Published in AustralianIT, May 6 2003

FIERCE competition at the budget end of the digital camera market has ensured that even if you only have a few hundred dollars to spend you can still get a decent camera that will produce good-quality images.

Early entry-level digital cameras offered relatively few features: most were low resolution and had no flash, limited memory and only basic (and slow) systems for uploading images to a PC.

However, as the market for digital cameras has expanded, many features once reserved for top-notch models have filtered into the mainstream.

The most important technical factor to consider when buying a camera at this price point is the resolution.

While opinions differ, a 2 megapixel camera is generally considered the minimum required to produce photo-quality prints at normal (6in by 4in) image size (of course, your choice of printer will have as big an impact on the quality of the eventual print).Remember that lens quality may influence the final image. One feature you won't find on many budget cameras is a high-quality zoom. Most only sport a digital zoom, which won't produce images of the same clarity.

Many entry-level systems offer basic video facilities, but these will normally only give you a few minutes of footage at best, and the quality won't match dedicated digital video cameras.

You should have a wide range of choices in image storage and transfer. Discount models are available that support flash cards, memory sticks and even floppy disks as storage mediums and most now offer USB connection to PCs, while some allow infrared transfer.

Some models will connect directly to printers without requiring uploading to a PC at all. Another factor to weigh up is battery life. If your chosen camera will only work with conventional batteries, you may end up spending a small fortune keeping it powered up.

Rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries are generally a better choice.

Unless you plan on working as a professional photographer, a basic digital camera in the $500-$1000 is likely to meet most of your requirements, and you can always go back to your existing conventional camera if it is better suited to a particular task.

Rest assured you won't be alone if you do that: analyst IDC estimates that 77 per cent of digital camera owners continue to use film cameras as well.