Things to look for when purchasing a digital camera, an informative speech.

Today I'm going to talk about things to look for when buying a digital camera. Working in a photo center, I find that some people are intimidated by the complexity of some digital cameras. They would rather stick using a 35 mm camera instead of trying out something new. Knowing what to look for and what fits your situation will help you get the most out of your digital camera. I'm going to cover the basic features of all digital cameras, as well as some accessories you may want to purchase for your camera.

Probably the deciding factor for many digital camera buyers is the amount of mega pixels the camera can shoot. A pixel is a small dot of color used to make a digital photograph. If you have ever looked at a television screen up close you can see that the picture is made of many of these pixels.

Barry Hendy. Pixels per dollar based on Australian...

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One "mega pixel" is equivalent to one million pixels in a picture. A million pixels may sound like a lot, but is considered a low resolution compared to what is available today. 1 and 2 mega pixel cameras are sufficient for attaching images to email or posting on the internet. If you decide to print your image the largest size you can print without noticing any distortion is a 4x6 inch print. 3 or more mega pixels allow you to take more professional pictures. With a 3 mega pixel camera you can print photos up to an 8x10 inch print and notice very little distortion. 4 or more mega pixels provide almost perfect prints at any size. You will notice very smooth lines and vivid detail with these higher end cameras.

The next importing thing to note is the camera's ability to zoom. Zooming...