Firstly set yourself a budget, it is going to help determine your choice of camera and target the appropriate models. Then you won't spend time investigating models that are beyond your budget.

It's important to consider what you want to take photographs of. This may seem obvious but nothing is more disappointing than spending good money and find it doesn't live up to your expectations. Do you want a camera that slips into your pocket and take casual photographs of holidays, family and friends or do you want to be more creative and develop photography as a hobby? If it is the former then there are many Compact Cameras with increasing pixel resolution and quality performance. If you want flexibility of zooming in to make your subject look bigger then opt for Optical zoom, not digital.

If you are looking to develop your photography more seriously as a hobby taking

Photographs of Landscapes, Sports, Portraits or other similar subjects then there are two types of cameras; Bridge cameras and SLR cameras. Bridge Cameras offer good built in optical zoom lenses, many megapixels, built in flash, easy of use operation but with the option of being creative with many manual operation modes. Digital Single Lens Reflex or Digital SLR cameras have moved into wider usage with their lower price tag and high performance. As the choice of professionals SLR cameras offer great flexibility with high performance both in picture quality and speed. Their interchangeable lenses mean you can capture just about anything whether it be close or far away.

Another consideration is that you've taken some great shots, now how do you want to view them? The number of pixels will determine what size photo you can print out, so do you want to print on 6 x 4 paper or larger?

There's one main additional area to think about, that of accessories. When you're buying you camera then you may need to factor these into your budget. Things to consider are Batteries, Memory cards, a bag and maybe even a tripod.

So what next? Start researching. The web is a mine of useful information, so are magazines. From your key needs for using the camera try to identify two or three possible models that you may want to purchase. I would then recommend visiting local stores to try them, even if you're likely to purchase on the web. There's nothing better than getting the camera in you hands to see if you find it easy to use, check it's not too big or small, etc. If you pick a dedicated camera store then you may well find a sales person who knows the cameras well so ask their advice as well.

When you've made your choice then it's a matter of cost. Web prices are always keen as are large retailers but don't be afraid to ask your local camera specialist if they will match prices,

Now, go out and enjoy using your camera!

Whatever its complexity there's probably more creative and interesting photos you can take with it and more you can learn.