A generation ago, purchasing an underwater camera was an expensive exercise and would not always lead to the best quality photos.

These days standard digital cameras are protected by special underwater housings that allow scuba diving photographers to capture the marine world in all its glory.

Housings are usually made with a particular camera model in mind and range in materials from cheap plastic to expensive aluminium. The great news for underwater photographers is that the user can select housings for “everyday” cameras – the very same cameras used to take happy snaps at weddings and birthday parties!

If you plan on taking underwater photos, make sure you purchase a camera with a wide-angle lens or a macro lens. The reason these options are the best is that they minimise the amount of distance (water!) you will need to have between the camera and the subject.

Underwater camera housings are strange looking contraptions, but the good part is that they allow you almost full functionality with your normal digital camera. This is because they come with buttons that extend through the casing to push the camera’s standard buttons.

Be aware that you may need to buy a camera with a strong flash function, because underwater your light will be greatly reduced. A second option is to invest in a dedicated underwater flash (also called a strobe).

Now the same thing is happening to digital cameras, and mini digital cameras are rapidly growing in popularity.

A mini digital camera functions much the same as a normal modern camera, but is much smaller and normally fits snugly in the palm of your hand.

An ever-popular range of mini digital cameras has been the Olympus MJU range.

The latest release in this series is the Olympus MJU 9000, which is billed by the company as the world’s smallest and slimmest digital camera with 10 x optical wide zoom.

The MJU takes good – but not exceptional – photos, and is primarily aimed at people who want to travel without risking damage or theft to their normal digital camera.

The LCD viewscreen is perfectly useable – it is a 2.7 inch HyperCrystal III monitor that is relatively bright and provides twice the contrast of a normal LCD monitor.

For those that are likely to take images on the go or on bumpy rides, the camera’s image stabilisation feature will be particularly useful. Quite difficult conditions can be negotiated by the MJU 9000’s image stabilisation technology.

One might ask if there is such a thing as a “best” camera, considering the fact every camera attempts to meet a slightly different need/market to its competitors.

Regardless, let’s quickly compare some of the very top cameras available in today’s marketplace.

Nikon D3X

The outstanding 51-point AF system, combined with the 1005 pixel metering system are fantastic. With class-leading image quality, this camera is capable of taking fantastic shots at both high and low sensitivities. Slightly slower than the earlier D3 model, but makes up for it with brilliant pictures, top-notch build quality, a huge viewfinder and seemingly endless customisation possibilities.

Panasonic Lumix G1

A generally great camera, the Lumix G1 operates quickly and smoothly, and is the first non reflex SLR camera ever made. This means it doesn’t depend on a hinged mirror to record images; instead, a live video preview feed is installed. The unit is highly customisable, has a useful status panel and quick menu, a great manual focus mode and is very easy to use ergonomically.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

This top-end unit is Sony’s first foray into top-of-the-line DSLR cameras, and the company has made a good fist of it. Featuring class-leading resolution, extremely reliable metering and exposure, a great quick navigation system, a terrific viewing screen and a rock solid build quality that is environmentally friendly, this camera will remain popular for some time yet.

This camera is not your overly simple point and shoot ultra-compact unit, but neither is it designed to be used by expert photographers. Instead, it offers some good features without overwhelming the user with details.

The camera features an 8.1 megapixel resolution and a 3.6 x wide angle zoom function. This means very good standard photos can be taken, and distant settings such as waterfalls or animals in the wild can be captured in good quality.

An advantage for people who enjoy social photography (e.g snap-happy at weddings, parties) is the face priority mode included with the Coolpix P50. This means that as you take pictures the camera will identify people’s faces in the frame and will work hard to ensure that they look good. Problems such as red eye will be minimised.

The icon-based interface of the camera is easy to use and is quite good, making navigation simple and allowing you to customise your shooting experience.

A convenient element of the P50 is that it is powered by AA batteries, making it a good choice for people who might travel to locations where little power supply is available.

Finally, the camera’s D-Lighting feature means that in difficult, dark scenarios the unit will automatically get the best out of the available light. This regularly comes in handy.

Excellent.

But you might not get too far if you don’t have the correct accessories and extras to make full use of your camera. Not every digital camera guide will tell you, but you need a couple of key accessories in order to properly capture and store good quality pictures.

First of all, be aware that Nikon, Sony, Kodak, Mavica and all the other big electronics and camera companies normally have their own specific accessories for different models. This is to ensure consumers stick with their products and don’t purchase no-name copies.

To get you started, here are a couple of very useful digital camera accessories.

Memory Sticks

Unfortunately, far too many modern digital cameras still come with very small standard memory allowances. They do, however, come with the option to pay extra for additional memory cards, which greatly increase the number of photos you can store on your camera at any one time. It is an inconvenience but a reality at the moment.

