What Camera Should I Buy?
Thursday, December 3rd 2009 @ 9:17 AM (not yet rated)
I get this question all the time but I am a photographer, not a camera salesman, so I made a jaunt down to the local camera store to pick the owner, Mike Lowry’s, brain. I had this idea that I would come away with three or four models in different price ranges that I could recommend. As it turns out, choosing the right camera is a very personal experience. It is like buying a pair of athletic shoes. They have to fit you and the activities you do. Are you going to walk on pavement, run on a road or a track? Do you play tennis or basketball? The shoes have to fit the activity or mix of activities that you are planning to do.
Choosing a camera is the same. Do you plan to photograph landscapes or family snapshots at home, or weddings? Will you be photographing athletic events? Little Joey may be in T Ball right now but if he moves to basketball in a couple of years will your camera be able to make the move? You have to choose the right one for YOU. It has to be capable of jumping through the hoops that you are going to put it through, be the right size for you, and be as simple or as complex as you need it to be.
Many of you reading this are advanced amateurs or aspiring professionals. You may already own an SLR, or several SLR’s but I am going to assume you are the average “man on the street”, who has never owned a “good camera.” Or you are like me, you are asked to make a recommendation but only know about your own camera. There are so many cameras on the market, it will make your head spin and a lot of them are “good” cameras for someone but are they right for you? Just because someone tells you that the Nikon D90 is the best camera there is or the D40 is a piece of junk does not mean that is true for you.
First Piece of Advice – find a good salesman
Unless you have done a lot of research and have experience to know just what you want in a camera, your first stop should be to a camera store with a good salesman who knows how to ask questions. You know you have a good salesman when he asks lots of questions about the kind of photography you do or are interested in doing, the amount of thinking and learning you are willing to do and your dedication to carrying a camera around that won’t easily fit in a shirt pocket. There is no sense in paying for a good SLR, if you are going to find it too bulky to carry in a purse, so you use your old point and shoot instead.
Personally, I think you are more likely to find someone who will ask the right questions and listen to you in a locally owned camera store than a big box store but there is no guarantee. Even a great salesman will have their own set of prejudices. I was told once that I really did not want the tripod I said I wanted. The salesman thought it wasn’t substantial enough for a pro but I knew what I wanted, why I wanted it and have been very happy with my choice.
How Many Megapixels?
Lots of megapixels are not as important as you think. When was the last time you made a print larger than 4x6? If the answer is the 8x10 you printed of a sunset back in 1979, you might be just fine with a 2 or 3 megapixel camera. More megapixels will allow you to crop more, and chances are, you will like the ability to crop so look at camera that has 6 or more. You should be able to do larger wall prints with a 12 megapixel camera.
My brother in law says SLR is the only way to go.
SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex and refers to cameras with interchangeable lenses. The cost, the bulk, and the weight take a big jump when you go for this kind of camera over a point and shoot so you need to be sure this is right for you before you make the jump.
Why would you want an SLR?
1. If you have a child in athletics you are going to need the high ISO’s, wide open f stops, and longer zoom that are only available in an SLR with a good lens. You will need to be able to stop action in low light if you are photographing anything from basketball to motocross. A point and shoot with a 20x zoom might be adequate for soccer which is played during the daylight but what if she tries out for volleyball? You will want an SLR.
2. If you are serious about photography, either a serious amateur or aspiring professional then you will want an SLR. Do you want to take it to the next level and are ready to put the time and effort into learning the capabilities of the camera? Are you really prepared to carry a larger camera with you wherever you go?
What Brand is Best?
The mentors at MyPhotoMentor are Nikon and Fuji people and so have a slight prejudice in that direction. In the interest of fairness, however, here is what we have to say about other brands:
Olympus, Pentax and Kodak still make decent point and shoot cameras, but if you have a problem, their customer service may be less than helpful to downright awful.
When it comes to SLR’s there are only two choices: Canon and Nikon. (Neil chimed in here: Sony (what used to be Minolta) makes some nice DSLR’S too, including a full-frame one with a sensor very similar to the D3. Also, Olympus makes it’s slightly smaller “4/3rd’s” line which has gained some popularity.) Both Canon and Nikon make excellent cameras and lenses and are at the cutting edge of new technology. One company will have a breakthrough in one area and have a slight advantage for awhile until the other one catches up in that area and has a breakthrough in another. At the moment, Canon has a slight advantage in the area of entry level SLR’s because you have more lens choices at a lower price point. The Nikon D40, D60, D3000, and D5000 will not autofocus unless you have an S lens which has an autofocus motor in the lens. Right now, not all lenses are S lenses but that is changing and in another year may not be an issue.
