Megapixels vs. Optical Zoom

[M. Brown]

I'm looking for a new camera. Whats more important. Megapixels or Optical Zoom. Also recommend me a camera. Thanks.

[NCB]

M. Brown, what type of camera genres are you interested in? Are you looking at smaller point and shoot camera's, or the larger zoom specialized cameras?

[Neo]

Spend the extra money and get yourself an entry level dSLR camera like the Nikon D50. Once you get outside of point and shoot cameras (non-SLR type), megapixels and zoom become less of an issue to a point. Lots of discussion could go here but I guarantee you wouldn't be sorry by going with an entry level dSLR like the D50.

[monsoon]

I agree with Neo. Get a digital SLR, then you can pick out the lenses that fit your needs.

[M. Brown]

DSLR is a bit out of my range unfortunately . Nikon D50 for $740 vs a Kodak Z740 for $246. Thats a little hard to go with the dslr. Whats the difference between dslr and slr besides the fact the dslr is digital?

[GRDadof3]

Hey M.Brown, there was this thread here that might help:

http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=18277

[monsoon]

DSLR is a bit out of my range unfortunately . Whats the difference between dslr and slr besides the fact the dslr is digital?

SLR is the standard 35MM film camera that has been around for decades though constantly improved over time. SLR (single lens reflex) is a description of the lens system where the viewfinder actually looks through the lens itself. That way you get an exact view of the focus, and other parameters that you set in the camera as opposed to a camera with a separate viewfinder or in the case of a digital camera, a LCD. When you snap the photo the mechanism quickly shifts the image to the film and the viewfinder briefly goes dark.

A DLSR is a digital version of the above where the film part has been replaced by a digital imaging system. It still has all of the advantages of the SLR lens system but now with digital imaging.

Lenses can be exchanged on these cameras to give them a very wide range of capabilities. Lenses offer such things as image stabilization, night vision, extreme closeups, huge optical zooms. They are interchangeable between families of cameras and are even produced by 3rd party manufacturers.