Construction quality
A professional photographer needs a camera that will keep working even if it gets dropped, or at least to have the best chance of working if such a thing happened. Most manufacturers of “professional” cameras also make similar specification “amateur” models, costing several hundred pounds less. The material used in the construction (metal instead of plastic) is not the only difference, but it is a large part of it. The professional model is only really worthwhile if you want to take pictures in a hostile environment.
Special features
Some cameras have the ability to “edit” the image, for example, crop it or make it sepia etc. Just like digital zoom, this is of no use to the serious photographer because the effect is easier to achieve in a PC.
Features like audio and video recording are a matter of personal taste but it’s worth bearing in mind that even the best stills camera is not likely to produce high quality video.
One feature that is very useful is a built-
Other factors
In assessing the value of any camera, it’s worth considering what comes “bundled” with it. Good editing software, large memory cards and spare batteries are useful things to have and you should consider the extra cost of those things when comparing the price of cameras without them.
Accessories
For the serious photographer it’s probably worth investigating whether your camera has a filter ring. Apart from just being able to fit filters and lenshoods, you may be able to fit a “lens extender”. There are two types of these. One to mage the lens longer (increase focal length) and the other to make it wider (decrease focal length.
Either way, they will increase the range of your zoom and make the camera more versatile.
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