Which features are essential while buying digital camera?

CNET editors' digital camera buying guide
http://reviews.cnet.com/Digital_cameras/...

does it work
pixles
optical zoom

pixels & memory

My number one concern with a digital camera is the shutter speed. Yes you want it to take good pictures too, but if you're used to using a normal non digital camera you're going to find the digital delay is murder. People will have moved before the photo actually takes, or you'll move or you'll have a ton of blurry pictures.

if it works... how much... what!?!? NO BATT.... then you say forget this...

All good answers, but an image stabilizer is really important, especially if you are not using a tri-pod, or don't have a particularly steady hand.

Trust me, I learned this the hard way.

Call Walmart or Target!!!

It really depends on what kinds of photos you like to take and how large you want to print them. Do you take photos to e-mail them and to put on the web? You don't need more than 1-2 MPixel camera. Do you like to print huge enlargements (say, 20"x30")? You need as many MPixel as you can afford, and you have to think about how noisy is the camera of your choice (noise does eat detail and digital noise can get really ugly at high magnifications). Do you shoot active subjects (sports, or kids, for example)? Shutter lag is really important (you want the picture taken when you press the shutter, not half an hour later), as well as fast autofocus and probably high speed burst rate (say 3-5-8 frames per sec). Do you prefer to take studio shots of stationary subjects or landscapes? Shutter lag and autofocus speed than don't really matter, but the ability to get focus PRECISELY where you want it becomes crucial.

In other words, you and only you can determine which features are important.

Cheers,
Stas.