How to Choose your First Digital Camera
When you begin the search for a new camera, you can be confronted with so many choices that it could easily drive you mad. The market is saturated with cameras and terminology that would make anyone think that the sky is the limit and in some cases. We see camera phones with huge megapixel ratings, point-and-shoot models with automatic face recognition, image stabilization, and almost every bell and whistle you could shake a stick at. It can be hard to know even where to begin in such a search. Here are a few things that will help you in your quest of finding the camera you need and will use.
DSL or Compact?
One of the first things that many people serious about photography ask is if they should get a compact or a DSLR. Unfortunately, there is not a ‘one size fits all’ type of answer. Both types have advantages and disadvantages. The best thing to do is consider the pros and cons of each and then compare them with your photography habits and lifestyle and see which is the best fit.
DSLR Cameras
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Price
A DSLR or Digital Single Lens Reflex camera is what most people think of when they think ‘professional’ photography. The first major drawback for this type of camera is the purchase price. It is not difficult to spend $1000 or more on a good DSLR camera NOT including any lenses. Add a basic lens package and your total can be more than $2000. It is also possible to spend as little as $500 on a ‘starter’ kit with a DSLR package that includes the camera, a couple of lenses, filters, cleaning kit, camera bag, and tripod.
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Portability
The DSLR will likely provide you with better overall photographs than the standard compact or ‘point and shoot’ style camera. This is due to the components and controls on the average DSLR as compared to a compact camera. However, the DSLR is much heavier, bulkier, and harder to carry with you that are compact style cameras.
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Ease of Use
Most DSLR cameras have an automatic mode that will allow you to use it like a standard compact camera. It also allows you ‘room to grow’ as your photography skills and understanding progress. The standard DSLR will have priority modes allowing for more control of the specifics of photography as well as dedicated modes for specific situations. Low light, bright light, still photography, action, close up, and other dedicated modes make the DSLR camera a very flexible and easy to use piece of equipment that will give you superior controls and superior photographs. Image stabilization, auto focus, and video capabilities are also among the high points of a DSLR. The ability to shoot on fully automatic to fully manual and everywhere in between makes the DSLR the most flexible camera type available.
There are times when you come across a shot that requires you to get the camera out and shoot quickly so as not to lose the moment. DSLR cameras can be powered on and ready to shoot in less than ½ second. The lag time between pressing the shutter button to take the shot and actually exposing the shot is so negligible one might as well call it ‘instant’. This is a great advantage when time is of the essence. However, it can take a bit longer to extract the camera from the bag and remove the lens cap in order to be ready to shoot.
Compact Cameras
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Price
The standard compact camera can be purchased at a fairly inexpensive cost. In many cases, one can easily find a decent quality compact camera for as little as $75 or as much as $400. The price range for this kind of camera is much friendlier to the consumer budget than that of the standard DSLR camera.
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Portability
Another benefit of the compact digital camera is its ability to be carried almost anywhere. Some cameras can be stored in a shirt pocket to be retrieved at a whim. This is a great option for those who like to shoot often and do not want to lug a larger camera with them all the time. If a larger camera will cause you to leave it home, remember this: The little camera you take with you is better than the big camera you leave at home.
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Ease of Use
One of the nicknames for compact cameras is ‘point and shoot’. This moniker comes from the fact that they are the easiest of cameras to use. Simply take out the camera, turn it on, and snap your shot…no thinking, metering, changing settings, or anything else necessary. Of course, all of this automation can be evident in your photographs. To achieve this type of automatic shooting, the camera will need to find the average settings that will be universal to many situations. This can give the appearance of flat, overexposed shots.
This is not to say that compact cameras do not have controls built into them. Many compact cameras allow for many customizable settings including, shutter speed, ISO, and even manual focus. The simple fact of the matter is that they do not have the controls that the DSLR cameras have. Each camera is used for a different purpose, and has been customized for the areas around which it has been designed.
