So, rumor has it, your looking for the top rated digital cameras ever to grace a store shelf. Well, what if I told you that the even if you get the best rated digital camera on the planet, it still won’t save you from taking pictures that suck out loud. Yep you heard me. That may be a bit harsh, but better I tell you the truth now, then wait for you to spend a thousand or more dollars on the latest and greatest camera that Canon, Nikon, or Pentax have to offer.

A great camera doesn’t necessarily guarantee great pictures. I’ve seen some pretty amazing pictures taken with cheap little point and shoot cameras. Its true, sad but true. Money may not be able to buy you love and happiness, but it’s also true that it can’t buy you the camera to make you the next Annie Lebowitz. It just can’t. The only thing that can get you to take better pictures, is to learn to be a better photographer.

Photography is a skill, like any other, and you can’t just throw money at the problem, and hope it’s fixed. It’s going to take some time and effort on your part to make that happen as well. However, once you begin to understand more about composition, lighting, color, shading, field of depth and other components of what makes a good photograph, then and only then will a better camera do wonders for your images.

It’s like playing tennis as a beginner. No matter what racquet you put in your hands, your always going to play like an amateur. But, once you spend a few years at the sport, and move up in your skill level, then a good racquet can mean the difference between winning and losing your club championship.

Good cameras are exactly like that. The complex professional cameras have features and functionality that you really need to understand to take advantage of. If you don’t know what and aperture is, or have a basic understanding of field of depth and color matching, then just stick with the point and shoot cameras. They do much of the thinking for you.

If however, your serious, and have a passion, and have spent time AND money upgrading your skills and knowledge, then it’s time to invest in some good photography equipment. Before you make that purchase, be sure you understand the camera technology available. Also make sure you know what you want in the context of that technology. There’s no point in paying for something you won’t ever user. When you’ve done all that, it’s time to get to the nuts and bolts of shopping around. The internet is great for that, as just about every camera ever manufactured is described, reviewed, praised and panned on the internet. Just take a look around.