The real secret to understanding which digital camera is right for you is actually not as complex as it might seem at first - as long as you're able to physically test out a camera rather than shopping online that is. When it comes to shopping - or browsing online - for a digital camera you can certainly get a good idea about what camera features suit you best and which camera style you prefer - however it's offline, in the real 'dirt-world' camera shop where you can really make your photographic dreams a reality.

This is not just because you can physically touch and play with the camera, but because you get to make a personal assessment about how easy - or how difficult - the digital camera is to use and take photos with. You'd be surprised - some of the new models have so many buttons and user options that it'd take a month just to learn the manual!

Sometimes, simpler is better. Of course it all depends on what you want to photograph, but generally, most of us just want to turn it on, get it focused correctly, and let it (or us) work its magic! The advantage of handling a digital camera yourself is that you'll know within a few minutes if it's easy to use or if it takes a PhD in photography to operate!

This 'ease of use' is important because down the track you may be in a situation where a remarkable photo opportunity comes about and believe me, the last thing you want to be doing is fiddling around trying to get the settings right. You just want it to do what it does best - help you capture a great photographic moment!