APOGEE PHOTO MAGAZINE: Buying Your First Digital Camera

Apogee Photo Magazine

Buying Your First Digital Camera

I have always enjoyed helping people with their photography but have shied away from making specific equipment recommendations. But now, after producing several instructional DVD’s on digital photography, the #1 question from clients, family and friends is: “Brian, what digital camera should I buy”? This is a question that is hard to answer. Why? Buying a digital camera, or any other type of camera, is as personal as buying a new suit of clothes. What your budget is, what your needs are and what your taste is, can be totally different than mine. What I find important, camera lens, camera weight, and the camera viewfinder could be like short or long sleeves to you. So what’s my answer, what’s my advice to those who look to me for digital camera recommendations? Here are some facts and simple questions that ‘you’ should be aware of before buying your first digital camera.

Digital cameras come in all shapes and sizes and with a large range of price tags from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. Digital cameras can be divided into three basic types based on their design and intended use: Point & Shoot, Advanced Amateur, and Professional Cameras.

Digital cameras are rated by the number of pixels that they can record. The more pixels the camera can capture the better it’s resolution. The rating number is usually given in megapixels or MP. Cameras typically are rated as 2, 3, 4, or 5+ MP.

An optical zoom magnifies the image using real multi-focal length lens elements while a digital zoom electronically enlarges only the center 50% of the image. You should avoid using the ‘digital zoom’ feature as it can degrade image quality. Magnification levels with optical zoom lenses are measured in degrees, such as "3X" or "6X" or larger. A "3X" optical zoom, for example, means that if the camera’s minimum focal length is 35mm, then it has the ability to take pictures from 35mm to 105mm.

There are basically three types of viewfinders used on digital cameras today, they are:

·        Optical, which is the best and found on true SLR cameras.

·        Electronic, which has a small color monitor inside eyepiece of the camera viewfinder.

·        Through the camera optics which doesn’t always see the same image your lens is seeing.

Many low end cameras only offer one shooting mode, automatic. Other systems allow you to select from such modes as: Portrait, Sports, Action, Sunset and Night Scenes.

15 Questions Before You Buy

#1: What is the intended use of the camera? If you just want to make images of family and friends, then a lower price camera will work well. On the other hand, if you want to profit from your photography you will have to step up in price.

#2: What kind and size of removable memory cards does the camera use? Check the specification pages at the manufacturers web sites to make sure the camera has removable memory cards and what kind and how much additional cards cost. Usually when you purchase a digital camera it will come with a limited storage capacity card of 8-12 MB. Typically you will need a memory card of 64MB+. The larger the capacity of the card the more images you can take or record.

#3: How does the camera interface with your computer? Most cameras come with a serial or USB cable to connect the camera to your computer allowing pictures to be downloaded. Some newer type printers have memory card readers built-in that allow you to transfer your images from the card reader to your computer.

#4: What is the maximum resolution of saved images? Low resolution pictures make for low resolution prints.

#5: Does the camera have reasonable battery requirements? In general, rechargeable lithium type batteries will give you the best results.

#6: Does the camera have an LCD screen? The LCD is a small color monitor on the back of the camera. This screen is required for viewing images taken and deleting unwanted images from memory.

#7: Does the camera have an optical or electronic viewfinder? This is especially important for outdoor photography since LCD viewfinders wash out in full sunlight.

#8: In what format are images saved? JPEG and TIFF are the most common formats.

#9: Are there manual overrides for exposure and focus control?

#10: What are the macro, zoom, and other lens features? A 3 X zoom is fine, but a 6 X+ is better!

#11: What is the camera weight and how is it constructed, plastic or metal? Cheap cameras have plastic lens, I prefer a glass lens.

#12: Does the camera have a built in flash and if so how powerful is it? Most digital cameras have very underpowered flash units so check to see if you can use an accessory flash unit.

#13: What software is bundled with the camera? Many camera systems come with software that will help you store, organize and enhance your images.

#14: What kinds of accessories are available for your selected camera system, like camera bags, filters and flash units?

#15: How much does the camera cost? When purchasing a new digital camera, don’t buy from a strange retailer on price alone. There are many, many unscrupulous retailers on the web and in the malls so buy from retailers that have good reputations. NEVER BUY NEW CAMERAS FROM PRIVATE PARTIES ON THE INTERNET! Always use a major credit card for the purchase of your system, that way if there are any problems you can get the credit card company involved. Extended Warranties, some people love them, others don’t, I stay away from them.

This is as specific as I can get. While I might not know a Canon A0 something from a Nikon X0 something, I do know the value of you doing your own research before you buy. Remember this, any camera, in the right hands, can be a great camera. Good luck and good shooting.

________________

This article is printed with the permission of www.photo-seminars.com and is an excerpt from Brian’s new instructional DVD ‘Digital Photography, the Camera’ which can be found at: www.photo-seminars.com/store2/DVD1.html

Brian Ratty is an internationally known photographer and educator. He has authored many articles, videos, audios and DVD’s on photography. Mr. Ratty is a graduate of Brooks Institute of Photography and holds an Honorary Master of Science Degree.