Although there maybe some overlapping in features or functions, broadly speaking, there are six categories of Canon Digital cameras which a buyer can choose from. They are (1) Canon Super compact (2) Canon Compact (3) Canon Full Featured camera (4) The 5 megapixels Ultra Zoom Camera (5) The Eight Megapixels Ultra Zoom camera (6) and the Digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR).



The correct camera to buy will ultimately depends on your particulars needs. If you are a professional Photographer, then the Digital SLR or ultra zoom camera will be a more suitable choice for you as these types of camera allows you to install telescopic lenses and allows you to shoot clear and sharp images from a distance. The only setback is that these types of camera are quite bulky as compared to the compact cameras which are the pocketable type. If you are just looking for something just to point and shoot, then the super compact or the compacts will be good choices as they offers the best values in terms of features which are geared towards the occasional normal use.

The super compact range of canon cameras like the Canon SD10 is designed with pocketablity in mind. They are extremely small in sizes and usually have limited features due to their sizes. They are also usually fully automatic and lack manual settings for many features like aperture priority or exposure. The focal length is usually fixed and they come with 2 to 3 times zoom capacity. The compact ranges of cameras are also small in sizes although slightly larger than the sub compact. They have more features and also are usually have a higher pixel counts than the sub compact. They also allow limited manual settings as compared to none for the sub compact camera. Their zoom capacity is normally around 3 to 4 times.

The Canon full featured cameras in the mid range category of the canon line of cameras. More expensive than the compact range, they are still cheaper than the ultra zooms and the SLR range. Being partially automatic, they have manual settings to let the user override some of the auto features of the camera. As such without being overly complex or simple, this type of camera will be ideally suited for the amateur photographer.

The Canon Five and Eight megapixels cameras have enhanced zooming ability. Their zoom range is 5 to 10 times as compared to the normal 2 to 3 times for the lower range of cameras. They also have electronic viewfinder. Apart from a wide range of auto settings, the camera also has the ability to be manually set. These cameras also have wider range of optional accessories to allow the user the ability to adapt the camera to their own preferences. A good example is the horse shoe which let you to install the type of flash that you want to suit the photographic environment. The main difference between the five and eight megapixel ultra zoom camera is the fact that the 8 megapixel camera like the canon EOS 1D mark II have larger digital sensor. With this, the camera can take picture with less noise interferences. Apart from this, most features are the same.

At the end of the scale, is the Digital SLR camera. The Canon EOS 10D although looks like a traditional film based camera, is a high tech piece of digital photographic equipment. Besides from having the largest digital sensors, the digital SLR is also extremely expensive. Their body makeup allows you to swap lenses around, even those meant for a 35mm film camera. With this ability in mind, what you ultimately will buy depends not just on your needs and to a certain extent what you have as well.