Most of us can remember shooting on film of some sort. Once upon a time shooting with a digital camera was a compromise relative to 35mm film that many accepted for reasons of convenience. There are very few who would now claim that shooting film is technically superior to modern digital sensors so I’ll ignore film in the below.
There are roughly three kinds of digital cameras that should be considered:
- Professional or amateur interchangeable lens cameras
- Point and shoot cameras
- Mobile phones
To ruin the conclusion I think most people would be happiest with two of the above but almost no-one needs all three.
Professional or amateur interchangeable lens cameras
Most cameras in this category are almost indistinguishable in appearance from the form that 35mm SLRs have shared for the past few decades. The primary difference being the digital display on the rear. I would also include in this group a new category of camera that is smaller due to the ability to remove the mirror mechanism that would allow the optical view finder to time share the lens with the sensor.
The main advantages of these cameras is that they have much larger sensors which allow them to gather more detail and more light (or the same amount of light in a shorter period of time). They also power up and focus dramatically faster than the other two categories. Add these together and you can quickly capture moments indoors without flash. Not too long ago getting these advantages meant trading away things like live view on the digital display and movie recording but that trade off is no longer necessary. The selection of lenses is one the most compelling reasons to own such a camera. Mostly because it allows people to pick the lenses that suit the sort of photography they want to do. Any investment in lenses is likely to last for decades and lenses, unlike camera bodies, tend to hold their value quite well.
On the other hand these cameras tend to be much larger and heavier than point and shoot cameras. If this will stop you from carrying or traveling with your camera then you will miss shots.
Point and shoot cameras
The first two digital cameras I used were both point and shoots. They were good but never amazing. They had lots of features but deal breaking limits on creative control. One of the serious limitations on creativity with a point and shoot is the lack of depth of field control. If you are trying to make images where only the subject is in focus and the foreground/background should melt away into a blur (called bokeh) then there is a trick that works on many cameras in this category. Use the macro mode, usually denoted by a flower icon, and shoot your subject from close range.
Don’t bother buying a compact camera with more than 10 megapixels (or at least don’t expect incremental benefit above 10). Also don’t waste time with the fast growing segment of super zoom “compacts” which are nearly the size of a DSLR. If you want specific models to consider I’d suggest Canon’s Powershot line, Panasonic’s LX5, special nods to the Canon G11 and the Nikon P6000.
Mobile phones
Mobile phone cameras now produce images in well lit environments that are worthy of standard size prints. Indoor shots in available light are good enough for snapshots. In a pinch a mobile phone shot takes some of the sting out of missing a good sunset with your “real” camera.
Conclusion
I do not foresee carrying another point and shoot camera. The bar that my DSLR sets is too high and my phone’s camera is already covering the “good enough” territory when I can’t or don’t carry the SLR. Both shoot movies in HD so I justify spending a bit more on them since I don’t foresee buying another dedicated camcorder either.
For those who want specific recommendations I suggest starting with an entry level DSLR from Canon’s Rebel line or Nikon’s DXX series. Skip the kit lens which isn’t likely to be very good in low light and won’t show the full potential of the sensor. Ditto for any lens that covers a range as wide as 50-250mm Start with a single prime, non-zoom lens in the 30-85mm range that is fast (f2 good, f1.8 great, or even better f1.4). If you tend to like landscapes stay at the 30mm end. If you think you’ll mostly shoot portraits then 85mm is great. The low f number, or large aperture, will allow you to shoot in very low light and or with a very narrow depth of field. Removing zoom as a variable will only help those who are learning the muscle memory required to quickly get the right settings in more manual modes. In general money spent on lenses and flashes is a better long term investment.
I started with a Canon Rebel 400D/XTi and a 50mm f1.4 lens. About $500 and $350 respectively. I still use the 50mm lens but the body has gone on to a second life. My current body is the Canon 5D Mark II.
I won’t get into recommending a particular phone or political party for roughly the same reason.
Using a simple good, better, best approach I’d consider:
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