First digital camera...?

Question

I'm going to buy a new camera tonight, what should I be looking for? What accesories do I need?

Answer 1

You need to give us more info on your wants/needs first. Your wants/needs aren't necesarily going to be the same as mine... so you need to ask yourself what your wants/needs are first.

Do you want something small? Do you want neat features like video or color accent? Do you want something simple? Do you want something semi-professional? What kinds of things will you be shooting?

In addition to the camera, plan on buying a memory card as well (even if the camera comes with one).

The camera should come with the software and USB cord needed to upload your pics onto your computer, so you won't have to worry about that.

Canon and Nikon make the best digital cameras!

Answer 2

canon

Answer 3

I would go with the best small Canon you can afford.  I have had a couple and really like them.

You will need a larger SD card than the one that comes with the camera and you may want a case and a spare battery for it (if the battery is re-chargeable).  That should be all and you need as everything else (like cables) come with them.

If you want to get "fancy" with the pictures, you might want a photo editing program as well.  I use and like Photoshop Elements (about $100).

Bert

Answer 4

My personal opinion:

Buy a Kodak. Nothing takes more colorful, beautiful pictures.

If you can search different camera models online before you go, type in the camera name (and preferably the model, for example, mine is a kodak z712 IS) plus pictures. When you see the quality and the color saturation you like, you'll know which camera is right for you. Remember, mps aren't incredibly important. Anything over 5 or 6 doesn't really matter unless you're going to blow your prints up into giant murals or something. And zoom is a nice feature. I have a 12x zoom that has helped me capture birds in trees!

As far as accessories:

Camera case is important. I've been caught in the rain, and it has saved my camera.

Camera lens is important. I've dropped my camera and it has saved my lens from being scratched or broken.

Buy a card reader! Although your camera will come with software and a cord to upload, using a card reader is faster and more efficient. I bought one with a little flash drive on the end that is the size of a keychain, and it only cost me $10. All you do is take out your memory card, stick it in the reader, and plug that into your USB port.

Buy AT LEAST a 2gb memory card. Without a memory card, my camera can take 9 pictures and no video. WITH my 2gb memory card, I can take 950 pictures and 1 hour of video.

Good luck in your search, research the best you can. :)