In times of economic downturn, it seems that charging your credit card when shopping is a bad decision, indeed. However, if your finances are relatively okay and you have some amount of disposable income, go ahead and swipe.

Just make sure you can pay your credit card debt on time, or even ahead of its due date. Doing so would let you avoid unnecessary costs and save you money. Since everyone is still crazy over digital cameras, let’s explore just how you can get a relatively decent one without ruining your finances. Because let’s face it, not everyone is rich enough to buy a Nikon; but digital cameras are becoming as cheap as ever.

Shopping for digital cameras

When the recession began, camera prices remained relatively stable for a few months. That is, until companies like Sony began losing a lot of money during the holiday seasons and they had to slash prices and slash employees. Sony isn’t the only one suffering from a drop in sales.

Other brands suffered from poor sales, as well. The manufacturers didn’t have a choice. They had to reduce the pricing or risk having boxes of their goods rotting in stockrooms without buyers. Within 3 years, the pricing for common digital cameras with decent CMOS censors has dropped significantly. If we were to compare the scene a few years ago to the scene now, the price reduction has reached $200 already. This is information is from the Consumer Electronics Association.

No warranties

Some electronic goods may be refurbished versions of older models. If you’re not in the mood to buy a supposedly brand new electronic gadget with no warranty, avoid offers that sound too good to be true. More often than not, these deals are too good to be true, because there’s deception in the advertising. The better option is to buy old models that have had their prices cut. The release of new models happens on two periods throughout the year: March-May and September-November.

Here’s another truth that might help in preserving your hard-earned cash in your wallet: 6 megapixels is enough for ordinary use. Unless you plan to go mountainsides to take stock of hundreds of kilometers of land, what in the world would you do with a 20-megapixel camera? Sales personnel would of course try to sell you the most expensive models; but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the most expensive is the best choice.

Making a "specs checklist"

To make an informed decision when buying a new digital camera, you have to make product comparisons. Some digital cameras have better specifications than others, but may be pricier. If you’re strapped for cash but you still want to buy a digital camera, the trick is to make a list of specifications that you would want in your inexpensive camera.

For example, a xenon flash or LED flash would be great for nighttime shots. Check also if the digital camera has a night mode and whether the digital zoom is good enough. Most digital cameras have a 4x zoom, but if the digital camera can go as far as 8x, that would be a great deal.