The question I probably get most from my friends is "What camera should I get?" The funny thing is, that by the time I'm finished answering the question their eyes have glazed over and I can tell they're thinking about what's for dinner rather than what camera to buy. Thing is, the answer is complicated. It's because if this that I decided my first blog post will be dedicated to answering this question.
You have questions?..so do I.
It can be maddening when someone answers a question with a question, I know. But in order to better help you pick a camera I need more info, so here goes:
Do you want to be published in a magazine one day?
Do you want to earn money taking photographs? Or do you just want to take better pictures of your kids?
Do you like to take landscape photographs, wildlife, people, travel, a little of everything?
The answers to these questions can have a huge impact on your decision when buying a camera, but they're important to answer because cameras can range in price from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, and while cost is usually directly proportional to the flexibility of a photo system, so is complexity. To put it briefly, the higher the cost of your camera the more you are going to be able to do with it, provided you put the time in to learn how to use it.
We'll cover two different types of cameras here, the Point and Shoot and the DSLR, since these are the two most prevalent types of cameras on the market today. Additionally I have provided a glossary at the bottom of this post to clarify any terms that may be unfamiliar.
Say Cheese!....The Point And Shoot.
Examples: Nikon Coolpix, Canon PowerShot, Leica D-Lux, Panasonic LUMIX (Pictured)
A point an shoot camera is probably going to be your first choice if you just want to take pictures of your kids or of your friends at a party. They are easy to operate and are usually small enough to carry in a purse or pocket. They generally have a single fixed lens, with built in zoom and a built in flash unit. Point and shoots are also significantly cheaper than a DSLRs with prices for the best point and shoots hovering around $350.00 while more than adequate point and shoot cameras can be had for far less. The newest point and shoot cameras include image stabilization. Image stabilized cameras are able to account for small movements the photographer makes while taking a photo. The result is a higher amount of usable images than for cameras without it. (read less blurry photos)
All that convenience however does have it's drawbacks. A single fixed lens is going to limit your creative choices and can be frustrating to use in low light. These limitations will be problematic for those with a more discerning eye...read on.
Limited Flexibility
One of the most overlooked drawbacks of a point and shoot system is flexibility. One key characteristic of a "Professional" looking photo when compared to a snapshot is subject isolation. Advanced photographers use a lens's "Depth of Field" or "DOF" to control this. Here's an example:
So, that fixed lens included with your point and shoot was chosen by the camera's designers to provide the greatest compromise of focal length(s) and aperture, however these values are fixed and cannot be adjusted to suit the photographers needs. Photographers that require greater flexibility will want to look at an SLR or DSLR, we'll take a look at those in a bit.
#%@#%!!! Shutter Lag
The smaller lenses attached to point and shoots provide little light gathering power compared to their SLR counterparts. Since most cameras use the light passing through the lens to focus, less light means slower focusing times. How many of you have experienced the dreadful delay between hitting the shutter release and the picture actually being taken? This phenomenon is known as shutter lag and is the bane of many a point and shoot owner's existence. Point and shoot cameras do a couple things when you press that shutter button, the first of which is focusing. After the image is in focus the camera needs to actuate it's shutter mechanism. The time is takes from the initial press of the shutter release to the time the shutter actuates makes up the shutter lag time. Note: Point and shoot users can mitigate this time by pre-focusing their images first. This is usually done my pressing the shutter release halfway down, waiting for the camera to focus and then pressing all the way.
Break out the Visine....Red Eye.
I don't care what kind of red-eye reduction a point and shoot claims to have, with a point and shoot red-eye is just a fact of life. Red-eye is caused by light bouncing off your subjects retina and back into the lens. What in camera red-eye reduction does is flash a series of pre-flashes designed to trigger the eyes natural defense against bright light and contract the pupils. The contracted pupils should in turn reflect less light back. In my experience it doesn't work. The problem is that the flash on a point and shoot is so close to the lens that the light goes straight out, hits the back of the eye and bounces right back into the lens. The only way to reduce this is to increase the distance between the flash and the lens. (Why do you think wedding photographers always have their flash sitting way off camera on a bracket?). By increasing this distance you also increase the angle at which the light hits the eyes causing it to bounce harmless off to the side, under or over the lens rather than directly back into it.
All of this doesn't mean you can't make great images using a point and shoot. just look here for some examples:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=744174
Tips for taking better photo's with your point and shoot.
1. When you can pre-focus. This will help you time your shots better by reducing shutter lag. Hold the shutter down halfway while composing you shot, once you've got it focused (the camera will usually indicate focus lock with a beep or flashing squares in the viewfinder/LCD).
2. Avoid using the on camera flash. This will reduce red-eye and unless you can better control the flash's location and direction, naturally lit photo's just look better. Most point and shoots will allow you to increase the ISO setting. A higher ISO (400-600) can help in low light although there will be some additional noise in your photo's. One trick that the pro's use is the tripod. All pros have at least one and most swear by them. Use a tripod whenever possible, your photos will thank you for it!
3. Use a tripod. ;)
4. Don't rely on digital zooming for your images. Save the digital zoom for the one that would have gotten away otherwise, like maybe you've got bigfoot tromping through your yard and it's the only way to get the shot.
The DSLR: A more complete solution.
DSLR cameras are generally significantly larger than point and shoots. I don't believe there is any DSLR on the market that can fit into a pocket, and even if there were it would probably be pretty uncomfortable (and off-putting to passers by). But with that added size comes a larger sensor, a larger and brighter viewfinder, advanced autofocus features as well as some pretty sophisticated metering.
