Commercial, Corporate and Architectural Photography

What Camera should I get? Part II

In my last post I wrote about the first three questions you needed to ask yourself when thinking about what camera to buy.

Cost or what can I afford.
Types of images or what am I going to photograph.
Convenience or how do I want the camera to work.

When looking at cost you have to first estimate how long you think you will have your camera. Back when I got my first camera, a Kodak Instamatic 104, everyone assumed the technology was so advanced that you could keep using it for 10 or more years. With today’s technology it seems like something new comes out every 6 months! Are you going to want the next greatest thing? Perhaps you are willing to buy “old” technology, you know something that came out last Holiday Season? (Even if you’re reading this in January)

If you are willing to get a camera that came out just 6 months ago, you can probably find a heck of a deal! With websites like www.amazon.com, www.ebay.com or even Fred’s local camera shop there are great deals everywhere.

Let’s think about what types of images you want to capture. If you are going to be taking pictures of your new puppy, do you want to have to change lenses? Chances are that you may not have time to switch lenses when the puppy is doing something that is just so cute (like peeing on your mother in-law’s new fur coat). However if you are going to be trying to photograph your nephew’s football game from the second level of the stadium you may need to have that reach of a strong telephoto lens. Also consider the differences between landscapes and portraits, or snapshots of the family reunion and street photography.

This leads us to convenience. If you want the puppy peeing, it may be best to have a camera that you can carry in your pocket, the standard point and shoot type camera. In many cases it is in one way, inconvenient to have to switch lenses. Then again, it’s more than inconvenient to miss that great play when your nephew wins the game for his team. With a little planning, switching lenses can be worth that little extra effort.

If after asking yourself these questions you have decided to go with the point and shoot type camera, it’s now just a matter of what features you want or need. If so, keep in mind the utmost important thing when it comes to all cameras: zoom.

In the point and shoot category manufacturers make cameras that have optical zoom and digital zoom. Digital zoom is the biggest marketing ploy there ever was, well other than the cube flashes for that Instamatic I mentioned earlier. Digital zoom is just the act of cropping an image. Cutting it down so that what you see is just the part of the image you wanted to ‘zoom’ in to. You can do the same thing in Photoshop or some other photo editing software. Always opt for optical zoom.

In the next part of our series: a brief overview of the all mighty megapixels and what you need to know about them.

Until then, Happy Shooting!

“Magick” Michael

What Camera should I get? Part I

As a professional photographer I am often approached by someone asking me, “What camera should I get?” or “I saw this camera on sale. Is it a good deal?” Well that depends on a lot of things. Certainly you aren’t going to buy a DSLR for an 8 year old! But then does the average 30 year old even want a DSLR or even a prosumer (one step below pro but above consumer) camera? To decide what camera is best for you, you need to ask yourself a few questions.

The very first question you want to ask is, “How much do I want to spend can I spend without my partner freaking out?” The amount you spend isn’t as important as it used to be. Cameras are coming down in price and yet adding features that didn’t even exist 15 years ago.

The next question is what types of images do you want to capture? It’s doubtful you are going to shoot a professional sporting event for the evening paper with a point and shoot. It’s not that it can’t be done, but it is much more likely the editor is going to want either more or better shots than you can get with a pocket camera.

The last of the big three questions is a matter of convenience. Well, actually, the question itself is convenience! Do you want to carry a bulkier, but more flexible, SLR and multiple lenses around with you or do you want something that fits in your pocket or purse? (If you say fits in my fanny pack, leave. Close this browser window and go watch the fashion channel. When you learn why that is a horrible thought, come back and finish reading.)

In future posts I will address each of these questions in greater depth. By the end of the series you will have a better understanding of what to look for in a camera and possibly even know what camera you want! While you’re waiting for the next post, check out my images on http://www.magickmichael.com. See if you can figure out which camera I used for each.

“Magick” Michael