If you are looking to capture special occasions on video then you will want to consider using a pro consumer standard recorder. Check out this video from Panasonic about their range of camcorders. While lacking the power of some other camcorders, the Panasonic camcorders are generally much more competitive priced than their competition. It is certainly worth taking a look at the video.

Here are the reasons you may be reading this article:

You are thinking of buying yourself, a friend, son, daughter, relative or even your spouse, a camera, but  you are not sure whether they are going to “get in” to photography. So why buy something expensive that may well just gather dust on the shelf after its first outing?

Or maybe you just want a simple digital camera that doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that come with the more expensive varieties. Perhaps you want it for a one-off event, like a  wedding or a party?

Or maybe you only have a limited amount of money to spend.Much as you would like the bells and whistles, simple economics says… no.

But you are in luck my friend. There are plenty of good simple-to-use digital cameras out there today. You can pick up a digital camera for around £100, but even if you’re on a budget, your money can go a long way. Even very cheap digital cameras now have the technology that once commanded high price tags.

It is entirely possible to buy a cheap digital camera without having to sacrifice features that can make photography straightforward and fun. Often, features that add to the price tags of more expensive cameras are unnecessary for casual photographers.

Down to the nitty gritty then. How many megapixels do you need?While cheaper digital cameras may have smaller resolutions of around 10Mp or less, those with resolutions of 12, 14, or even 16Mp don’t guarantee better picture quality. Does that surprise you?  it’s not all about the megapixels. High resolutions are only really useful if you’re enlarging printed photos. For a standard 6×4-inch print, 2.2Mp is all you’ll need, so don’t be put off if a cheap digital camera has a smaller resolution.

Most digital cameras now tend to feature face detection to help you focus on individuals in your shots. Cheap digital cameras also have scene modes to help you quickly select the ideal settings for certain photography conditions. However, the cheapest digital cameras rarely offer much manual control.

Major camera manufacturers often produce several ranges of digital cameras, including budget digital camera lines. If you’re after a cheapo model, Panasonic has the FS series of slim digital cameras – including the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS35 which is a good budget option. Alternatively, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-S1 can be found for under £100.

These are cracking little cameras and are the ones you should compare the opposition to. Slim, colourful and they do what they say on the tin. Simple-to-use and straightforward in operation. Even a three-year old could use themand get decent pictures!

I’m sure most of us remember the Polaroid. It was the fab camera in the 70s and 80s; the camera that you could take to parties, take photos, and then after a few seconds of waving the film about, peel it, and hey prest! A real hard copy photograph! Surely with the advent of digital cameras, all that went away for good?

Look hard enough and you can still see the signs which indicate that the days of film are far from over. In some circumstances professionals still opt for the negative over the Raw file, and manufacturers continue to develop and release new emulsions. Surprised?

Of course, it’s true that digital photography may have the benefit of being very much an instant process, but it’s easy to forget that there’s an even quicker way of getting images from capture to print. You can take a picture with a digital camera, and show it on the camera itself to your friends… but hiw long to get yourself a hard copy to then get further copies of and send to people? You need a PC, lap-top, film paper and a printer!  Hardly as simple as a Polaroid! Instant film cameras, such as those manufactured by Polaroid, long enjoyed popularity with both the consumer market and the professional requiring an speedy way of assessing exposure and lighting.

Today, while Instant cameras such as the Polaroid may seem to have been overlooked in favour of digital cameras, which combine the benefits of long-term cost, storage and control over operation, some still prefer to stick with film. So what issues surround using them in a digitally dominated market?

Although you shouldn’t expect to find a range of instant cameras like you can with digital, there still are cameras from both Fuji and Polaroid. And these are new. Not second-hand or reconditioned, but new.

The Polaroid 300 offers four scene modes together with a flash, while images are captured on credit-card sized film. The Fuji Instax 210, meanwhile, offers a large grip and a retractable lens, as well as a flash.

Both cameras retail at around £60-80 from well-known online retailers.

The widest variety of instant cameras in perhaps to be found on Ebay. These range from current models sold by more established companies to more obscure cameras which have long been forgotten by many.

Unless you plan to buy a camera simply for its novelty value, though, it’s essential you check that film is still available for it, as there’s a good chance that it isn’t. The Polaroid Joycam, for example, is being sold on one popular website for just £6 brand new, although almost every review of the product mentions how worthless it is as the film it uses is almost impossible to track down!

This isn’t to say, however, that film isn’t being manufactured for these camera’s anymore. A firm called The Impossible project, formed in 2008, has continued to produce film for Polaroid cameras since taking over one of the company’s old factories, and its website offers a range of emulsions for different models.

You can also check out Ebay although many emulsions may be outdated (which the seller will usually mention). This type of film can still yield good results if it has been stored appropriately, but it’s perhaps better suited for more experimental photography.

It’s becoming difficult to find film for some of the older and less successful models, although certain films which are no longer produced do appear now and again. Again, this is more likely than not to be outdated.

You may be wondering why anyone would buy such a camera today, particularly as digital cameras can be bought for the same price. But  there still exists a community of photographers who choose either traditional means of film capture.

These more experimental practices tie in well with using up outdated film and cross-processing, as again, the end result is unique. It’s true that image editing programs and iPhone applications may be capable of results that are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. But however good these become, for some people the satisfaction from doing things the hard way is something that can’t simply be replicated digitally.

Me? Polaroids are too much trouble and the results are never as crisp as digital photography. I’ll leave it to the experimenters!