Get It for Less: Cameras

NEW YORK (MainStreet) -- As the quality of camera phones has improved by leaps and bounds, many people have chosen to forgo buying a separate camera to carry around. But if you want a more professional-grade camera -- or you just like the idea of having a camera that isn't also a cellphone -- there are a few strategies for keeping the cost down. To find out more, we spoke to James Brown of comparison-shopping Web site PriceGrabber.

Don't get hung up on megapixels
When digital cameras arrived on the scene, upgrading from a four-megapixel camera to a six-megapixel one felt like a huge leap. But now that even the most entry-level cameras offer picture resolution above 10 megapixels, the measure just doesn't make that big a difference to the average consumer.

Many have chosen to stick with a camera phone and forgo buying a separate camera to carry around. If you do want a separate camera, though, now is a good time to buy.

"People look at the box and say 'I want the most megapixels I can get,'" Brown says. "But if you're just taking shots of your dogs or pictures at a baseball game, and you're just going to view them online or make 8x10 prints, then a 10-, 12- or 14-megapixel camera is going to give you beautiful pictures. The idea of getting much more than that, it's really not needed."

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The exception, of course, is if you're a professional photographer and need to have the ability to make your photos into large prints or posters. That's unlikely to be a concern for the average shutterbug.

If you do have aspirations to work your way up to being a professional-grade photographer, Brown recommends getting an entry-level SLR camera such as the Canon(CAJ) EOS Rebel series or Sony(SNE) Alpha, which are priced in the vicinity of $400.

Balance price and service at bricks-and-mortar and online stores
Brown says the Web is where you're likely to find the best price.