While the compact camera may be great in the portability department, it is not as fast as the DSLR in the area of start up and shutter lag. Some compact cameras take as much as 5 seconds to power on. The shutter lag can tend to be a bit more frustrating with compact cameras. In some cases, a shutter lag of only ½ of a second can mean the difference between capturing the moment perfectly and missing it completely. It is common for many compact cameras to have a shutter lag of as much as 1 ½ seconds.
Main Camera Manufacturers
There is always the dispute about which brand of camera is the best. You will find about as many opinions as there are photographers. The truth of the matter is that each brand of camera is targeting a different demographic of photographer in the overall market. If you concentrate more upon the things you desire in a camera than on the brand, you will be better served in finding exactly what you need.
Canon, Nikon, Minolta, Sony, Pentax, Hasselblad, Leica, Mamiya, Olympus, Panasonic, Samsung, Sigma, and Vivitar all make digital cameras. While one brand may indeed be better than another, it is pointless for me to make a list of what I think. It is truly difficult to find an honest unbiased objective analysis of brands. Even Consumer Reports looks more to functionality and other criteria and reports only the results instead of opinion. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the requirements of a camera and then look for one that fills those requirements. You will be much better off in the long run.
Megapixels, Glass, Sensor Size
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Megapixel Fixation
Many people believe that they only need to get a good camera and they will be able to hang out a shingle as a professional photographer. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The camera does not make the photograph, a photographer does. In order to take high quality photographs, you will need to have mastered the basics of photography and have the right equipment functioning properly.
Today people are overly concerned and enamored with megapixels. The number of megapixels attached to the camera no longer has any real impact on the quality of photographs people take today. Anything above 8 megapixels, for the average photographer, is overkill and unnecessary. With an 8-megapixel camera, you should be able to get very large prints without the worry of graininess or noise being an issue.
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With Sensors…Size Matters
More important than megapixels is the size of the sensor in the camera. In digital photography, the image sensor takes the place of the film in the camera. A larger image sensor in the camera will provide a better overall quality photograph. A larger image sensor will give better exposures at lower light, less overall noise in the photograph and a greater dynamic range (depth and range of colors) in photos. A larger image sensor will also affect a shallower depth-of-field in the camera at a given lens setting.
Without getting overly technical, most DSLR cameras today have an image sensor that is approximately 22mm x 15mm, or 40% of the size of old 35mm film. By comparison, most compact style cameras have an image sensor that is only 3% of the size of old 35mm film.
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Lenses Make a Huge Difference
While most people argue about brands and megapixels, a few will argue about which sensor size is the best for the money. However, many also forget that with a DSLR or even a compact camera the lens makes up a huge portion of the picture quality. If you think it through, it only makes sense. Photography is about capturing light on the image sensor. The lens is the piece that transmits light onto the sensor. You might have a camera that has the best image sensor ever created by man, but if you have a lens that allows poor quality light onto the sensor, you will end up with substandard shots.
When looking for a good lens, you should look for names. This isn’t brand hunting, but certain manufacturers are known for their high quality optics. Canon, Leica Nikon, and Carl Zeiss make the best glass on the market. Some other brands that make decent quality lenses that cost much less are Olympus, Pentax, Sigma, and Tamron make decent quality lenses and can be purchased for less than the higher end lenses. If you want to take high quality pictures, then you need to make sure you have good glass on the front of your camera. Even compact cameras are beginning to use higher quality optics on their lenses. You will see these phones advertise the use of Carl Zeiss lenses in many cases.
Controls
The ability to take good photographs depends upon your ability to control the light entering your camera, the camera settings, the pose, the model, the background, the foreground, and yourself. In essence, if you like being a control freak, then photography is probably right up your alley. There are so many things to consider and so many situations that will confront you when taking photographs, which you need a camera that will allow you the most controls possible in order to make the shot appear the way you see it in your mind before triggering the shutter release on the camera.
