For the Newbies: Choosing a digital camera

Wow! This is a big topic and there is no definitive answer. It all comes down to a matter of preference and intent. What do you like? What do you plan to use it for? There are as many different answers as there are individual letters in this post! Much of the choosing is about experimentation and personal preference.

What type of soap should I buy?
If you’ve ever been to the grocery store and stopped to look at the impressive array of most anything; it can be confusing to shop. Just take a look at the detergent section, for example! You have powder, liquid, high-efficiency, with fabric softener, with color-safe bleach, mountain-fresh, rain-scent, small size, medium size, large size, best-value size, Tide, Dreft, Purex, generic, store label, etc!!! Arghhhhh!!!! Mind you, they all do the same things. Some of them slightly better, others … well, they just impart a different smell!

About those cameras
The camera market is no different. There are lots of manufacturers, each offering slightly different versions of the same thing. They all perform the same function. They capture a digital image of whatever you point them at. You just have to make a decision on which flavor you prefer.

If you have read my articles on aperture and shutter speed, then you know that being able to control these features allows for a great amount of latitude in your picturing taking. You can become quite creative if you have control over these items.

I think that if you plan on experimenting, creatively, then a camera that allows you to control aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc. should be in your future.

Digicams
Cameras, such as the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H50, have lenses that are permanently attached to the body. The big advantage here, especially for someone new to digital photography, is that everything you need is already there! You needn’t buy anything extra, save for a tripod, and some filters, if you want. You can control aperture, shutter speed, ISO (sensitivity), etc. Because the lens is permanently attached, you have no problems with dust getting onto the sensor, so there are no cleaning worries. This camera, for example, has an optical zoom factor of 15x. It can go from a modest wide-angle of 31mm, all the way to a respectable zoom of 465mm. Optical zoom factor being derived by dividing the larger zoom number, 465, by the smaller, 31, giving a factor of 15. It’s safe to ignore any propaganda about digital zoom. It’s crappy! It’s simply a magnification of the scene using mathematics!

EVF a word of caution
One word of caution here. Unfortunately, these cameras have electronic viewfinders (EVF); rather than seeing the actual view, you see the equivalent of a video image. Either that, or you get to look at the LCD screen. It depends on what you like. I’ve never felt comfortable composing in an LCD. Since I started with a film camera and was used to seeing the image through glass, it was rather difficult to get used to an EVF. In fact, I never did get used to it. It’s like the difference between looking out of the window vs. looking out of the window through a video camera. It’s not the same. Also, update speed is a problem. The EVF does not update fast enough to follow action. Period. This, in my opinion, is a very big down side, but don’t take my word for it. It’s important that you check it out for yourself. Go to the store and compare, for example, a D40x and Sony DSC-H50. See which you like better. They are both in about the same price range. Initially.

DSLR
The good thing with these cameras is that they have a mirror that bends the light into the viewfinder, so you are actually looking at the scene that you are going to photograph right through the lens. Crystal-clear.

Again, these are cameras and they take pictures; however, because they have removable lenses, they allow you to be a bit more selective in your lens choices, but they also add another layer of confusion. In the above example, you had a camera that had a lens that covered the range from 31-465mm. Now, you may have purchased, for example, a Nikon D40, which comes with a lens that covers 18-55mm. Well, you’re a bit short now. You’ll need to go out and buy, perhaps a 55-200mm, and a 200-500mm to cover the same range. More $$$. Also, you’ll have to change lenses, etc. All this is fine, if that’s what you want to do. Also, now that you can change lenses, you’re allowing those little dust bunnies inside of your camera. You’ll either have to learn how to clean it, or send it back for cleaning, which is more $$$. The flexibility does not come without a cost. To add another small item, each new lens that you add to your bag, adds a little bit of weight. You have to carry it.

Which is best?
It depends on what you need. There is no best, though brand-loyalist might keelhaul you if don’t agree with their point of view. Discussing which camera is best is akin to discussing religion, politics, megapixels, or shooting raw vs. JPG! It’s just flat out dangerous! Within a group of similarly priced cameras, all of the features are going be about the same. Manufacturers are adding lots of post processing features into the cameras, like color correction, cropping, changing to monochrome. These are better left for after the fact, rather than inside of the camera. It’s much easier to see what you are doing on a monitor than a 2 inch LCD!

Let’s try to winnow it down.
The following is certainly my opinion and what I look for in a camera. Hopefully, reading how I do it will give you ideas of how to perform your own winnowing process. I start by asking myself what is it that I want to do with the camera. Camera technology is always changing and better cameras are coming out for less money. Don’t stress yourself trying to figure out what you’ll want to photograph next year. Buy something that suits your needs today. After all, it’s all that you know.

