Tip Tuesday: What Camera Do You Recommend?

You would consider anything besides a Canon??!! Can you tell I'm biased? Seriously though, the choice of what type of camera to purchase really depends on what you are going to use it for and personal preference. Deciding these things will help you out tremendously because there are A LOT of cameras to choose from. There are cameras made by Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, Panasonic, and the list goes on and on. Many of them have great features, and are quite comparable to others in their class. Since there are so many, and they compare quite equally with others that they are similar to it's important to decide what you will be using the camera for first.

When you go to decide what you will be using your camera for, there are a few things you should consider. First, what will the primary function of the camera be? Will you mainly just use it for snapshots of your kids, maybe as a new hobby, or are you trying to take your photography to the next level and become a pro? This is probably one of the most important questions to answer when you're looking to purchase a camera. If you're just buying the camera for snapshots of your kids it would probably be best to stick to a point and shoot camera. I say this because a DSLR is only going to give you better photos if you are going to take the time to learn how to use all of the cameras functions and buy multiple lenses for it. If you're not that interested in learning information like what a f-stop is, what depth of field means and how to shoot in advanced modes such as manual; then you would probably be better off sticking to something that will give you good results most of the time without having to learn all about photography in depth. You can definitely spend the extra money on a DSLR camera and shoot in the auto mode with automatic focus turned on, but I personally feel that it would be a waste of money to do this because you spend a lot of money on functions that you will never touch unless you get more serious about learning the ins and outs of the camera. You will still be subject to photos that are not as great as you would like them to be if you shoot in the auto mode. The camera can only do so much on its own. It is up to the one using the camera to make important choices for the camera; which results in better pictures. A lot of people have the misconception that a better camera (DSLR) will make all their photos come out awesome. This is not the case. You will make your photos turn out awesome IF you know how to use your DSLR properly. If not, then there really isn't a reason to spend the extra money on the camera because point and shoots will still give you the results you are looking for. What makes DSLRs great are their added functionality that point and shoots do not provide. If you are looking to get into the hobby of photography or wanting to go pro a DSLR is the way to go because of all of the added functions that point and shoots do not offer. You will be learning about photography on a technical level as well as artistically, so a DSLR is the path I would recommend in this case. Onward to personal preference... Once you have decided what you will be using the camera for it is time to take a look at the different specifications of cameras. One of the major things that everyone wants to know is how many megapixels a camera offers. I will say this, yes, the more megapixels you have the clearer your image seems to be; however, when there is only a few megapixels difference between cameras you will likely not notice a difference. I will also say that you should not base your decision solely on how many megapixels the camera offers. You should do some research as to how well the autofocus system works, and see what other people who have purchased the camera thought of it. Looking at reviews can be helpful, and I always recommend seeing what others thought of their experience with a product no matter what it is. Another question to ask yourself when you're physically looking at the camera is how comfortable are you while holding it? If it feels like it could easily slip out of your hands or is awkward to hold then you might want to consider how that is going to affect your pictures. Will you be able to hold it in a way that will not shake the camera while you are taking a photo? If you think it is likely that you might move the camera while trying to take a photo then it is possible that your photos will be out of focus (blurry) because of this movement. If you are looking at DSLR cameras some of them can be relatively heavy depending on how advanced of a camera you a looking to purchase. When I started out with DSLR cameras I had a Canon XSi; which is pretty light compared to what I currently have, but at the time it was heavy because I was used to point and shoots. All of a sudden I had not only the camera body, but the lens with the glass in it to hold as well. I upgraded from that camera to a Canon 7D, and it was heavier still. Then I went to my Canon 5D Mark III; which is even heavier than the 7D. You may not think weight is a factor, but if you're holding the camera in the air for any length of time you will notice that you'll get tired of holding it. You can get used to this though, so it is up to you to decide if you want to get used to the weight. Another thing to consider is that different brands of cameras do either better or worse in low lighting situations, and they often produce different colors. You may not notice a big difference depending on the cameras you are comparing. There are plenty of comparison videos on YouTube and Vimeo that will show you the difference between cameras as far as color and low light situations go. Something else to consider is if you would like your camera to record video. Some cameras do not offer this function, so if it is important to you that it records video you will have to research this to find out of the model you are looking at offers it. Lastly, another thing to consider is that if you already own a DSLR and several lenses for your camera you might want to stay with the same brand of camera with the same type of lens mount that way you do not have to go out and purchase all new lenses; which can be expensive.

I think that this covers the topic pretty well. There are still many other questions one should ask themselves about their preferences on cameras as well as what they will use them for and even when they will use them. There isn't a real answer of "-- is the best camera on the market" because it depends on what it will be used for as well as what preferences you have for your camera. If you have any additional questions that were not answered in this blog please feel free to contact me about this subject.