I am about to buy a new digital camera and I’m feeling a little confused. If I was buying my first digital it would of course be simpler. I’d be aiming at finding one with the minimum number of whistles and bells, the digital equivalent of the old Instamatic. Compact cameras are just what they say, compact. Sorted? Not quite. These days even the slim jims of the digital world pack a such bewildering array of features, that beginners very often leave the camera set to Auto, and hope for the best.

I already own a slender, silver box, tastefully inscribed with the Canon logo and the words IXUS 400. I can already hear the camera techies beginning to scoff, but it really has been very reliable and takes nice pics. If you don’t believe me, have a look at the one I’ve posted here. Despite its 4 MegaPixels and 3 x zoom, it’s a nice, friendly camera with good, clear menus. These days, the average mobile phone has more MP than this. I bought it four years ago and back then it had an impressive spec. In the classes I teach it has been really useful tool when explaining white balance, ISO or whatever, up to now.

Lately, there have been more questions about DSLR. That’s Digital Single Lens Reflex, the ones where you see the image through the glass optic at the front and lenses can be swopped over. These are different to bridge cameras, which can look a lot like a DSLR, though smaller. With prominent lens at the front, prism hump, hand grip and lots of manual controls, bridge cameras have a lot to recommend them. But you would be well advised not to try and take the lens off, as they have a fixed lens. Even with a bridge camera, you may still see your beautifully composed image through the lens rather than a viewfinder. If it has one.

Bridge cameras pack more features than compacts and give you more control over the picture-taking. Like compacts, they can be quite competitively priced. People who have started on these two types now want to graduate to the larger format. Even non-professional photographers have begun to branch out into more serious photography. It has never been so easy to make images and you don’t have to get complicated. Some of us just want to go further, do more and print larger.

Compact, bridge or DSLR, even if you know the type of market you are in, there is a bewildering array to choose from. Manufacturers do love to use long words. I’ll demystify some of the jargon and help you decide what’s important in choosing and using your digital camera to its full potential in future blogs. Think of it as learning to speak Digital Camera.

Meanwhile I think I’ve just spotted my next camera.