Buying My First Camera
The better thing to ask is “Should I buy a camera?”
This is the ultimate questions that nobody thinks to ask. This blog will cover the difference between wanting and needing a camera? We will also look at what type of camera you should invest in if it is appropriate? Let’s look into answering a question only you have the answer too.
This is written for people who don’t have a dedicated camera. That being said I’m looking at this as such and that you don’t have extensive knowledge of photography.
Types of Photography
Before we get started, let’s look at types of photography you would encounter as a beginner photographer
Personal - These photos are essentially selfies, quick memories of kids, and the embarrassing photos you really don’t want getting out.
Landscapes - these are photos of the environment. Generally, they will capture a wide view of mountains, trees, and such.
Portraits - these are photos of a person directly
Still Life - these are photos of still objects
Product - photos of products that would be sold
Sports - photos of sports and action
Wildlife - photos of animals in nature
Street - photos of people on the street, usually candid but not necessarily
Travel - almost a mix between street and location. This would be more location photos
Snapshots - quick photos taken without regards to how or what the photo conveys. Usually to remember a memory like a birthday.
Fine Art - these are photos higher end and more detailed. They are generally printed, shown in galleries, and sold. Fine art photos will have more though and effort put into them with high detail into composition and subject matter.
Flash Photography - this is used in most studio environments to help provide more light. It is used most often in fine art and professional photography.
Videography - this is for cameras that capture solid image quality. Most every camera I mention will have video features, but this is reserved for the one that perform the best in this reguard.
Working Photographer - this is where you are using your camera to make money. Wedding, family, and product photographers are working photographers.
Enthusiast Photographer - Though they may do hiring jobs, they generally shoot for themselves but on an advanced level. They understand camera settings and most likely flash photography.
Amateur Photographers - These are people who are learning about photography or are simply taking photos for fun.
The cameras will be labeled with what type of photography they are good for.
Wants vs Needs
When we think of wants and needs, we often put wants into needs. Though practically this may be true, it is important to remember we don’t need internet to survive but we may need it for our job. The first thing to understand is why do we feel we need a camera. As you read this you may find your phone will do just fine, and if that’s the case you won’t get better photos with a camera, but by composing your work better.
Phone
Good For - Personal, Landscapes, Still Life, Portrait, Street, Travel, Video, Snapshots
Struggles With - Sports, Wildlife, Fine Art, Flash photography, Working Photography
Who is it for - Amateurs
So your phone may be the perfect camera for you. First of all it is always available to you, and for most of the things you would do in your personal life, it’s all you need. Now for professional work, showing up with your iPhone is a bad idea. That being said your phone is lacking one feature every other camera on this list gives you an option for optical zooms. This means if you zoom on your phone, you’re guaranteed a loss in quality. Digital zoom works by cropping in on the camera’s sensor. That being said, most people don’t need a zoom for personal photos. With computational photography in phones getting better and better, a phone may make for the perfect camera. Plus with access to social media right on the phone mean sharing photos is easiest on the phone.
I put portraits in here because even though the wide angle lens will pull facial features in an unflattering way, most have computational features that make for pretty nice portraits. The same goes with video, as most higher end cameras can actually perform extremely well.
Entry Level Point and Shoot Cameras
Good For - Personal, Landscapes, Still Life, Travel, snapshots
Struggles With - Fine Art, Flash Photography, Working Photography
Who is it for - Amateurs
So this camera is for people who have a phone that is older or a budget model that would like to get image quality similar to a modern smartphone. These cameras were popular a decade ago, but phones have started to replace their popularity. The one thing that these have over phones is their zooming lens. This means you can zoom in and out without losing quality. This makes it a better camera for your kids soccer game than a smartphone, but it comes with some costs as well. Most of the time the focusing systems in some cameras are basic and can be slow to focus. So read before you settle on a point and shoot.
Bridge Cameras
Good For - Personal, Landscapes, Still Life, Product, Travel, *Product, *Flash, Wildlife, sports
Struggles with - Fine Art, Working Photography
Who is it for - Amateurs
Bridge Camera’s a type of point and shoot camera, but generally have the best zoom ranges of all point and shoot cameras. This lets you get into the sport and wildlife categories. That means photos of kids at a soccer game will come out significantly better than what your phone will do. They aim to be a stepping stone into a DSLR, but with simpler features to allow for a nice mix between advanced and beginner photography. Because of this stepping stone the size is similar to that of a consumer DSLR, so they are also the bulkiest of the point and shoot cameras. That being said feature sets can vary wildly within this range of camera. What does stay the same is the general sensors used in them, they are similar to the ones in the entry level and phone cameras. Some bridge cameras do include a hot shoe, which is nice if you want to get into flash photography, or even into product photography The key word here is some, and that’s why there are asterisks by product and flash. This isn’t a camera I would take to a client. They are flexible, but don’t offer the image quality and power of a higher end camera.
High End Point and Shoot Cameras
Good For - Personal, Landscapes, Portraits, Still Life, Product, Travel, Product, Street, Snapshots, Fine Art, Video
Struggles with - possibly wildlife and travel due to zoom
Who is it for - Amateurs and Enthusiasts
So here we get into a world of cameras that are a jack of all trades and a master of none. Don’t think this means they aren’t great cameras, they are great cameras which excel in most aspects of photography. They have larger sensors than their entry level point and shoot or bridge camera brothers but generally a slightly smaller zoom range than most consumer point and shoots. This larger sensor delivers much better image quality compared to the other point and shoot cameras. When I say the image quality is noticeable, I mean it is clearly noticeable. These cameras are more expensive… but if you want a small compact camera that offers portability of a point and shoot with the most all of the features of Mirrorless Camera and DSLR.
