Journal-World photographer Mike Yoder suggests tips for exploring the world of digital photography, including knowing your camera's megapixel rating, which affects quality, being aware of the capacity of your camera's media card, using tools like a portable tripod, pictured in background, and being knowledgeable of the macro capabilities of point-and-shoot digital cameras.

In the modern world it can be very difficult to keep up with the latest technology. Something that was cutting edge just a few years ago could be rendered hopelessly outdated by the latest advances.

With this in mind, some consumers may be reluctant to make a big purchase like a digital camera. But by researching carefully, it is possible to find a camera with all the latest features that will be relevant into the future.

The latest technology popping up in digital cameras is the inclusion of high-definition video recording in still cameras, according to Bill Thomas, owner of Kansas City, Mo.-based Crick Camera Shop.

“These digital cameras are incorporating the digital video in with the stills, so they are really more of a hybrid camera,” Thomas says.

While many digital cameras have had video capability in the past, it was never of the quality available now, says Eric Overstreet, general manager of Lawrence-based photo laboratory Image Works Inc.

“The point-and-shoots had video recording before, but it wasn’t anything special,” he says. “Some of these new cameras, like the Nikon D90, record 720p video, which is really great.”

For more advanced photographers, there is a new generation of digital single lens-reflex (SLR) cameras with interchangeable lenses that allow for more creative options than were available for video recording in the past, Overstreet says.

“With those lenses you have a lot more options than you would with a dedicated video camera,” Overstreet says. “You have a lot more creative options for what you’re doing. For example, you can focus on the foreground, with the background out of focus, which is more like an actual movie camera. It really gives you a lot of flexibility.”

For people who are only interested in still cameras, there are still a lot of options available, Thomas says.

“There aren’t a lot of barriers today,” Thomas says. “Everyone is making good cameras.”

Whereas megapixels were once crucial to serious digital camera buyers, it is difficult to find one that is not at least 6 megapixels or more, Overstreet says.

“Mexapixel ratings aren’t as important as they once were,” he says. “We’re to the point where all of these cameras either meet or exceed the quality of 35-millimeter film.”

With this in mind, it is now important to consider the other features of the camera and how they will suit your needs, Overstreet says.

Features to consider include zoom length, in-camera editing and the viewscreen, as well as battery requirements, Thomas says.

“Some use double-As, so you can use rechargeable or alkaline, while others have a proprietary battery,” he says. “We like having the proprietary battery for one point because it has good capacity and lasts a long time, but they are expensive and sometimes difficult to replace.”

All things considered, one newer model that Thomas particularly likes is the Canon G10.

“(It) is a wonderful camera with some of the more sophisticated features that SLRs have in a much smaller package,” he says. “It has 14 megapixels and faster focusing and shutter release than a lot of other cameras.

“There are a lot of good cameras out there,” Thomas says. “It just depends on what you need.”