What Camera???

by morelia Today at 08:16

I'll start by asking what camera make you prefer and why? I like to hear people's preferences so I can learn a little :)

Karl, this is a great starter thread and I'm going to answer by generalising before I give my personal preference.

If I'm in the market to buy a camera there are three main things that I like to consider, prior that is to parting with my hard earned…at the outset remember this, the biggest and most expensive camera doesn’t equal the best image….you’re solely responsible for the image not your camera….the image’s make up, composition, framing and finding it in the first place isn’t anything a camera’s going to help you with… this is all down to you!

1. What do you want to shoot? Your animals, friends, candid shots, scenery, landscapes, moving objects, static objects,...short range [macro]/ long range [telephoto/zoom], normal light, low light etc. etc....some of these? Or all of them?

2. Size and portability? Is it important for you to be able to carry the camera in your top left hand shirt pocket? Is it important that it’s compact? Are you happy to have a large DSLR hanging around your neck? Or something inbetween?

3. Expense and Affordability....I’ll be honest I’ve been astounded by some of the photographs on the forum, mostly with images that have been produced using cell phone cameras….so not discounting everything we’ve mentioned in para 1 a high pixel phone camera may be all that you want or require. If you have appropriate funding, have saved up and set finances aside, you may determine that a digital point and shoot is what you’re after, more cost, but greater options/quality/flexibility. If this isn’t enough and you want to dabble into the world of digital SLR’s [DSLR], you can, for an incremental step up in price. Word of warning though DSLR photography is a little like reptile keeping…it becomes compulsive and additions to your kit are a cast iron certainty….extra lenses, tripods, flash guns, spare batteries, cleaning kits, remote shutter release gadgets…more gadgets, then a good Lowe Pro bag to put it in…and then another body etc etc!!!! How keen you are to start photography as a hobby?… The keener the more costly is a basic but fair formula!!

Bottom line, decide what you want out of your camera in direct relation with what you can afford…..and then make your choice….most of us started [I did anyway] with fairly compact 35mm film cameras, remember them? Ha! Ha! The purist still advocate learning you skill sets there….Forget it, the digital format has brought the hobby to the masses and for this we should be eternally grateful. No more of that snapping away 36 exposures and crossing your fingers that the photos are going to turn out to be representative of the subject once back from the developers! Now [and we’ve been able for a good while]we can take multiple images of a subject and can be pretty confident how they're going to turn out with a press of a button to review the shot....hurray!!

I’m rambling as normal, now to answer Karl’s initial question, my preference…

I started with digi Sony Cyber Shot point and shoot amongst others, moved to a Panasonic Lumix more for work related images and started DSLR photography a few years ago using an entry level Sony A100, switched to a Nikon D200…then the D300 and now shoot all of my images with a full frame Nikon D700 the equivalent of Canons full frame 5D MkI and MkII. I love it, I can use it manually if I choose, I can interchange lenses for work close or far, image quality is superb, colour outstanding, size ideal etc. etc. I wouldn’t swap it for any other like DSLR on the market right now.

Of course DSLR’s cover a broad spectrum price range and as a general rule you’ll get what you pay for…..starting out in DSLR photography, don’t worry too much about the body, invest in quality lenses, that’s the key…and oh yes, don’t forget what I mentioned to start…in order to get a good or even excellent image the most important component is you!!

Whatever you decide on, learn your camera, learn it’s limitations and get out there and start snapping!!