I just bought the best new digital travel camera, for me. It may not be the best for you, but I think my five-step process may be helpful for you.
1. For some buyers this will be your first digital camera, but I think most will be upgrading, so the first step is to really think about your current camera use and possible future use. Start thinking about the must-haves and the deal killers. If the camera you have doesn’t fit in you pocket, you may insist on an ultra-compact model. If you have a three times zoom and you’re very dissatisfied, you know you need a four or a five or more.
2. Ask a lot of folks what they think, but be careful about biases. If a friend has only used one camera, he or she is probably pretty happy with it. Ask about negative items that will give you some ideas about what to watch out for. Make sure to ask the professionals, such as the folks at Valencia Camera and on the Internet.
3. Start narrowing your choices for basic camera factors, camera size, resolution (megapixels), zoom (both wide and telephoto) and of course, price range. Start understanding that everything in photography is a trade-off. If low-light photography is important to you, you may have to sacrifice size or price.
4. After deciding on the basics, start looking at what models are available. DPreview.com and DCresource.com are great resources for checking out features side-by-side. Make sure to check out the full camera reviews and be aware of the negatives. Are they significant for you? If a review says a particular camera has poor images at high ISO settings, go look at the sample images. You be the judge. Be prepared to make compromises on your original assumptions. Decide which camera had the best combination of features and image quality to meet your photographic needs.
5. The final decision is where to buy. Definitely compare prices on Froggle.com and PriceGrabber.com, but if you want knowledgeable people to help you person to person after the purchase, consider a local camera store in Santa Clarita. The sales tax you spend will go to the City and help fund everything we love about Santa Clarita.
Oh, what did I buy? I have two. The new one is an ultra compact Canon SD700 for everyday travel and pocketability. For serious travel, I have a Nikon D70 (digital SLR) with an 18-200 VR lens. Have a great vacation Santa Clarita.