If you are a beginner, your foray into digital photography should be with a point-and-shoot camera. This is because point-and-shoot cameras are compact and lightweight. They are easy to carry and store. They have simple functionalities and are meant for beginners as well as those who are perhaps don't want to get into serious photography but need a camera to shoot the best pictures in family functions, vacations, parties, reunions and so on.

For those more interested in learning the nuances of photography, you can go a step forward and try your hands on the advanced digital cameras also known as prosumer cameras. Prosumers occupy the space between compact point-and-shoots and digital SLR cameras. They are often heavier and costlier than the compact ones. The best way to know a prosumer camera is by checking its resolution (megapixel) and the optical zoom. Any digital camera with a resolution higher than 5 megapixels and optical zoom higher than 5x can be considered a prosumer camera. Another important aspect to note is that prosumer cameras offer far more manual controls than what a point-and-shoot would, which means those interested in photography should opt for this variety before graduating to DSLRs.

These are the features that amateurs need to keep in mind while selecting and purchasing a good digital camera:

Optical zoom
Optical zoom is a key feature - it uses the optics (lens) of the camera to bring the subject closer. Compact point-and-shoot cameras offer optical zoom in the range of 3x, 4x or 5x optical zoom. Prosumer cameras offer higher optical zoom ranging anywhere from 5x to 20x. For instance, Sony-DSC-H50 offers 15x optical zoom whereas Panasonic-LUMIX DMC-FZ18 provides 18x optical zoom.

Megapixels
Digital cameras capture images as pixels. One megapixel means one million pixels. If you want t print your pictures, it is important to have higher megapixels. While compact point and shoots offer you 5 to 10 megapixels, the prosumer variety offers resolution in the range of 5 to as high as 12 megapixels. Higher the megapixel, better the quality of your printed image.

Also Read: Are you ready for a DSLR?

Check range of Digital Cameras here.