Do You Need a Digital Camera?

Two Medicine Lake in Glacier National Park.    Photo Use Guidelines

Silly question, right? Well, not really. After all, a digital camera does nothing more than take digital images. And today, all sorts of electronic devices take digital images, such as cell phones. I’ll be the first to admit the images most of these devices take are pretty lousy, but still, if all you need is an occasional photo to “show something to someone,” like the color of the beer you had at the weird bar last night, you might not even need a digital camera.

So, while the first question seems silly, in reality, many people do NOT need a digital camera. It all depends on your own needs. And if the occasional photo of something is all you want, and that photo doesn’t need to look that great, win a beauty contest or be printed up for your scrapbook, then save the money you were going to spend on a digital camera and use it instead for something more exotic.

But I Do Need a Digital Camera!

Well, if you’re sure you need a digital camera, then the next question is…what do you plan on using your digital camera for? This is the most vital question you need to answer. But, be warned, you need to be honest. Take it from me; lying to yourself at this stage of a camera purchase is a recipe for a big hole in your bank account and lousy photographs.

So, what do you plan on using your digital camera for? Taking quick and simple photographs of your vacation, perhaps? Or how about taking photos of the kids when they rudely stop over unannounced? Or how about snapping a photo of the ugly gorilla at the local zoo so you can show the photo to your friends?

Or, do you want a digital camera to unleash your creative side? Or use your digital camera to express yourself? Or to even challenge yourself in several physical and mental ways?

So, why is it important to ask and answer these questions? Simple. By answering these questions, it will go a long ways toward helping you decide what camera type to get; a non-SLR digital camera or a SLR digital camera.

Next Page : The Two Types of Digital Cameras Explained

< Previous Page

Top of Page