Digital Camera Prices - Find a Camera For Your Budget

executive summary by Hendrik Tan

Digital cameras have changed the accessibility of photography to the public. In the past, only professionals or serious shutterbugs willing to put up the cash would have decent cameras. When cameras went digital, everything changed. High quality cameras became more widely available, and could be found straight off the shelf. As compact technology and flash memory became standard, digital camera prices fell into the sweet-spot of the consumer range. The new leaps in digital photographic technology was embraced by consumers, and pushed the standard cameras today beyond the professional best of the past.

The range of digital cameras have expanded greatly since the first true digital camera, a Dycam Model 1, was released on the market in 1990. The Dycam Model 1 could connect to a computer, but it was not until the development of CompactFlash memory, first used in the Kodak DC-25, that the portability and versatility of digital cameras started to catch the eyes of the general consumer. As the technology became less expensive to produce, digital camera prices likewise went from professional, to pro-sumer, to consumer level. Today, digital cameras come in a wide range of prices and have even become a standard feature of cellphones.

When the Kodak DC-25 was released in 1996, it had a 493x373 pixel CCD image sensor, which is less than 0.3 megapixels, could store up to 26 images on a 2MB CompactFlash card, and had a price tag of around $500. Standard digital cameras today start at 5.0 megapixels, can use memory cards with capacities between 512MB and 16GB, and cost around $80. Today, $500 can pay for a camera with 13.5 megapixels and a suite of features that were not even available to professional grade cameras in 1996. Digital cameras have come a long way since the Dycam Model 1 which would be over matched today by a cellphone with a built in camera.

Digital camera prices and image sensor strength were not the only features to have been improved since the days of the Kodak DC-25. Digital cameras today come in all sorts of designs and sizes. Older cameras had to be carried around in thick bags to protect the lens. Standard digital cameras today have a telescoping lens that recedes back into the device condensing the camera to pocket size. There are also models that are slim as an old cassette case.. Even the larger, SLR models of digital cameras are easier to handle than the professional grade cameras of the past.

When digital cameras became available to the general consumer, professional photographic quality was accessible off the shelf as never before. Cameras more powerful than the best available in the past are now contained within devices that can fit in a pocket. As the technology shrunk, so did the digital camera prices. 

Great digital cameras are easy to find, and with prices well within the consumer range, that influence will continue spread and steer the next generation of digital cameras into greater leaps in quality and affordability.

Best Prices For a Digital Camera

The digital camera is fast becoming the more popular option for those searching the options before buying a new camera. Not only can they save money and energy by not requiring film and developing, but they are now available at the best prices. Digital camera sales have surpassed those of ordinary film cameras over the past few years, as more and more people are recognizing their exciting features and opting to go digital with their pictures.

The wider range of opportunities available to print or store photographs taken on a digital camera may be the turning point leading many to try their first digital camera. With memory cards easily inserted into special slots on your home computer for instant access to your pictures, even one hour processing of film at the chemist can be considered as slow. Home photo opportunities offer the best prices. Digital camera images can be free, with only the camera itself needed to be bought and no ongoing costs.

Several shops also offer options to print your photos instantly, catering to those taking vacations or with older models of slot-less computer. Photo printers especially tailored for photo printing are now coming down in price. This enables the home enthusiast to print copies of their pictures, as well as store them on their PC. 

Being able to capture an image on a digital camera and then convert it into a printed photograph within minutes is a feature many find convenient. For the best prices, digital camera software such as USB leads can also be bought. This is an option suited to digital cameras that do not use a memory card, still enabling the home computer user instant access to their pictures.

Digital cameras have several; features that regular cameras do not. Onscreen display is one that is very popular with the beginner photographer. Not only can you see precisely the photo you will be taking as you prepare to take it, but after having taken it, you can then check the photo to ensure its quality. It your photo was not successful or to your liking, you can then delete it and try again. With a film camera, you simply waste film trying to take the best pictures you can and do not have instant viewing ability to ensure you managed at least one successful shot of the subject. Taking numerous pictures on a regular camera leads to higher film usage, so the digital camera offers the best prices. Digital camera features allowing for a preview can often save wasted time and effort.

When perusing for the best prices, digital camera options do not just include a basic digital camera. 

Alternatives include camera phones, PDAs, and digital cameras equipped to also take video sequences. 

Many people prefer to buy a cell phone with a camera built in, enabling them to have their camera on hand at nearly every opportunity. Those using PDAs can also opt for an inbuilt camera facility, offering added features to their already feature packed accessory. Popular with the u-tube generation are digital cameras offering video options. Even on a small 256MB memory card, you can capture a five minute video sequence. This is long enough to capture a song at a music concert, a clip of the kids' sports match, a pretty bird that has settled on a garden tree, or a sweep of the view from the top of a mountain summit.

Online stores and regular store sales offer some of the best opportunities for grabbing a bargain camera for the best prices. Digital camera options range from a simple model with case, card and battery through to the far more complex models and packages with lenses, software, USB cables and lens cleaners all included.