There are several things to consider when you decide to buy a digital camera. The main thing you want to consider is how you’re going to use that digital camera. Is it going to be for casual use? Professional use? Or are you going to take it on your outdoor adventures? We’re going to cover how to choose the type of digital camera you’re going to need depending on your usage.
Point and Shoot Digital Cameras
For casual uses, a point-and-shoot digital camera is probably all you need. If you don’t look to sell your photography, this is the option for you. You might want to consider something slim and portable like the Olympus Stylus 710 Ultra Slim, or the Samsung TL100. If you’re looking for a camera that is a little more expensive, but leans more towards professional level of quality in a compact point-and-shoot camera check 
out the Canon Powershot family. They can range from $300-$500 but if you are a hobbyist or aspiring professional, this might be a good digital camera to bridge the gap between casual use and the professional digital SLR cameras.
Digital SLR Cameras
If you are looking to become a professional photographer, or even just to sell some of your shots on stock photography websites, you might be want a Digital SLR Camera. Digital SLR’s provide the advantage of being able to take a pictures a lot quicker, and with more visual accuracy than a point-and-shoot camera. The accuracy results from the fact that the photographer is actually viewing exactly the same light (and therefore image) that is coming through the lens. This is done using a series of mirrors to project the image through an optical view finder. That is one distinct difference you will notice when using a digital SLR camera; they don’t have a live LCD view finder (though most newer models are starting to use them). This prevents delay, and offsetting between the subject of the photo, and the image viewed by the photographer. Some other advantages of the digital SLR cameras are the wide selection of functions, features, and available lenses. These options don’t come cheap though, and SLR’s can be the most expensive digital cameras out there. Some, like Leica digital cameras, can cost twice as much as a new car. If you’re just starting out, you might want to try the Canon Digital Rebel family, or the Nikon D5000. They come in under $1000 and give you access to the digital SLR features you want.
Specialty Digital Cameras
If you intend to use your cameras for sport action shots, you might want to consider some of the specialty digital cameras that are available. These specialty cameras can be a mix of shockproof, waterproof, freezeproof and dustproof. They are rugged digital cameras that you can take just about anywhere and punish them accordingly. The Canon D10, Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2, and the Olympus Stylus Tough Series are all good options. They are freezeproof across the board at 14°F, drop proof from 5ft, and waterproof to 33ft for the Canon and Panasonic, 16ft for the Olympus.
If you’re into scuba diving you’re going to want a real waterproof digital camera that goes a bit beyond the depths allowed by the cameras above. Sealife digital cameras provide a guaranteed depth of 200ft (60M) and are optimized for underwater photography. Another option is to use a normal digital camera combined with a waterproof housing. This allows you the versatility of having a digital camera for normal use as well as for your underwater photography. Both Canon and Olympus provide waterproof housings for many of their cameras and they are rated for depths of 100ft+ though you’re going to want the check the specifications on your digital camera housing for exact depths.
There are a wide variety of cameras out there to choose from, and sometimes the options can be a little overwhelming. We hope we’ve covered enough to allow you to narrow down your search for which digital camera to buy.
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