So what do you look for in Buying a Camera? What do you look for?
So you’re in the market for a new camera. With all the bells and whistles on the different models and manufacturers how do you choose? I am going to assume you are considering digital, although the questions apply to film cameras as well. First you’ll need to answer a few questions for yourself.
How much are you willing to spend?
How often do you take pictures?
Do you already have some camera gear?
Will several people in your family be using the camera?
Where will you be using the camera?
What do you mostly take pictures of?
What will you be using the pictures for?
So lets have a look at the first question. How much are you willing to spend. This relates to the question what will you be using the camera for, in that if you are going to sell pictures, you will need to spend the money to have good quality pictures. But even good semi-professional cameras have a varied price range. In fact some of the digital point and shoot cameras are just as expensive as the digital SLR’s. So once you’ve determined your budget you can narrow down the selections quickly.
Now, how often do you take pictures? Again this helps you decide how much to spend. If you only take a couple pictures of Grandma once a year, there is no sense spending $800 on a Nikon D80. (Even if you can afford it.) But if you take lots of pictures, a sturdy camera is good spending.
If you already have Canon lenses, then it doesn’t make much sense to buy a Nikon and visa versa. Although, sometimes switching brands is done. I had Pentax gear and bought Nikon, and sold the Pentax gear. But, since I bought the Nikon, Pentax has come out with some really great cameras. Impatience can get you into trouble. Be careful of the marketing, you can quickly get sucked into a purchase because ‘that’s what the pro’s use’. The professional use all kinds of camera - Pentax, Nikon, Canon, and even Minolta. I really miss my Pentax lens!
With a versatile camera comes many fingers. If this camera will only be yours - you can make any choice and it affects only you. But if this is a family camera, be aware, some cameras, even cheaper ones, may need degrees in physics, computers, and English to understand them. Buried menus, weird symbols and so on can be pretty confusing. Keep it simple and you’ll be able to concentrate on taking the picture, not setting the dials. And don't think just because it is a point-and-shoot it is easy to use. In fact my Nikon SLR is MUCH simpler and easier to use than MOST point and shoots!
If you’re using the camera in the great outdoors consider protection for the camera or even a water resistant model. If you are going to Africa for a sojourn, you may wish to have something small and inexpensive to be discrete. Some people don’t like cameras overseas, and some think a big camera means a big pocket book. My father purchased an Olympus for canoing, after I dropped my Nikon D70 in the Elk river on a canoe trip in Fernie.
What do you take pictures of? Bugs on the wall, be sure the camera or lens you purchase has macro capabilities that matches your needs. Just because it says macro doesn’t mean you can get within 6”. My lens can go about a foot away from my subject at 300mm, while my fathers can only get within 3’ on 200mm. Both say macro on the lens. Both are the same brand. Check it out before you buy it. If you want to take action shots of Elk on the run, but have no time for a tripod? Anti-shake is a great tool for you. Pentax, Canon, and Minolta have built in camera shake reduction into many of their cameras, while Nikon puts it into the lens. The literature says the anti-shake in the lens works better, but boy is it expensive. While on the other hand with shake reduction built into the camera means you can go buy used older lens for under two hundred bucks. Great for the budget.
And finally, what are your intentions for your photographs? Will you use them for scrap booking, emailing to friends, or starting a stock photo collection? If you intend to use any of the pictures for sale you will need a minimum of a 6 mega pixel camera in a SLR. A point and shoot 6 mega pixel and a SLR 6 mega pixel are two different things. First of all and most importantly the SLR camera will generally have a larger sensor. The sensor is what records the information and replaces the negatives in a film camera. Having a larger sensor is like have a bigger window to look through, the camera is able to record more detail with a larger sensor, like you get a better view from a large window in your home. (Not to be confused with the LCD where you view the picture, that only aids you in determining if you got the shot you were looking for.)
There are other things to consider, like ease of use. When you pick up the camera is it obvious how to use or do you need to go through college first? Are all the main settings available to you through dials and buttons, or do you need to use a menu? You can lose the shot if you are fiddling with a menu while the whale is jumping over the boat. Both Nikon and Pentax are good at having the functions available in a heart beat with out looking (once you learn the camera). The extra bells and whistles are tucked away in the menu, but you can be sure to get the basic shot first.
I hope this gives you some food for thought in your future purchases. And it is interesting that many of the same questions can be used for other decisions. Like what church should I attend? How much will it cost me - am I willing to change as God leads me? How often will I use the church - just a weekend outing? Do I all ready have a church - do I just want to change because I don’t like something or someone, or do I need to change to find the truth? Why am I going - just because it is a nice building? What do I use church for - a social gathering? Interesting.
Works for buying a car too :)