How to choose a digital camera

Unlike in the traditional photography, you DON’T have to buy an expensive SLR to start your digital photography evolution.
Using film, the SLR have few essential properties you really need:
- you can check composition in the viewfinder
- you can use different lens
- you can control every shot parameter
These properties are easy to find in the digital world, because the LCD shows you the composition going through the lens and the zoom available on digital cameras works in almost every situation.
Comparing with the SLR, you can have just a couple of problem using non-SLR cameras:
- you can’t use manual focus, because LCD are not good enough
- you can’t have zoom with really good wide angle, because of the reduced size of the CCD

What do you have to look for ?
Here’s my personal list:
- good usability and little weight
- CCD of more than 4 Megapixel
- optical zoom at least 10X (something like 35mm/300mm equivalent on a standard 35mm)
- short shutter lag
- sensitivity 1600ISO equivalent
- capability to use additional standard filters
- standard battery
- standard storage card
For me a Fuji Finepix S5600 Zoom has been a perfect choice, but you have to find something good for your particular style.
Probably with less than 300 euro you will find the right camera and you will able to start.