Photographs are treasured all over the world. These images immortalize our happy memories and occasions. Cameras have been in use since ages, from the days of black and white photographs to more modern color ones. However, the conventional camera has one major drawback. It needs to be reloaded with new film when the roll runs out. This might prove to be a problem, especially if a person is on the move and film is not readily available. Moreover, film cannot be exposed to light, as all the images stored in it are likely to be destroyed. Because of all these shortcomings, digital cameras have emerged as a viable solution for photographers.

Digital cameras have bought about a significant change in the world of photography. These cameras offer the highest quality images, something, which cannot be matched by a conventional camera. The image quality or resolution of a digital camera is measured in pixels. A million pixels make up a megapixel, which is used to denote the power of a digital camera.

Digital cameras store images on a miniature memory chip instead of on film. In most modern digital cameras, the image captured can be instantly previewed on a small liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. The memory of a digital camera will vary, depending on the price of the unit. However, replacing the existing memory card or adding a new one can increase the memory. All digital cameras let the user transfer the images onto a computer for easy viewing and editing.

Most digital cameras come with an optical and digital zoom mode. The former is operated by an outward moving lens, which facilitates sharp, clear and close-up photographs. The latter is an in-built software that edits the edges and automatically enlarges the center of the image. However, photographs taken using digital zoom are of an inferior quality as compared to optical zoom.

When buying a digital camera, several brands and their features should be perused before making the purchase. A fixed budget should be kept in mind and a camera with the best features within the price range should be picked.