What camera should I buy? Techradar’s step-by-step guide

From simple point-and-shoot compacts to full-frame DSLRs, we explain the differences

Once upon a time you would go to a camera shop for this advice but where are the camera shops now? The last remaining one in all of Oxfordshire is in Witney, T4 Cameras, a proper camera shop with people who know about cameras. Buy new or from their extensive second hand range. However if you want to do some research before heading to Witney this will help. It is important to understand the differences between the types of cameras now available

You only have to go into a high-street retail store or look online to get an idea of the sheer number of digital cameras on the market. There are so many brands, types and technologies now available, with each one claiming to be the best (of course!), that it can be really difficult to make sense of it all.

But it’s possible to break all these competing cameras down into a few basic types, and once you do that it becomes much easier to figure out the kind of camera that’s right for you. 

That’s what we’ve done with our expert guide, and you can follow the links at the bottom of the pages to find which is the best camera currently available in each category.

So we’ll start with the basics and work up through the more advanced cameras to the types the professionals use. But you don’t have to stay with us all the way. Treat this guide like sightseeing tour – when you’ve got to where you want to go, just step off the bus!

You can read more of this at Techradar