Buying a Digital Camera

Check out our tips for teens who want to buy a digital camera.

Your camera-phone snaps just aren't doing it for you any more and you want to try your hand at real photography. The first step is getting yourself a decent digital camera - and not breaking the bank. Here's a rundown on the things a beginner photographer should look for in a new camera. Check it out!

What to Look For

Keep it compact. Since you're a beginner, it's probably too soon to invest in a huge digital SLR that will make you look like you're on safari. You want something small enough that it won't be a pain to carry around.

Look for optical zoom, not digital. Some cameras brag about their 10x digital zoom, but that's kind of a scam (it's no better than just blowing the picture up in PhotoShop). Instead, you want to keep an eye out for a camera with optical zoom - ideally you want to start off with at least some sort of optical zoom (3x would be great).

Figure out how many megapixels you need. The more megapixels a camera has, the better the picture quality will be. Unfortunately, more megapixels also equal more money. Try to get a camera with at least three megapixels. You probably don't need anything more than five megapixels unless you plan to print out a lot of enlargements.

KW Picks

DXG-711 - This lightweight camera is only an inch thick, has 3x optical zoom and 7.1 megapixels. The best part is, you can pick it up for less than $100.

PowerShot E1 - This pocket-sized has a whopping 7.1 megapixels, a 4x optical zoom, and stabilizers to reduce blurry snaps. It retails for $199