Are you going to shoot sports?
If I want to seriously consider sports, I have to find a camera that shoots about 4 FPS (Frames Per Second) or better. This is based on my use of cameras shooting at less than 4 FPS and >= 4 FPS. Basically, this will cut out most of the consumer-level cameras and thrust you into the prosumer or professional level cameras. In other words, you’ve crossed the $1,000 zone! Most of the consumer-level cameras shoot at about 2.5 or 3 fps. While I’ve shot sports at this speed, you do miss a lot of important moments. At lot can happen in 1/3 of a second while your camera is trying to get on to the next shot. See my photographing basketball post for more information. If you have an EVF, forget about sports!

How does it feel/fit?
OK. The next important facet, for me, is to see how the camera feels in my hands. I prefer the feel of Nikon cameras because, well, they just fit. I’ve even been told by some serious Canon users who have felt the fit and weight of my Nikons that the camera feels a lot better; however, the choice is yours. I have Nikon equipment because I liked the feel of it, plain and simple. It’s important to me. They also have the features that I like. Does your hand land comfortably on the shutter button? Are the other adjustments in a comfortable place? Does the camera make sense to you? For example, Nikon lenses attach and lock in the counterclockwise direction. Canon, clockwise. Put it around your neck. Is it too heavy? Too light? Just right?

How does it look through the viewfinder?
When you look through the viewfinder, are you comfortable with what you see? If you wear glasses, can you see the entire viewfinder with your glasses on? If you take your glasses off, can you adjust the diopter knob enough so that you can see without your glasses. Some viewfinders show about 96% to 99% of the field of view. If you are very serious about how you frame your subjects, look for one that covers 100% field of view.

Len choices vs. camera manufacturers
Eventually, your lens purchases will exceed your camera purchase. Glass is expensive. You can purchase the original manufacturers lenses, such as Nikon, Canon, Pentax, or Olympus, but 3rd party lenses may be more in your budget. When looking to purchase a DSLR, see if the 3rd party lens manufacturers like Tamron, Tokina, and Sigma make a wide array of lenses for your camera. If your are purchasing a Nikon, or a Canon, well, you probably don’t have a single worry. You’ll have a huge choice. After the top 2, things start to roll off. If you purchase, for example, a Sigma SD14, you may be constraining yourself to only Sigma lenses. Also, if you wanted something like a Lensbaby, it may not be available for your camera.

Megapixels
I don’t even want to go here because I fall back to the practical side. You cannot not tell much difference in a normal sized print, say 11 x 14, between a 6 MP camera and a 10 MP camera, assuming the same sized sensor (APS-C or Full frame). If you are not going to enlarge past this zone, well, then the issue is moot. You can function just fine with a D40 (6MP) or a D40x (10 MP), no need to spend the money on the extra pixels. Again, just my opinion and experience. I own a Nikon D40 (6 MP) as well as a D2x (12.2 MP) and get lovely prints from both of them. I’ve printed D40 files up to 13 x 19 and they look wonderful. So, you may be asking, if it’s so good, why do you have a 12.2 MP camera? Well, they are different beasts. The D40 is my lightweight walk-around camera. The D2x, my all weather, workhouse, sports shooting (5 or 8 FPS) camera. The D2x is HEAVY and not nice to carry around all day!

Sensor Size
Most DLSRs have an APS-C sized sensor. It’s about 75% of the size of a regular 35mm frame. Without going through all of the techno-mumbo-jumbo, larger sensors mean less digital noise at higher sensitivities (ISO). Also, the lenses have different angles of view when placed on the camera. Suffice it to say that if you step into the world of full frame sensors, you’ve just upped the ante!

Nikon has only one, the D3, and it will cost you $4,999. Canon has 2, the 5D, about $1,800, and the 1DS MK III, about $7,999. The big difference between full frame and APS-C is the angle of view and the ability to shoot true ultra-wide angle lenses. I don’t think that this price range is where most beginners want to tread. Perhaps after you get used to your camera, discover what you like to shoot, then you can make the decision to spend between $1,800 and $8,000.

Rent it or borrow it
If you are fortunate enough to live in a large city, or near one, that has a camera store where you can rent a camera for a day or two, take one for a test drive. See how it handles. If at the end of the day, you like it, go buy yourself one. Perhaps your buddy has one that he’d let you borrow for a little while.

In the end … it depends!
So, you see, it’s up to you. No, I didn’t recommend a camera and I only mentioned Nikon, because it’s what I shoot with. Nothing more. Hopefully, I have given you enough information where you can make a choice that will be good for your needs today.

About the pictures: Just a sampling. One with a digicam (Minolta A1), one with a point & shoot (Canon A350), three with DSLRs (D2x, D300, D40). They all got the picture! That’s what camera’s do!