First off, just take your time. Buying a camera for the first time can be a hefty investment for some people, so take your sweet time in choosing what’s right for you.
That being said, there are many things to consider when buying a camera for the first time, including image quality, zoom capability, the actual size of the camera, the battery type, meaning rechargeable or not, and the most obvious, the price. The first thing your going to want to do is evaluate your budget. When starting out, I would recommend not spending a ton of money on the extra expensive digital SLR cameras. Keep an eye out for cheaper, yet powerful, compact digital cameras that aren’t too heavy and hard to carry while traveling best travel cameras for video.
Another thing to remember is that digital zooming is not everything. A lot of times, manufacturers will emphasize the digital zoom quality of the product, when you really should be focusing on the optical zoom qualities. Digital zooming usually effects the quality of the photo, sometimes causing the image to become blurry. Optical zooming, however, keeps the photo solid while zooming in and out.
Also, digital cameras nowadays are available in many different sizes. Just keep in mind that small doesn’t always mean that the camera is underpowered. Purchasing a small digital camera can definitely have its advantages. Smaller cameras are easier to travel with, and less conspicuous. Smaller cameras may not have as many features as digital SLRs and the more expensive cameras, but their megapixel resolutions are about the same, and sometimes better than the more expensive competition. While a high-priced, large, digital camera usually comes with a wide variety of image manipulation features, don’t overlook the value of smaller cameras. Smaller cameras are great for personal photography such as family photos or something of that sort and they takes up less space than a large digital camera, which is why they are the usual choice for those buying a digital camera for the first time.