Just Starting Digital Photography, So What Can I Get?
I recently responded to an open forum that asked this question: “Camera budget between 600 and 1000 dollars who can help me pick?” The following was my response.
There are several factors to consider here A) camera style (compact digital or full blown Digital Slr), B) type of subjects most often taken (close up, landscape, people, etc.), C) Lens type needed (built in or add on) and what kind of range? D) What do you do with your photos?
A) Camera style – currently I use a Fuji s9000 which is compact and has an awesome 28-300 optical zoom lens. It is a 9 Mega pixel camera and takes very sharp photos. It is small and light (one of the main reasons for getting it.) The down side is, although I can use filters, I can NOT change the lens. Also it is sometimes slow in deciding what to focus on with a moving subject in the photo.
B) Type of subject – you don’t have to be into sports photography for speed to make a difference. I have not done weddings for a number of years, but if I did I would be tempted to go back to my film camera because the reaction time is much faster. If 90% of your subjects stay still, (portraits, landscape, scenic) a compact camera may well suite your needs. If however 90% of your topics move (grandkids, sports activities, or other events (such as wedding ceremonies or even plays)) a person might easily want to think about moving into the world of a genuine DSLR for the photography.
C) Lens type needed – obviously this depends on the type of body you select. There are many compact Digital Cameras that only come with a 35 to 70 zoom. Even if they have a fantastic mega pixel rating (10 or 12 mega pixel) I would never even consider it because it does not give me enough visual range for my average photo, (I shoot a lot of scenic photos) Built on or not I still like having the widest range possible when taking my photos.
D) What do you do with your photos? In the event that 90% associated with that which you shoot is actually possibly submitted on line or is actually printed as 4×6 prints for the scrapbooking, you do not need an excellent high mega pixel camera. A 3 mega pixel camera will still make VERY sharp 8×10 prints. If you regularly want 16 x 20 prints or you do a lot of photo editing (blow up small portions) then a DSLR would be well worth the investment for a good future in photography.
If I had to do it again and had $1,000 to spend I would go with a Canon xsi body (about $500.00), I would throw away the standard 18-55mm lens that comes with it, and add a Sigma 18-250 zoom lens (also about $500.00). A good Flash and a couple high speed memory cards would also be a must, but those I already have. Canon and Nikon both make excellent units, but so do many other manufactures. After all, right now I’m using a Fuji and for most of what I do, it is meeting my needs. I do make money from my compact digital camera, but I do not shoot as many events as I used to. That’s the bottom line… figure out what you want to shoot first, and then decide on the camera.
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