So you’ve finally decided to move beyond the digital point and shoot. You’ve decided to take your hobby to the next level and are considering what the world of serious (and not so serious) photography has to offer. But before you burn holes into your wallet with your first digital SLR camera (yes, these babies don’t come cheap), take to heart these tips.
Life With Purpose
When the salesperson pummels you with all the details and models, foisting on you this model or that, keep your mind on this: what do you need the camera for? Do you plan to take more portraits than landscapes? Do product photography? Veer into photojournalism? Knowing which field you want to get into will help a lot in deciding which camera, lenses and other equipment would best work for you.
Budget, Budget, Budget
Even if budget is the least of your concerns, I’d still suggest setting a budget. This way, you can spend your extra cash on other gadgets that would go with your camera. Remember to include the total cost of ownership, though. Add up the prices of extra batteries, media card, studio lights, and other equipment.
Technical Details
If you consider only three technical details, let it be these:
- Writing speed—the time the camera takes to process an image.
- Weight—Yes, the weight. You don’t want to be lugging with you a heavy camera when your work requires you to be always on the go.
Mega Combat
What do you plan to use the photos for? Are you a web designer, taking photos for the web? Then a 1-mega- pixel (MP) camera can do the job. For the regular snapshot-sized photos, a 3-megapixel camera is enough. However, if your purpose is to produce professional quality photos, invest in higher MP cameras. The Canon IDS Mark 2, for example, has 16 MP. But remember, the more MPs, the more zeros after the dollar sign. For beginners, a 6MP digital SLR would be advisable, such as Fuji’s S3 Finepix, Canon 350D or Nikon D70.
Lens
From macro lenses to telephoto lenses, it’s an array of choices.
Again, what is your purpose? Two factors to consider are the focal length and the maximum aperture of your lens. The faster your lens is, the more expensive it is. Double-check your lens’s features and, if you’re purchasing a third-party lens, compatibility with your camera.
Media And Battery
Since you are already investing on your photography skills, you might as well invest on high-capacity media. Most photographers would shoot in JPEG and RAW at the same time, requiring a lot of room for just a few shots. Try to squeeze in an extra 1GB, or even 8GB media card in your budget. However, a 512MB will do if you are on a tight budget.
Now, your 1GB media would be useless if you’ve run out of battery. Preferably, choose an SLR that uses rechargeable AA batteries, fly to get a good bargain by asking for a bonus high-capacity media card, or extra batteries with charger. Again, just make sure your media card and your batteries are compatible with your camera.
ISO
A camera that can be set from ISO 50 to ISO 3200 is good. However, going back to my first question, what is your purpose? Will you be taking a lot of action? Will you be taking a lot of indoor shots that won’t allow you to use a flash? Having a camera with different settings for your ISO will give you more options for your photos.
These tips are just your guide. Ask a reliable friend who has actually used a particular brand of camera so he/she can give you all the feedback you need. Good luck!
