People looking to get involved in photography and take some great pictures should invest in a digital single lens reflex (SLR) camera, according to an expert.

Dave Johnson, writing for PCWorld.com, said that such cameras give people the ability to control as much of the exposure process as they want for each snap, while also giving interchangeable lenses and higher-quality images than point-and-shoot models can manage.

However, Mr Johnson did remind people that no matter how good the tools are, it is the person behind the lens that does all the work.

“What I mean is that the camera doesn’t make eye-popping photos possible, the person behind the lens does. It may be comforting to think that ‘if only I had that new camera, that mediocre photo I just took would have been awesome’,” but the reality is different, he added.

Dennis Bodzash, writing for Examiner.com, backed also praised SLR cameras, stating that they are far faster at focusing than any point and shoot camera.

People looking to buy a new laptop need to ask themselves a series of questions, according to an industry expert.

Matthew Elliott, writing for PCMag.com, said that firstly a consumer needs to figure out how much they are willing to spend on a new machine.

He told readers of the blog that blowing the whole budget is not always necessary, as high-end configuration is not needed for running basic applications such as Firefox, Skype, Word and Excel.

“Intel recently released a new version of the Atom that consumes even less power, and Intel’s wide range of CULV (consumer ultra low voltage) chips are showing up in full-sized, affordably priced laptops,” the expert said.

Buyers also need to consider what other features they need in a new machine, including high definition output ports, Wi-Fi and Blu-Ray players.

An online guide by Which? recently advised people looking for a new laptop that aspects such as size, weight and speed should also be taken into account.

Buying a laptop is not a simple mission, according to an industry expert, who said that there are a myriad of factors to consider.

Matthew Elliott, writing for PCMag, said that there are some common factors which people need to consider, regardless of what kind of machine they are looking for.

“Unless you’re running intensive, threaded applications with regularity, you don’t need a quad-core processor and will get more than enough oomph from a current dual-core CPU. We recommend mainstream buyers look for Intel’s Core i3 or i5 processors,” he added.

People who are looking for a laptop with a long battery life which they can use on the go should look for a low-voltage machine, as this provides huge gains in longevity.

Laptop fans should also make sure that they buy a machine which is no larger than 14 inches, as this allows them to fit it inside a rucksack and carry it wherever they go.

A recent report by CNET said that users need to look for a machine with a large hard drive and at least 128MB of memory.