Consumer DSLR and Mirrorless Cameras
Good For - Personal, Landscapes, Portraits, Still Life, Product, Travel, Product, Street, Snapshots, Fine Art, Wildlife, Sports
Struggles with - *Video
Who is it for - Amateurs and Enthusiasts
So with entry level DSLRs, you get a lot of possibility if you are willing to pay the price to do so. These cameras have larger sensors than high end point and shoots, a multitude of lenses to pick from, and full manual and automatic controls that allow you to learn and grow with. That being said, these aren’t designed for heave professional work. Many of these early entry cameras have mediocre video settings, so it’s not always a good choice for video work. Some of these are better than others, but it’s something to be aware of. Many of these cameras will come in a kit with a general zoom lens, and some include a telephoto zoom. If you are starting out, consider used cameras and lenses from a local camera shop. They will help you come in below your budget, leaving extra for more batteries or another lens. One thing to note is that some lenses zoom and some don’t. Zooms offer convenience of a range of focal lengths, but prime lenses let in more light and are most often sharper. I prefer a solid prime lens above a zoom for much of my work but I do use both.
Enthusiast and Professional DSLR and Mirrorless Cameras
Good For - Everything
Struggles with - Ease of Use
Who is it for - Enthusiasts and Professionals
You shouldn’t be looking at these if you are starting out. They often lack automatic modes, and have a lot of features that are clunky to a beginner. These often have many buttons on them, and are highly customizable to allow professionals to achieve the exact styles they are looking for. In some cases, an entry level DSLR has a sensor that is shared with a higher end DSLR. This means you can get the same quality images out of it without the added cost or confusion.
Making the choice
Look at the strengths and weaknesses of each one. Remember, you can upgrade down the line if you ever need more features, and if you don’t need more then at least you didn’t waste all the money on something that really didn’t give you something more.
I have a professional DSLR, but I can’t say I’ve ever gotten better results out and about compared to my mirrorless Canon EOS M2 which came out at the end of 2013. So when I say get what you need, it’s because you could spend $400 to import an EOS M2 with 2 lenses which does all my personal stuff just as well as my $3400 on a 5DS without a lens. For many people their phone will work just as well. I always have my phone with me, and it’s perfect for capturing moments with friends or family without the hassle of getting out my camera. Many people though are using the camera on their phone, and honestly how unhappy have you been with those photos. Most phones take amazing photos these days, so only you can decide if getting a camera is right for you.
Budget
This isn’t all about wants and needs, it’s also about budget. So below I listed each section of camera to and the least and most expensive camera on Canon’s website as of April 2019. These are just to use as a guide to decide on your camera budget. Remember there is also the used camera market which could net you some pretty nice savings.
Point and shoots hover around $100 for an entry level camera.
Canon PowerShot ELPH 180 - $120
Canon PowerShot SX 740 HS - $400
Bridge cameras start around $200 and go up from there depending on features.
Canon PowerShot SX 420 HS - $200
Canon PowerShot SX70 HS - $550
Higher end point and shoots will usually start around $350, depending on which model you get I’ve seen them max out around the $1000 mark, but they are extremely feature rich just like enthusiast DSLRs.
Canon PowerShot G9 X Mark II - $430
Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III - $1000
If you are looking at a used beginner or consumer DSLR camera then expect to start for a basic camera and lens combo around 400 dollars new on sale or with one lens.
Canon EOS Rebel T6 18mm-55mm and 75mm-300mm Double Zoom lens Kit - $400
Canon EOS Rebel SL3 18mm-55mm Zoom Lens Kit - $650
Canon EOS Rebel T8i 18-55mm Zoom lens Kit - $900
Mirrorless is similar to DSLR, but I find pricing can be a bit higher in some cases and lower in others. I find entry cameras to be a little higher than DSLRs but at the high end I find them to be a great value. There is a smaller sensor option for mirrorless called Micro Four Thirds. These cameras are made by Panasonic or Olympus.
Canon EOS M200 15mm-45mm Zoom Lens Kit - $550
Canon EOS M50 15mm-45mm and 55mm-200mm Double Zoom Lens Kit - $829
Canon EOS RP 24mm - 105mm Zoom Lens Kit (The STM version, not the L lens version) - $1399.99
Other Considerations
If you ask a friend who’s a photographer, they are going to ask what you are using it for. The reason being is that we use our equipment for specific things, and all this equipment is more specialized than you may think, and that’s why I label each camera type for what it excels and doesn’t excel in. With the Canon kits I included some dual lens kits as well to show the versatility of a Mirrorless or DSLR. I also recommend searching for different brands like Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Nikon, Olympus, and Fuji. Finally ask someone who is a photographer what they think will be a good fit for you. If you don’t have anyone, email me and I’ll help you the best I can.
This blog comes from a question I constantly get, and for me I wanted to point people to a resource that can help them find what they needed without all the technical jargon. Hopefully this helps.