Halloween is over and Christmas is looming on the horizon. Perhaps you’re thinking a new camera would be a nice gift, to give or receive. It’s one of those gifts that last a long time, and can be pretty expensive. Ideally you want to hint for the camera that will work best for your needs, or best for the person you’re buying for. The choices are overwhelming! Here are a few tips to get you started on your purchasing decision.
1. How will I or the person receiving the camera be using it? Just to grab a quick shot
now and again or to take shots of the kids? Maybe you travel a lot and want some quality photos for albums. On the other hand you love photography and want to move up from your smart phone or point and shoot to do more creative work.
2. How much money to you want to spend? There is a wide range of pricing in each of the different levels of cameras. Don’t forget that there is the cost of the camera plus accessories such as extra batteries, memory cards and a camera case. There are “packages” available from some suppliers which offer the camera body, one lens, a case, one battery and one memory card. It’s definitely better to have two batteries, and at least two memory cards.
3. How important is size and portability? I need a back pack for my camera gear, and when I put in 4 lenses, one camera body, and a filter pack, it adds up to pretty heavy back pack! Keeps me in shape. If we’re travelling, I take everything, but once at a location, I’m selective about what I take out on each shoot.
Be aware of the different types of cameras. I’ll help.
1. Point and Shoot cameras. Smart phones have pretty much taken over this market. If you have a smart phone with a camera already, I wouldn’t buy a point and shoot camera, you wouldn’t be gaining very much.
2. Mega zooms. – These cameras are similar to a point and shoot, with the exception that they have powerful zooms built in for really getting close to subjects without moving an inch. They were produced by camera manufacturers who were losing market share to smart phones.
3. Mirrorless cameras. I won’t go into the physics of mirrorless cameras, but they do offer some advantages
4. Digital SLR cameras.
Within each of these groups, there is a variety of quality and price.
1. Check out columns on the internet – just Google How to Buy a Digital camera. There is a wealth of information available. For example, check out Camera Buying Guide by Lori Grunin and Joshua Goldman (www.cnet.com/topics/cameras/buying-guide/) .
2. Go to more than one camera shop. Tell them the answers to the questions I started this column with. Ask them for recommendations. See what type of camera comes up consistently. Then try it out – hold the ones recommended.
3. Check out www.dpreview.com. They do a comparison of cameras and give you the pros and cons of each camera and lenses.
It would be nice if someone just told you which camera was the best one for you instead of doing all that research. Life isn’t that easy, if you want a camera that suits you and your needs, you’re going to have to do the soul searching and window shopping. Enjoy the journey, it will be worth it!
And when you receive that perfect camera for you, don’t forget to sign up for our Digital I course!