Help for those "what camera should I buy" questions...

[klynam]

Christmas is just around the bend and you're beginning to receive the usual question: Hey, you're a photographer - which camera should I buy?

To help with this, each year I write a quick little buyer's guide on my FaceBook page. I've included this year's post below.

If you like it, feel free to send it around to friends and family. It's nothing special, not exactly comprehensive, certainly not definitive, and definitely just one person's perspective (mine). But maybe, just maybe, it will help keep one little monkey off your back this year.


********** Point-n-shoot Camera Buyer's Guide **********


"I have about $____ to spend and want a new digital camera. Which one should I buy?"

Whatever your price range, there are a LOT of good cameras available - SO many in fact it's hard to make a definitive recommendation because the camera models and features change so fast and it seems every store (physical or online) has different camera models, even from the same manufacturer!

For the purposes of this guide, we're going to stay with point-n-shoot digital cameras. Digital SLR cameras are another matter entirely.

Here’s a good rule of thumb: Just about ANY new point-n-shoot camera available today has 80-90% of the features most people will ever need or use. The other 10-20% are specialized features that one camera has and another does not. Think about how YOU will use your camera most of the time, and buy the best camera you can that meets those needs.

Since most people are in the market for point-n-shoot cameras (as opposed to digital SLR cameras) here are my specific recommendations...

1. Stay with Canon or Nikon. Yes, the other companies make good cameras too. But the big two are solid choices and will help you narrow down your options right off the top.

2. 8-megapixels ("8mp") is more than enough. Due to the small sensor sizes in point-n-shoot cameras, the larger the "megapixel" number, the more prone the image is to "noise", which has to be corrected by the camera's internal processor, which ultimately reduces image quality. For 99% of point-n-shoot purposes, anything over 8-megapixels is a waste.

3. Choose a camera with the largest OPTICAL (8x-20x) zoom you can afford. DIGITAL zoom (50x-200x) just resize and crop photos to appear zoomed-in. A camera with 10X “optical” zoom will ultimately create better pictures than a camera with 30X “digital” zoom.

4. I recommend cameras that use AA batteries. Why? First of all, you can get AA batteries anywhere, anytime you need them. Next, you don’t want to drag along a battery charger everywhere you go and you won’t always have access to a power outlet when you suddenly need it. Next, when your “special” battery dies – and it will eventually – you’ll have to buy another and they are expensive! Finally, use rechargeable AA batteries! These give you the best of both worlds. Keep the AA charger at your home and use it most of the time. When you go on a trip or something, leave the rechargeable batteries and just use good AA’s.

Note: Yes, battery life is important and cameras that use AA batteries do tend to have lower battery life. I believe the flexibility is worth much more than "per charge" usage.

Note: When buying rechargeable AA batteries, get name brand batteries (Eveready, Duracell, Panasonic, etc.) with the highest power rating you can find - at least 2000ma, more is better. Also, get a few extras so you can always have batteries charged for use.

5. If you don’t need to take videos, bypass cameras with “movie mode” and get a camera with more photography features for around the same price.

6. If you do want movie mode, don’t worry about “HD”. Odds are you really don’t need 720 or 1080 “HD” quality video for a birthday party video. Save a little here and get a camera with regular movie mode and better photography features.

7. Cameras with “image stabilization” or “optical stabilization” will produce better images when flash is not being used. (And yes, there are times you should not use flash!)

8. Ask about discontinued camera models that are on sale. You’ll get the same warranty and cheaper price on a camera that was the “cat’s meow” just a few months ago.

9. Memory cards: Most point-n-shoot cameras use SD memory cards. I recommend buying several (2-4) 2gb or smaller memory cards. They are cheap and readily available. DO NOT get memory cards over 4gb. Why? Because smaller capacity cards force you to transfer your photos/videos to your computer more often. A 16gb memory card can hold 10,000 photos. If it fails – and cards DO fail – you wont loose thousands photos and videos from the last YEAR of partys and trips that you never bothered to transfer to your computer!

NOTE: If you buy a SONY camera pay careful attention to what memory it uses. Some ONLY use Sony memory sticks – which are not always easy to find.

10. Cameras with larger, brighter, hi-resolution LCD screens are much easier to see and use, but inevitably shorten battery life due to the power requirements. Just a point of awareness here.

11. Try not to get all googly-eyed about sexy features you'll only use once in a blue moon - if ever at all !!! Most cameras have all the basic features you need like redeye reduction, custom shooting modes (sports, portait, night, landscape, macro), and creative image effects (b&w, sepia tone, etc.) Unfortunately you’ll probably find camera A has two features you want, while camera B two other features you want. Camera C may have three of the four, but is $47 out of your price range. Welcome to the world of digital cameras. Remember how YOU intend to use your camera, select features that are MOST important to you, and stick to your budget.

12. Buy a $20 USB2.0 card reader and leave it hooked up to your computer. (Or check your desktop printer – some have card readers built in to them.) Don’t bother hooking your camera up to the computer to transfer images. Just pull the card out, put it in your card reader, and transfer the images.

13. Buy a nice, little case that fits your camera well – and keep your camera in the case even if it’s in your purse or suitcase!

There are of course many other camera questions – and important ones: RAW files, shutter lag, adjustable ISO/f-stop/shutter speed, extended dynamic range, etc. But those get into details of photography that aren’t very critical to the average point-n-shoot camera user.

I hope this helps with your camera selection, and that you enjoy your camera for a long time to come.

May you have a very blessed Christmas and happy new year!!!

[hotshot38]

OK...now can you make one for the 'I have a P&S, but your pictures looks so much better.....I want to move up to a DSLR...which one should I get?' crowd :)

[klynam]

Actually, that one is easier to answer.

I just say, "Canon or Nikon - pick one - it really doesn't matter. Just be prepared to stay with your choice. The lenses are NOT interchangeable and you'll eventually have more money in 'glass' than your camera bodies are worth. And that is what ultimately keeps you locked into your camera selection."

[hotshot38]

That IS a good answer. Now to shoot off a bunch of emails that I've been ignoring ;)

[toverman]

Originally Posted by klynam

Actually, that one is easier to answer.

I just say, "Canon or Nikon - pick one - it really doesn't matter. Just be prepared to stay with your choice. The lenses are NOT interchangeable and you'll eventually have more money in 'glass' than your camera bodies are worth. And that is what ultimately keeps you locked into your camera selection."

I agree that's a good answer, but a lot of newbies will buy the cheapest body they can find and ONE lens. So in a way, they've got it much easier if they want to go to another brand.

[klynam]

true - true - it's SO much easier to switch early on...

[3n-Out]

Good document.. I may even pass this one on! :)