Data Transfer Cables

Many digital cameras come with cables included in the box, but some don’t. You will have trouble moving your images and videos from the camera to your computer without a data transfer cable, so it is definitely a worthwhile investment.

But the quick development of webcams has allowed people to hold live, face-to-face conversations over the internet, and to upload a variety of different types of video content to the web.

The online marketplace is now full of different webcam models manufactured by a range of computer parts companies, so choosing the most suitable webcam is not as easy as it looks.

Here are a couple of tips to help you make an informed webcam choice.

Check your PC specifications

With webcams, a “one size fits all” approach could land you in trouble. Don’t just buy a webcam, take it home and expect it to work; you must see if it is compatible with your machine first. The minimum standard processor speed for modern webcams is often listed as 700MHz, but in operation you will seriously struggle if your machine runs at less thant 1000MHz. Some webcams also claim they can run well on less the 512MB RAM, but this is also unlikely.

Ensure it comes with good extra features

The webcam should come with a CD with all the drivers ready to install; if it doesn’t, something is wrong. A microphone should be standard on modern webcams, and there is no need for you to pay more for an extra microphone.

Finally, mounting the webcam can be challenging for first time users, so make sure an easy-to-use mounting clip is included in the package.

Answer: lots and lots of people.

For some reason, it has become popular to equate more megapixels with better overall performance. In fact, while megapixels are critical to the function of a camera, they are only one of many elements that influence how well a camera works.

A megapixel refers to one million pixels. In the world of photography, the term relates to a camera’s resolution capability. A pixel is a very small square on a computerised display and it is actually so small that it appears as a dot. A display screen is a grid of these dots, all sitting alongside one another.

In general, the higher number of dots (pixels) leads to a more refined image, and ultimately to a better image replication.

When buying cameras, keep in mind that not everyone needs a super high megapixel count. Are you only going to look at the images on your computer? Don’t bother with more than a 1.5 megapixel camera.

Are you printing on a low DPI (dots per inch) printer? Your high megapixel camera won’t be worth it, because the printer can’t replicate the quality of image.

As you can see, there is more to image quality in cameras than just megapixels.

This camera represents an evolution from the original compact, full frame sensor EOS 5D camera that emerged way back in 2005.

In the time since the original was released two DSLR competitors emerged – the Nikon D700 and the Sony DSLR-A900 – and Canon have seemingly decided it is time to reassert itself in this genre.

The EOS 5D Mark II is laden with features and boasts great resolution, with the specs telling us it has 21 megapixels, three-inch VGA LCD screen, 1080p video, Live View and a greatly increased battery capacity.

On the whole, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II does an excellent job of balancing high resolution and high ISO performance.

It is also the first full frame DSLR camera to be able to capture videos in high definition; a significant landmark for the industry and a selling point that should ensure this model does well.

On top of this, a range of smaller adjustments to the original Mark I model lend polish to the new version; an easier to use menu, an anti dust system, longer battery life and the higher resolution screen all combine to make this camera an excellent package.

While some of them are extremely useful and help many consumers make good purchasing decisions, others are simply a waste of time and can even be misleading.

Here is a quick list of key elements that should be included in any god digital camera review.

Firstly, the reviewer needs to accurately convey the exact model name of the camera being reviewed.This sounds simple, but sometimes readers look for a camera they have read reviews about, only to become greatly confused by model names and types. For example, a reviewer might report on the Nikon Coolpix S610. The reader decides to buy the product, but realises there is an S610c model on the market too. Which one has been reviewed? The reviewer must be totally accurate.

Secondly, reviewers need to weigh up giving detailed information about camera electronics with making the review readable to the layperson. Not everyone who looks for digital camera reviews has a need to grasp the technical underpinnings of the latest Sony or Kodak. In fact, while most people want a basic understanding of the technology at hand, they are more interested in knowing how it will affect them and the photos they take.

Finally, the review should be brief and to the point. Consumers don’t have time to spend 20 minutes reading a three-page review; people want information clearly, concisely and quickly.

Digital Photography courses are a great way to learn how to use the new technologies in the 21^st century. The courses can cover a whole range of topics and can allow you to feel comfortable with the latest camera technology.

Not all courses will be the same and it is a good idea to decide what subject you wish to undertake, before you spend money on the course. There are many classes available and there is sure to be some in your local area.

Most classes in the first couple of weeks will aim to teach you about the digital camera you own. You should learn a lot of photography terms like aperture, exposure, f-stop, focal length and depth of field. These terms will come in handy when learning about the new digital photography revolution. Once the first few classes cover the definition you will then learn about the mechanics and functions of the digital camera.