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Automatic
This mode of control allows the camera to do all of the work for you. It will set the camera to give you an overall good exposure based upon light. It will tell the camera if more light is need and trigger the built-in flash. This mode of control is found on most DSLRs and compact cameras. The problem with automatic mode is that sometimes what the camera sees and what your eye sees is not the same thing. This can cause a bit of frustration in extremely bright light and low light settings.
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ISO
Without getting too technical, the ISO setting controls how sensitive your camera’s sensor is to light. The higher the ISO number, the more sensitive to light, and conversely, the lower the number the less sensitive the sensor is. Alongside sensitivity is noise a.k.a. pixilation or graininess. The sensitivity is done through the computer within the camera in which the image is ‘enhanced’ to make it possible to shoot in lower lighted conditions. When this ‘enhancement’ occurs, noise is a byproduct. If you are familiar with digital video cameras, this setting is commonly referred to as ‘digital gain’. The higher the ISO number, the more noise will occur in the photograph. The lower the ISO number, the less noise will occur in your finished product. This setting is not as common in compact cameras as it is in DSLRs. When it is found in compact cameras, the ISO range is typically greatly diminished.
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Shutter Speed
The shutter is the mechanical part that opens and closes rapidly allowing the light entering through the lens to strike the image sensor. The faster the shutter moves, the less light entering the camera. A fast shutter speed cannot only control the exposure setting, but can also ‘freeze’ motion. A slow shutter speed will allow for more light, but will cause moving objects to appear blurred. Most compact cameras do not have a shutter speed control while most DSLRs do.
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Aperture Priority
The opening inside the camera lens can be adjusted with an iris called the aperture. A smaller aperture affects the sharpness of a photo as well as reducing the overall amount of light entering the camera. A larger aperture has the opposite effect. When the camera is set to aperture priority, it is allowing you to control the size of the aperture and the camera will adjust the ISO and the Shutter Speed automatically to compensate for the proper exposure. Most compact cameras do not have this control setting while most DSLRs do.
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Shutter Priority
Like aperture priority, shutter priority allows you to control the speed at which the shutter operates and the camera will adjust the ISO and the aperture to compensate for the proper exposure. Most compact cameras do not have shutter priority while most DSLRs do.
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Manual
Manual setting is exactly what it sounds like. You will have to set the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture on the camera to achieve a proper exposure without any help from the camera. Most compact cameras do not have this control setting while most DSLRs do.
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Internal Meter
The internal meter in your camera can be one of the best tools at your disposal. This meter will tell you if your settings are going to provide for a properly exposed shot based upon the lighting conditions in which you are shooting. While it should be used as a guide rather than a ruler, the internal light meter will help you in determining your settings when shooting in manual mode. The internal light meter is typically visible when looking through the lens of a DSLR. While an internal meter is present in compact style cameras, it is not typically visible to the photographer in order for him or her to make any decisions on aperture, ISO, or shutter speeds.
There are other controls on DSLR cameras that will allow you to achieve different results when taking photographs. However, these controls come at a price. Your ability to take quality photographs will depend upon your knowledge of the basics of photography and your ability to implement them in the field.
When you are buying your first camera, you should take all of the above into consideration and decide which type of camera will fit your photography habits and lifestyle. Then look at the market, both locally and online, to see what the price range may be and if you can find anything within your budget. Once you have determined what you need as well as your budget, you can then begin shopping for your camera in earnest. Look for the camera that meets your technical requirements as well as your budgetary concerns.
Remember, it is easy to buy a camera that has more controls that you know how to use. You can learn to use an entry-level camera with many of the above listed settings without spending a fortune on the top-of-the-line state-of-the-art camera on the market. Grow with your camera until your ability to take photos is limited by what your equipment can do, and THEN start looking into an upgrade.
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Trackback URL | Comments RSS FeedReally you provide a good options of cameras list…