Getting a good digital camera is not that tough these days, when you know what your looking for, and start comparing cameras based the important specifications. Those specifications can vary greatly from user to user, as they generally have little to do with what the manufacturers are promoting, and more to do with what's important to you as a photographer. I know I've harped on this point before in other articles, but it really is the most important fact in considering a digital camera. So, with that in mind, lets consider a few digital camera options, and why they're important from a personal perspective.

Often when shopping for a digital camera, you'll see the description "body only". This generally only applies to SLR cameras, and has to with whether a lens is included with the camera. Not that may seem a little odd to you, for a camera not to include a lens, but again it really depends on the person. The "kit lens" that is often included with SLR cameras is usually a very basic all purpose lens. If you have owned SLR cameras before, chances are you have an entire bevy of lens. Hopefully some of those lenses will be compatible with your new camera. If that is the case, then getting another "basic" lens shouldn't be all that important to you. So save yourself probably a hundred bucks or so, and go the the "body only" camera.

Some people like to store their pictures on a computer hard drive, and view them through their computer or laptop. This also gives them the option, to upload their digital pictures to their favorite websites like FaceBook, Flickr, or MySpace. There are literally dozens of picture sharing sites online.

Other people, will prefer to view their photographs directly on the high definition television. If your LCD TV is network capable, then you can simply pull them off your computers hard drive. But if not, it's important that your camera have the ability to display pictures directly from the camera to the LCD or plasma television. HDMI outputs on your camera are the best option, especially if your camera is capable of high definition recording.

These are just a few of the options you'll want to consider in your next digital camera purchase. There are several more to consider.