How to Choose the Right Camera
17th November 2014
That time of year when you are looking at buying Christmas presents for your family and I often get asked the question about cameras, Which one do I get?
My first questions I always ask are,
What's your budget? - How much are you willing to spend on a camera.
Do they own a camera already? - What type is it, make and model if they know that
What will it be used for? - Will it be used for family photos or Landscapes or is it for travel.
From asking those 3 simple questions, I can recommend to them what they should be looking for.
I will also say that it is best to stick with the best known brands like Nikon, Canon, Panasonic, Sony or Fuji. I find these brands manufacture the best cameras and the quality of the photographs is normally the best from them also.
Finally, I tell them not to lost in the megapixel (mp) race, this is where camera companies market the latest camera with 20 megapixels, there is no need for 20 megapixels for day to day photos, 12mp or even 6mp is plenty for general photography.
Ok here are the main types of cameras available to buy;
Compact system digital camera
A compact system digital camera is essentially a compact which uses multiple interchangeable lenses for a more professional result.
NB: The lenses are not compatible with DSLRs.
•The lens can be changed to suit your subject. • Pick the best lens for the shot.
IDEAL FOR: Children and family pictures, travelling, sports, wildlife and landscapes.
Advanced Compact Digital Camera
An advanced compact digital camera is simply a compact with more complex features available. Different models will have different specific features.
•Look out for a high optical zoom for close ups of distant action.
•A higher ISO setting (3200+) and high sensitivity light sensors will let you take photos in low light.
IDEAL FOR: Children, family and holiday pictures.
Digital Bridge Camera
A digital bridge camera is the mid point between a DSLR and a compact digital camera, featuring many more manually adjustable controls than a compact, and with a single inbuilt zoom lens which cannot be changed.
•Powerful zooms allow you to bring the action closer.
•Typical lens on a bridge camera spans from wide angle shots to super zoom for close ups.
•Multiple shots per second so you can get the best picture.
•Take several pictures in succession by holding down the shoot button.
•Get the best shot even when the subject won't stay still.
IDEAL FOR: Children and family shots, holidays, sports and wildlife.
Digital SLR
If you’re into photography and want to take the step to more adventurous results, a digital SLR gives you the flexibility you need. Easy pre-programmed modes mean you can still point and shoot, however fully manual settings are available to give you complete creative control.
•Macro lens- perfectly detailed super high quality close ups. • Gives you the ability to get in close to the subject without having to worry about focus.
•Get clear, sharp shots.
•Great detail whatever your subject is.
•Telephoto lens- capture stunning action shots with total control. • Take photos from a distance with more detail.
•Ideal for sports events and wildlife photography.
IDEAL FOR: greatest flexibility, making photography a hobby, improving your creative skills
To help you understand all the jargon, here are the most important bits explained.
MegaPixels:
This is the number of pixels each camera sensor uses to process the camera information. It is essentially the resolution of your camera and how sharp your images can get. And it’s measured in millions and is multiplied by the amount of pixels in rows and columns. For instance, 10 MegaPixels equals 10,000,000 pixels. A pixel is the smallest unit that light is exposed to.
◾ISO:
ISO is the speed of your camera’s light sensitivity at a particular setting. During the film days, this was referred to as ASA and had to do with how fast film soaked up light when you took a picture. The faster the film, the higher the ASA. It also meant, though that the film would be grainier, less sharp. In the digital world, its ISO, and the higher the ISO setting, the faster the light can be imaged. But like film, the faster the light gets imaged, the more noise gets invited to the party.
◾Aperture:
Aperture is the size of the hole that the light travels through on its way to the sensor.
Shutter speed:
This is the duration of the light being cast on the sensor as the shutter opens and closes. This is quite literal in digital SLRs, but for point and shoots it’s a time value for imaging the light as point and shoots don’t have literal shutters.
◾CCD:
CCD stands for “Charged Coupling Device” and is the sensor that point and shoot cameras use to capture the image in the camera. It then processes it. CCDs tend to be VERY small, about the size of your fingernail and as such, can cause a lot of noise if stuffed with too many megapixels. But they are ideal for the compact nature of point and shoot cameras.
◾CMOS:
CMOS stands for “Complementary Metal-oxide Semiconductor.” This sensor design is primarily used by digital SLRS and can be as large as a full frame 35mm negative. The benefits to CMOS sensors are obvious – greater size equals more light captured for the image and greater resolution. The downside has been that when shooting moving video that the image can get a bit skewed, referred to the rolling shutter issue
◾Focal Length:
Focal Length is essentially the range of your lens. Whether 3x or 35x it is the ability of the camera to zoom from its widest point to its farthest.
............................................................................
Lastly, when you have decided on which camera to buy, check out the reviews online, there are loads of review sites, the best I find are http://www.techradar.com/ and http://www.trustedreviews.com/.
