The means your camera uses to take images and translate them from the image sensor to the computer or printer may not be hindered by the compromises it makes during the process.  You will only know this when the photos are being viewed at the time of transfer.

Storage is one of these compromises; digital images take a great deal of space for storage. They need to be managed in a way that ensures enough images can be stored before they need to be downloaded from the camera.

Cameras use different levels of compression to downsize the images for storing them in memory. JPEG is the most widely used standard, it removes information that can't be seen by the human eye anyway. The higher the level of compression, the more information is deleted.

At the higher compression setting, blocks start to appear in the images. This begins to degrade the image quality, making the resulting file size extremely small.  If quality is the most important consideration, avoid JPEG compression. 

The mid- to high-end digital cameras offer different forms of compression, which don't delete any information, by using mathematical algorithms. They compress the file and save it either in TIFF format or as RAW files, which contain only the information the sensor captured with no in camera processing.

Larger file sizes are the result of this lossless file compression format. However, the higher image quality and post processing flexibility makes up for the loss in image storage space.

Another compromise made in digital cameras is the in-camera processing; these create predefined results. Some cameras have sharpening filters which restore the contrast that is lost in edge details when the image goes through the various optical filters.

This process of sharpening in the camera reduces the ability to sharpen the image once it has been downloaded to the computer. Oversharpening can create unnatural and harsh edges and may even cause shifts in color.

Today's digital cameras have gone way beyond just point and shoot. They come with dozens of features, meaning you can customize your camera to your specific needs.
Some of the things you will want to look into when purchasing your camera are confusing, so make sure you know what you are looking for when you go shopping.

The quality of the resolution of your photos is determined by the megapixels (mps) of your camera. Tiny dots called pixels make up your digital photos; a megapixel means 1,000 pixels, or 1,000 dots.

The higher the number of pixels your camera has, the better the resolution of your photos. If you want to crop your pictures or plan on printing larger prints, you need to be sure you purchase a camera that can meet those needs. 

Optical or digital zooms are available on digital cameras. Optical zoom is like the one on a traditional camera and works the same way -- it goes out, bringing you closer, or in, to take you further away from the subject.  A digital zoom takes the picture as it is and enlarges it; this can lose image quality because it is simply enlarging the pixels (dots) of the picture. Pictures may seem blurry or out of focus.

Preserving the image quality can be as simple as turning off the digital zoom feature on your camera.  Later, during editing, you can zoom in on a specific part of the photo with much better results.

A manual focus can be a great deal of fun, allowing you to focus in and make different parts of the photo stand out.  This allows for a lot of creativity in
your work. And most cameras still have an autofocus, so you can go back to the basics if your aren't feeling extremely creative.

Think about the features that are important to you and look for those features. One important thing to remember is that you will be carrying it around, so consider the size when you purchase your camera.

When planning the budget for your new digital camera, include the cost of an extra memory card.  The cards that come with your camera aren't nearly enough memory to take the number of pictures you would like to take, so get a bigger card right off the bat.

A 3-megapixel camera should have at least a 256 MB card; a 4-megapixel camera needs at a minimum a 512 MB card.  Any camera with 6 or more megapixels should have a 1 GB card.  This will eliminate the possibility of ever missing a shot because your memory card is full, or even worse, having to choose which photo to delete because you have found one more that you just have to take!

Being able to shoot at your camera's highest resolution is another important reason to have a massive memory card.  Spending money on a 6-megapixel digicam should also include shooting with all 6 megapixels!

Another thing to remember is to shoot at the camera's highest compression setting, too. Squeezing more images onto your memory card by shooting at a lower resolution and with lower quality compression settings will only cause regret later.  You never know when you will shoot the next great photo. (Do you think the photographer left home that morning knowing he would photograph the nurse kissing the soldier? That photo turned out to be the most well-recognized photo taken at the end of the war!)

Don't chance missing a great shot with poor quality. Another thing to remember is that the lower the resolution of your photos, the smaller the print will have to be to remain clear. No posters can be made with a 640 x 480 resolution. Not exactly what you will want to display at your first gallery showing!