Ok so you want to buy a camera, but there are so many cameras on the market, how do you know which is the right one for you?
“It’s not the camera, but who’s behind it” – Anonymous
First of all I just want to say that to be great photographer, it doesn’t matter what camera you have as long as you know how to use it and how to work with light to create the result you are aiming for.
With photography becoming more and more popular the camera manufacturers have started pumping out new camera after new camera, all with slightly different features geared towards a specific photography genre or process.
First camera
If you are just starting out with photography and are not sure what type of photography you want to specialise in yet, then you probably don’t need all these bells and whistles. So low range mirrorless camera would be the best place to start. Have a look at the Canon R50 or the Nikon Z50. From there you can get to know the basic features of a camera, like the exposure and focus settings, and start to get an idea of what you need out of a camera.
Second camera
If you have been shooting for a while and have an idea of what you need from a camera, then I recommend doing a bit of research. Start by making a list of what is wrong or frustrates you with your current camera. This will make it clear as to what features you need to have in your new camera. For example if you do a lot of night time photography you may be getting frustrated by how grainy your photos come out, so want to invest in a camera with a high ISO capability.
If you also shoot video you are going to want to look into the video functions of the camera, some have more than others. Some have timelapse or slow motion video functions, other don’t.
If you are a landscape photographer you may want to have HDR or panorama functions.
If you use longer lenses, or have shaky hands, vibration reduction might be important to you.
There are many different things that cameras can do, it is just a matter of working out what you need from your camera and making sure the camera you choose has those functions.
Lenses and accessories
The other thing that you are going to want to consider is what lenses or accessories can you get for your camera.
Mirrorless cameras are now the most popular camera on the market, but because they have only been around for a few years, they have less lenses available, so you might not be able to get the lens you need.
If you already have a DSLR camera you probably have a collection of lenses as well. It doesn’t make sense to buy a whole new set of lenses, so it would be best for you to get a camera from the same manufacturer. Note: most manufacturers provide adapters for using DSLR lenses on mirrorless cameras.
You will also want to think about what accessories will work with your camera. Not all flash units will work with all cameras. Not all cameras have the right input or output ports you need for accessories such as microphones or shutter release cables.
So, as you can see I have not really told you what camera to buy, as it really does depend on what you are going to be using it for, what your budget is and what equipment you already have. If you do want a bit more help working out exactly what camera is best for you, I would be happy to have a chat, so please send me a message and we can set up a time for a call.
A lot of camera shops have a try before you buy policy as well, where you can rent the camera for a period of time to get a feel for how it works and if it is right for you. This is a great way to test it out before you spend all your money and then realise that maybe this wasn’t the best camera for you.
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