Camera Buying Guide: camera types

It's that time of year once again - time to don the Christmas spirit and brave the cold weather and mountains of people for your Christmas shop. But, rather than having to siphon through a thousand different digital cameras to find the right choice for you, we here at WDC have taken much of the sting out of it by shortlisting our top picks.

Through from simple stocking-filler compacts, to superzooms, advanced compacts, Compact System Cameras and a whole range of DSLRs - there's something here for everyone. By explaining what different cameras are most capable of, what to look out for, and what's right for you or your lucky present-recipient, the only thing left to worry about is whether the turkey will fit in the oven...

Which Camera Is Right For You?

Compacts

Great for pocket-friendly snapping and fully auto shooting where you don't want to think about doing anything but pressing the button.

Creative compacts

For the more discerning user, who understands exposure and may want a more premium quality lens, and the ability to control shots with detail, yet without the bulk of a bigger DSLR-like camera.

Superzooms / Bridge Cameras 

The all-in-one approach. These beefed-up compacts come with a single lens that can't be removed and often cover vast ranges from wideangle to telephoto, yet the final quality may suffer slightly.

Compact System Cameras

A relatively new creation, these 'mirrorless' options are very similar to DSLRs. You can change lenses, have full control, but the overall size of the package is much smaller for easier transportation.

Entry-Level DSLR

You know that full control is a must, but perhaps aren't entirely sure how everything's done yet. An entry-level model is the ideal building block to learning about photography on the go, while obtaining great picture quality.

Mid/advanced DSLR

Got the experience and need something more advanced? Various cameras will offer faster continuous shooting frame rates, more advanced autofocus, build quality, higher resolution, yet still maintain the overall control that's so paramount.