When Buying a Camera-Part 1

There are so many options, features, models, and brands it can be overwhelming. There are a lot of good cameras out there, but probably only a handful that will meet your shooting needs. To help you narrow down your choices it's important to pick a couple features that are "must haves" and a few that "would be nice to have".

Some features to think about

- size/portability

- image quality

- optical zoom

- shooting conditions-low light, action, sports, stills, portraits, landscapes, travel

- waterproof/dustproof

- video-yes/no HD or standard quality

- changeable lenses (DSLR)

- manual controls

- brand-Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc.

- price

(Notice NOT in that list is megapixals (MP). I'm all for the latest cool gadget but unless you print wall size photos you will not see a difference between 10 MP and 14 MP.)

For example: Recently we bought a camera. We wanted it to have high quality pictures, because picture quality is very important to us, put it in our pocket for portability, it had to be durable so we could take it to the beach, and it needed the video feature since we don't have a regular video camera. Something nice to have would be HD video and the more optical zoom the better. So that means we need high quality, portable, waterproof, and video.

We walked into a camera shop and told them what we needed. The clerk was able to show us a couple different cameras that would meet our needs.

Another example is when we want to replace our big camera. We will need a DSLR Canon to fit the Canon lenses we already have, high quality pictures that can be taken in low light situations. At a price we can afford. This really limits what we can get. DSLR cameras allow you to control the settings more (manual controls) and also to change lenses. The price limit will allow us to purchase a T3i, 60D, or a 7D (if we are lucky) and all those cameras take great pictures.

The key is knowing a couple features want, then going to the store and intelligently explaining what you need. A camera is not just a financial investment, but an investment in your memories. So you want to make a good decision.

In a future post I will explain some more technical things to research in a camera. Have a great night.