If you are buying online, check out the comparison website such as http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/ to get the best current price.
My first questions I always ask are,
What's your budget? - How much are you willing to spend on a camera.
Do they own a camera already? - What type is it, make and model if they know that
What will it be used for? - Will it be used for family photos or Landscapes or is it for travel.
From asking those 3 simple questions, I can recommend to them what they should be looking for.
I will also say that it is best to stick with the best known brands like Nikon, Canon, Panasonic, Sony or Fuji. I find these brands manufacture the best cameras and the quality of the photographs is normally the best from them also.
Finally, I tell them not to lost in the megapixel (mp) race, this is where camera companies market the latest camera with 20 megapixels, there is no need for 20 megapixels for day to day photos, 12mp or even 6mp is plenty for general photography.
Ok here are the main types of cameras available to buy;
Compact system digital camera
A compact system digital camera is essentially a compact which uses multiple interchangeable lenses for a more professional result.
NB: The lenses are not compatible with DSLRs.
•The lens can be changed to suit your subject. • Pick the best lens for the shot.
IDEAL FOR: Children and family pictures, travelling, sports, wildlife and landscapes.
Advanced Compact Digital Camera
An advanced compact digital camera is simply a compact with more complex features available. Different models will have different specific features.
•Look out for a high optical zoom for close ups of distant action.
•A higher ISO setting (3200+) and high sensitivity light sensors will let you take photos in low light.
IDEAL FOR: Children, family and holiday pictures.
Digital Bridge Camera
A digital bridge camera is the mid point between a DSLR and a compact digital camera, featuring many more manually adjustable controls than a compact, and with a single inbuilt zoom lens which cannot be changed.
•Powerful zooms allow you to bring the action closer.
•Typical lens on a bridge camera spans from wide angle shots to super zoom for close ups.
•Multiple shots per second so you can get the best picture.
•Take several pictures in succession by holding down the shoot button.
•Get the best shot even when the subject won't stay still.
IDEAL FOR: Children and family shots, holidays, sports and wildlife.
Digital SLR
If you’re into photography and want to take the step to more adventurous results, a digital SLR gives you the flexibility you need. Easy pre-programmed modes mean you can still point and shoot, however fully manual settings are available to give you complete creative control.
•Macro lens- perfectly detailed super high quality close ups. • Gives you the ability to get in close to the subject without having to worry about focus.
•Get clear, sharp shots.
•Great detail whatever your subject is.
•Telephoto lens- capture stunning action shots with total control. • Take photos from a distance with more detail.
•Ideal for sports events and wildlife photography.
IDEAL FOR: greatest flexibility, making photography a hobby, improving your creative skills
To help you understand all the jargon, here are the most important bits explained.
MegaPixels:
This is the number of pixels each camera sensor uses to process the camera information. It is essentially the resolution of your camera and how sharp your images can get. And it’s measured in millions and is multiplied by the amount of pixels in rows and columns. For instance, 10 MegaPixels equals 10,000,000 pixels. A pixel is the smallest unit that light is exposed to.
◾ISO:
ISO is the speed of your camera’s light sensitivity at a particular setting. During the film days, this was referred to as ASA and had to do with how fast film soaked up light when you took a picture. The faster the film, the higher the ASA. It also meant, though that the film would be grainier, less sharp. In the digital world, its ISO, and the higher the ISO setting, the faster the light can be imaged. But like film, the faster the light gets imaged, the more noise gets invited to the party.
◾Aperture:
Aperture is the size of the hole that the light travels through on its way to the sensor.
Shutter speed:
This is the duration of the light being cast on the sensor as the shutter opens and closes. This is quite literal in digital SLRs, but for point and shoots it’s a time value for imaging the light as point and shoots don’t have literal shutters.
◾CCD:
CCD stands for “Charged Coupling Device” and is the sensor that point and shoot cameras use to capture the image in the camera. It then processes it. CCDs tend to be VERY small, about the size of your fingernail and as such, can cause a lot of noise if stuffed with too many megapixels. But they are ideal for the compact nature of point and shoot cameras.
◾CMOS:
CMOS stands for “Complementary Metal-oxide Semiconductor.” This sensor design is primarily used by digital SLRS and can be as large as a full frame 35mm negative. The benefits to CMOS sensors are obvious – greater size equals more light captured for the image and greater resolution. The downside has been that when shooting moving video that the image can get a bit skewed, referred to the rolling shutter issue
◾Focal Length:
Focal Length is essentially the range of your lens. Whether 3x or 35x it is the ability of the camera to zoom from its widest point to its farthest.
............................................................................
Lastly, when you have decided on which camera to buy, check out the reviews online, there are loads of review sites, the best I find are http://www.techradar.com/ and http://www.trustedreviews.com/.
If you are buying online, check out the comparison website such as http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/ to get the best current price.