When image quality matters, go digital. Digital cameras can handle any number of challenging photographic conditions. In low light, you can widen the aperture or slow down the shutter speed to capture more light at the sensor. If your subject is moving, you can increase the ISO setting while increasing the shutter speed to instantaneously freeze your subject within the frame. These settings simply are not available to you if you are using a smartphone camera.

Although the smartphone camera has its advantages: being lightweight and easily portable, it loses ground against the digital camera in many areas such as sensor size and lens quality. When you want to do more than point and shoot, the digital camera outperforms the smartphone camera in its ability to give you greater control over composition and image quality. Reach for your digital camera when you want to spend a little time crafting a better photograph.

Popular Digital Cameras

The most popular digital cameras come from a handful of camera makers like Nikon, Canon, Sony, Fujifilm and Olympus. These brands top most lists for best in digital cameras. Specifically, the following digital cameras are top performers in their respective categories:

• Nikon D850 - The Nikon D850 is a full frame, high resolution digital camera that has a 45.7-megapixel CMOS sensor. It can shoot a continuous 7 frames per second while taking advantage of a 153-point autofocus system. It can also create 4K UHD video.
• Fujifilm X-T4 - The X-T4 is a mirrorless camera with a 26-megapixel, APS-C sensor. It can shoot 20 frames per second with a 0.02-second autofocus capability. And it can capture 4K video at a 60p frame rate.
• Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II - A best-in-class point-and-shoot camera, the PowerShot G5 X Mark II has a 1-inch, 20-megapixel CMOS sensor. It can shoot 8 frames per second continuously with autofocus. It can capture 4K video at a 30p frame rate. The PowerShot G5 rivals any smartphone camera for its portability.

Tips for Taking the Perfect Photo

When taking a photograph, you will want to pay close attention to composition and lighting. They are the main attributes that can make or break your photo. To compose a good photo, you will want to have a solid understanding of the Rule of Thirds, how to use leading lines, how to fill the frame without leaving out key visual components, and how to utilize patterns and symmetry. Also, keep in mind that you can make some compositional adjustments during post processing, but it is better to get the composition right before you capture the image.

While you are composing the photograph, make sure your lighting is good. If your subject is lit naturally, pay attention to where the shadows fall. Make sure your camera settings will yield a proper exposure for the light conditions. Shadows and exposure are also important if you are using artificial light. With artificial light, you will be able to control more aspects of the lighting than you can with natural light. You can choose the light's direction, color and its intensity.

Camera Accessories

There are a few accessories that can help transform your photography skills from novice to professional. A tripod will stabilize your camera so that you can shoot sharp images in low light and take advantage of the effects of long exposures. Choose a tripod that is durable and stable enough to handle your camera, its lens and anything else that might be attached to your camera.
A camera bag should be large enough to carry all your gear and comfortable enough to carry with you wherever you go. It should have adjustable compartments and shock-resistant padding to protect your gear during transport.
A memory card inserts into your camera and is where your images are stored. It should have a sufficiently large capacity to hold all the images from your photo shoot and a transfer speed fast enough to handle your camera's shooting speed. And if you shoot outdoors, it should be able to withstand whatever weather conditions you may encounter.