. If you are using them as a stepping stone to learn more serious photography, probably look at a compact which has manual controls.

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