If you’re an aspiring shutterbug, it will be in your best interest to find the best camera for your uses. Especially if you’re really serious about pursing photography, a camera is going to be your instrument, and it should be as highly tuned and high quality as possible. With that in mind, you must also take into account cost. Many cameras, especially SLRs, are a big investment and should only be purchased when that perfect model is found.

Become familiar with all the big brand names. Canon is one of the most established, but you should look into other well known options as well. Know what features a Panasonic Lumix digital camera has over the Canon PowerShot. Know what a Fujifilm FinePix has that a Nikon D5000 doesn’t. After all, the key to getting what you want is doing lots of research and comparing all those facts and figures to the features that you consider important. Maybe you want an impressive zoom, or maybe you want a high resolution. Either way, gauge what’s important to you, and find the camera that can fulfill those needs.

Just a couple years ago, a digital camera was invariably a major investment. And there are certainly still models that fall into that category. But these hyper-expensive models today are usually reserved for professional grade cameras with all the latest features and best specs. So, if you’re just looking for a solid, quality camera with basic features, there are a multitude of models that will prove to be great cameras at reasonable prices.

To that end, something like the Nikon Coolpix camera is a great option for beginners. If you’ve never used a digital camera before, you can become comfortable with the interface without having to drop a lot of money. These also make great gifts for kids in their early teens. Even if you don’t trust your pre-teen to take care of a high end digital camera, they can still receive one of these fantastic beginner models. They’ll have a great way to capture their school day memories, and you won’t be out a lot of cash.