Between Canon and Nikon, you cannot make a bad choice. Both make great cameras. Recognize that with your first purchase, you are deciding to either to be a Nikon person or a Canon person because you will begin to invest in good lenses. As technology improves and you are ready to move into better camera bodies, your lenses are what will stay with you. The lenses are not interchangeable between the two brands. Any Nikon mount lens will fit on any Nikon camera and any Canon mount lens will fit on any Canon camera but you cannot mix the two.
A Few Words about Lenses (your most important investment)
Fixed focal length or Zoom?
A fixed focal length lens MAY have slightly better optics than a zoom lens but if you choose a good quality zoom the difference is going to be imperceptible. Who wants to be changing lenses all the time? It is common to see wedding photographers with two or even three cameras hanging around their neck with different lenses attached just so they don’t have to change lenses. I use zoom lenses all of the time.
What is Vibration Reduction?
Some lenses will actually reduce blur due to camera movement. Nikon calls it VR, Canon calls it IS for Image Stabilization, Tamron and Sigma call the same thing VC and OS. This is an important feature when you are hand holding and working at slower shutter speeds. The longer lenses become increasingly difficult to hold still so VR can be important. If you are shooting nothing but sports and using fast shutter speeds, VR is not as important.
Working in low light? Get a 2.8 lens
2.8 refers to the widest open aperture available on the lens. This is important when you are shooting in low light situations with moving subjects like sports and weddings. Less expensive zoom lenses close down the aperture (f stop) the more you zoom out which can be a problem. You might find your images are underexposed or blurry as you zoom in on the action. A wide open aperture also allows you to use a narrow depth of field, throwing the background out of focus while the subject remains sharp.
Lens Recommendations
A good all around lens is the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8
Tamron 17-50mm 2.8 which sells for about $500. Canon and Nikon make great lenses, too, and some will argue that the optics are better but I dare you to show me side by side prints where you can see the difference and a similar Nikkor lens (by Nikon) runs about $1,500. Tamron and Sigma make lenses for both Nikon and Canon cameras.
A second lens is the Tamron 70-200mm
2.8 and without the VR or IS it runs around $800. It is good for sports because it will allow you to zoom in to get a closer view on the action.
An awesome lens for its versatility and price is the Tamron 28-300mm VR. It is NOT a 2.8 lens so it has its limitations in low light situations (when you are zoomed out, you cannot go below 6.3) but it is light weight and yet goes clear to 300mm giving you a lot of zoom. Cherie swears by this lens and it runs about $600. You might prefer the Tamron 18-270 which is similar to the 28-300mm but gives you wide angle capabilities, great for shooting in tight places.
But which camera body should I get?
If you are looking for an inexpensive SLR, you might consider the Canon Rebel XS which runs about $500.
A really good camera is the Nikon D90 for about $900.
If the sky is the limit, the Nikon D3 is amazing and even has HD video capability for only $5,500!
What if I don’t really want an SLR? What should I consider?
The more zoom the better. Some of the point and shoot cameras have a 10x or even 20x zoom so you can close in on that amazing kid running down the soccer field. Just make sure that it is an optical zoom, not a digital zoom which is no different than cropping your photo. Just remember, digital zoom is EVIL, optical zoom is GOOD.
The Canon Power Shot SX20 is a 12.1 megapixel camera with a 20x zoom and runs about $400 with the lens built in. It looks like a small SLR and is a good bridge between a dinky point and shoot and an SLR. Be forewarned, it will NOT fit in your shirt pocket.
The Panasonic Lumix LX3 is also a highly rated point-&-shoot at about $450-$500. It's one of the best high-ISO compact cameras you can find. And then there's that lens. Image stabilized, 24mm at the wide end of things and offering an F2.0-2.8 maximum aperture range that gives you the choice of shooting at lower ISOs than its competitors.
If you decide that a dinky point and shoot is what you want, you will get much better prints with a real camera than your cell phone (more megapixels and better lens). Canon PowerShot SD780IS is about the size of a cell phone but is a good little camera for about $200. Canon Power Shot A1100 IS has 12.1 megapixels and will still fit in your shirt pocket for $130.
Conclusion
If you have enough photography experience to know exactly what you want, go ahead and shop online or at a big box store. If you are unsure, look for a knowledgeable salesperson willing to take the time to actually ask you enough questions to find out what you need.
May your Christmas be merry and the New Year full of great images! Members, tell us if you got any new gear for Christmas and add a review!
