Digital zoom
Also known as "simulated zoom." With digital zoom, the camera takes a small portion of an image and uses interpolation to artificially restore the file to its original size. Unlike optical zoom, digital zoom does not require any moving parts, so it's much cheaper to manufacture. Unfortunately, digital zoom also reduces the resolution of an image. Anyone can "digitally zoom" images at home by cropping and enlarging a picture with photo-editing software, so this feature is virtually worthless.

ISO film speed equivalency
A measurement, borrowed from traditional film cameras, of light sensitivity. The higher the ISO rating, the better the camera will perform in low-light conditions. Most digital cameras have ISO ratings of around 100.

Macro focus range
A separate setting for extreme close-up (or "macro") shots. Without a macro setting, cameras may not be able to focus on objects that are close to the lens.

Maximum CCD resolution
The CCD (charge-coupled device) is the light-sensing device inside a digital camera and is composed of an array of individual sensors, or pixels, that "see" the image coming in through the camera's lens. The maximum CCD resolution is the total number of pixels in a camera's sensor, so the higher the resolution the greater the detail in a picture.