Since digital cameras record images on reusable memory cards instead of film, there are no developing costs, so you can take as many pictures as you want and only print the ones you like. Most digital cameras feature an LCD viewscreen that lets you perfectly compose your photo and then check to make sure it came out the way you'd hoped. Because the images are stored as standard digital files, your computer becomes your darkroom, letting you crop, enlarge, and retouch your photos to perfection. To share your photos, you have numerous options. You can e-mail them to friends or post them on a photo-sharing Web site. If you want prints, you can use an online photofinisher or create them at home on a photo printer.

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.