The first step is to determine where you are right now, and as important, where do you want to go. Most people have no real desire to learn photography. They want good pictures, the process of acquiring them is unimportant and uninteresting.
This is a completely fine position to take. And if that is you, you fit solidly into group number one below. Look at this list and find which best describes you.
1. Point and Shoot – I want to click the shutter, save and share my pictures and be done.
2. Point and Shoot, but wanting more – There are times I wish I could take that special picture.
3. Aspiring Enthusiast – I’m ready to take the next step and really learn how this works.
4. Enthusiast to Expert – You don’t need my help, so go someplace and shoot some Rad Pics.
If you fall into the first two categories above, camera selection becomes fairly easy. What you are looking for is a good quality Compact Digital Camera. Spend a little time on the Internet reading reviews and lists of recommended cameras, then go to your local camera store, big box store, or practically any store of your choice and play with the demo models. What you are looking for is one that feels “right” in your hands, with a lens appropriate to your typical subject.
Focus on a nearby object, then zoom the lens through its range. Pick a more distant object and repeat. Make sure the zoom control falls easily under your finger and it smoothly covers the range of subjects YOU typically are interested in shooting. If you rarely, if ever take pictures of junior out in left field, eagles soaring over the mountains, or squirrels perched in the top of trees you don’t need a Super-zoom. A one to eight (8X zoom or less) is probably adequate, and considerably more compact.
Take some time and access the menu and if you can, take a few trial pictures. I always carry an SD Card (Memory Card) with me when I am out looking at cameras so I can look at the results afterwards. Admittedly, this is probably overkill for shoppers in this category, but it doesn’t hurt to take the extra effort.
Ignore the hype on megapixels, special features yadda, yadda, yadda. Practically any modern Compact Digital Camera will produce exceptional photos with practice and decent photographic composition and technique. What you are seeking is handling, comfort, convenience and suitability to your subject matter (adequate zoom range) and ease of use. When you find a camera you like, buy it and enjoy.
For those of you in category two, much of the above applies, but add to that an emphasis on trying the menu and controls. I invite you to read through the advice for the next category, those who are “Aspiring Enthusiasts”, as it will help explain what you are looking for here and why.
If you are a “Point and Shoot” photographer, but really want to take control, instead of just relying on the camera to do its business, you will probably want a more advanced Digital Compact Camera. The designations here can be at confusing best, but a few things to look for typically distinguish cameras in this range.
Things you will typically find on more advanced models:
1) Better Optics (lens). Visually the lens will often be larger and the f number printed on the lens (and in the brochures) will be smaller. Typical offerings for advanced digital cameras are lenses with f numbers 2.8 and below. The smaller the f number, the larger the maximum Aperture, and the more light the lens is capable of capturing. (See the section for Aspiring Enthusiasts for more on this subject)
2) Optical Viewfinder. Whether this is important or not depends upon you (until you try to take pics in full sun in the desert while using the LCD display on the back of your camera). Most enthusiasts find an optical viewfinder to be a significant asset .
3) Manual Controls. Using the Menu is all well and good, but the ability to rapidly adjust Aperture and/or Shutter Speed without having to take your eye off of your subject will often mean the difference between capturing that special picture or missing the shot entirely.
Going Beyond Point and Shoot
For the Aspiring Enthusiasts, your choices are numerous and confusing without a more thorough discussion of photography basics. So, bear with me for (hopefully ) a few paragraphs.
The first thing to understand is that your ultimate goal with your new camera isn’t to accurately capture and reproduce what the camera lens “sees”, but what your mind’s eye “sees”. Honestly, this is what shifts photography, despite the hard science behind it, into the realm of art.
The best example I can offer for what I mean is subject isolation. You are shooting a portrait of your girl friend, wife, or significant other. They and they alone are the focus (pun intended) of your photo. To achieve this you need to be able to manage Depth of Field (DOF).
Depth of Field is the range between the nearest and farthest objects in the camera view that appear to be in sharp focus. In general, the larger the lens Aperture (think small f number) and the longer the lens in focal length (200mm vs 50mm) the shallower the DOF. Proper use of DOF allows the photographer’s subject, in this case a portrait, to be in sharp focus, while the background dissolves into a pleasing blur.
For a landscape shot it is more often desirable to achieve maximum DOF so that everything within view is in sharp focus. For this you would move toward smaller Apertures (large f number) and shorter lens focal length (typically 10-16mm for APS-C DSLRs).
Another tool in the photographer’s bag is Shutter Speed. With it he can freeze action at a Nascar race, capture the moment of impact of a tennis ball and racket, or if he chooses, bring ocean waves to life through capturing motion blur by choosing and intentionally “too slow” shutter speed.
Sensitivity, controlled through ISO selection, gives the photographer the ability to match desired Shutter Speed to Aperture required for proper DOF. The trade off for higher sensitivity is more noise and overall degradation of the image. Higher sensitivity settings, designated by higher ISO numbers, are critical for taking pictures in extreme lighting conditions, such as low light scenes, candid shots on a city street at night, while lower ISOs better handle intense light, as in noon day desert sun conditions.
To most effectively use these tools it is often neccesary to change lenses, as an all-in-one lens that covered the full range of focal lengths desired and Apertures required would be expensive, impractical and huge (think Bazooka). There are other reasons too, such as reduced distortion and greater sharpness which are easier to achieve through lenses designed to a single fixed focal length, or to cover a smaller zoom range. If changing lenses is a factor in your decision you have basically two options; a DSLR, or a Mirrorless camera (some of which look like shrunken DSLRs).
It is possible an Advanced Compact Digital camera such as the Canon G12 or Nikon P7100 is all you really need. Both have decent optics, manual controls, and relatively large (for a compact digital) sensors. And either will allow you to take your photography to that next level with a minimal investment in basics and technique.
But, if you are truly wanting to take control a DSLR or Mirrorless is your choice. They offer much large sensors than are typical of Compact Digitals, with all of the advantages and disadvantages the larger sensor brings. Also, you gain the flexibility of interchangeable lenses as well as compatibility with accessory flash units for better control and balance of subject lighting.
This enhanced flexibilty and performance is not without cost, both in dollars and size. Even the smallest DSLRs and Mirrorless cameras are too large to be considered “pocketable”. Add to that the additional lenses and accessories and even the most compact kit of this type becomes a significant weight and space consideration when hittitng the trails.
Which of these to choose, a DSLR or Mirrorless, and especially which DSLR or Mirrorless, is a subject too extensive for an article like this. I will only say that everything I mentioned before about handling applies in spades here. In addition, you will need to look at the total package. By this I mean available lenses and accessories. When you purchase a DSLR (or Mirrorless camera), you aren’t so much buying a camera as you are buying into a camera system.
Camera bodies wear out or are superseded by the next great thing, but good lenses go on forever. With a DSLR and with a Mirrorless camera as well, your greatest investment is in glass (lenses).
The Choice is Yours
I hope this has helped clear up misconceptions and prepared you to make your best choice. If nothing else, you are ready the next time a salesman approaches and says, “Its all about Megapixels!”
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