More lenses = More flexibility.
One of the key advantages of a DSLR system when compared to a point and shoot is the ability to change lenses in order to suite your needs. With the ability to choose a wide angle lens when shooting a landscapes and then switch to a medium telephoto (zoom) lens to shoot portraits, a photographer can always bring the right tool for the job.
Greater Control
While some point and shoots do allow for certain manual controls for the most part they set shutter speed, flash strength and white balance automatically. While most DSLRs will also do the thinking for you if you want, their true strength lies in that they can do what YOU are thinking. Controlling depth of field is one aspect as I outlined earlier (see figures 1 and 2) which allows photographer to isolate subjects and blur out background clutter. Other creative effects can be realized my manipulating the shutter speed and flash as well.
In the photo to the right I slowed the shutter speed down to create a smooth effect on the water. By leaving the shutter open longer the sensor averaged out the waves creating this dreamy effect.
This type of long exposure photography would be impossible if not impractical with most point and shoots.
Larger Sensor = Less Noise
Digital Noise can result from long exposures, low light situations and high ISO settings and is a part of all digital photography (see figure 4) Most DLSRs use one of 3 different sensor sizes: APS-H (Canon only), APS-C and Full Frame. Generally speaking the larger the sensor the less digital noise.
As you can see the CCD sensor used in point in shoot cameras is significantly smaller than any of the sizes used in a DSLR. This is the main reason DLSRs provide superior image quality to point and shoots, they produce less noise and they gather far more light at a given sensitivity (ISO).
Hey Big Spender...DSLRs cost money.
All that flexibility and image quality can cost a bundle. Depending on the features a DSLR can cost anywhere from $600 (Nikon D3000) to $9000 dollars (Canon Mark III 1Ds). The cost generally goes up as sensor size goes up. As an example the APS-C Sized Nikon D300 cost about $1800.00 for the body and the otherwise similarly equipped Full Frame sensor-ed Nikon D700 costs $3000. What's more is in most cases after shelling out your $1000 plus dollars you still can't take a photo until you've bought a lens. Depending on quality, max aperture and focal length lens prices can vary from $50.00 into the tens of thousands. (think those huge lenses on the sidelines at a football game). Fortunately most camera manufacturers offer package deals that will get you started with a camera body and a lens.
Sensor Size Matters, NOT Megapixels.
Megapixels are one of the most misunderstood aspects of a digital camera system and camera manufacturers love touting megapixels as a barometer for image quality...Thing is, for the most part, they're not.
I know mega means a million, but what's a pixel.
A pixel on an image sensor of a digital camera is a light absorbing element (photodetector) that converts light (photons) into electrons. Camera sensors are made up of millions of these tiny light sensitive elements, the more of these elements on a sensor the higher the megapixel count. The thing that most manufacturers don't tell you is that not all megapixels are created equal and more megapixels don't necessarily amount to better image quality.
Quality megapixels live on larger sensors.
Since most Point and Shoots use smaller sensors (compared to DSLRs). This means that the 10 megapixels on a point and shoot are crammed into a much smaller space than they would be on a typical DSLR camera body. The close proximity of photosites results is higher digital noise for the smaller sensor. This digital noise can significantly reduce the image quality produced by a digital camera, especially under high ISO.
Megapixel counts on similarly sized sensors can however be compared and the more pixels an image is comprised of the larger that image can be printed without noticing the individual pixel that make up the image (the is called pixelation). The chart provides a baseline for Megapixel to print size for comparison.
Great! So what camera should I buy?
So where back here are we? Well once you've decided which camera you think fits your needs better (point and shoot or DSLR) I would have a look at some of the many camera review sites available on the web. My favorites are:
www.dpreview.com
www.steves-digicams.com
www.photozone.de
My two cents.
If you're interested in photography for the sake of photography get a DSLR. The lower priced models from Nikon and Canon are only a few hundred dollars more than a quality point and shoot. A good DSLR will help you learn to think about your photo's before you press the shutter button and that alone will help you take better photos. On the flip side, if you just want a camera to capture memories...get a point and shoot with image stabilization and video capabilities. Also I think it's important to get a point and shoot with a viewfinder. Composing a photo using the LCD on the back of the camera forces you to hold the camera away from your body, and all photographers know that having a stable platform is key to getting good photos and holding the camera up to your eye is far more stable than in outstretched arms.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Aperture
Lens opening. The hole or opening formed by the metal leaf diaphragm inside the lens or the opening in a camera lens through which light passes to expose the film. The size of aperture is either fixed or adjustable. Aperture size is usually calibrated in f- numbers-the larger the number, the smaller the lens opening. Aperture affects depth of field, the smaller the aperture, the greater is the zone of sharpness, the bigger the aperture, the zone of sharpness is reduced. The hole or opening formed by the metal leaf diaphragm inside the lens; controls amount of light and depth of field, prevents vignetting and reduces lens aberrations; the size of the aperture is indicated by its f-number, i.e., the ratio of the diameter of the opening to the focal length of the lens; a large aperture is indicated by a small numerical f-number.
CCD
Electronic sensor used by all autofocus cameras, capable of detecting subject contrast; also an image-receiving device for video camera.
Depth of Field
The zone of acceptable sharpness in front of and behind the subject on which the lens is focused; extends approx. one-third in front of and two thirds behind the in-focus subject; dependent on three factors: aperture, focal length, and focused distance; the wider the aperture, the longer the focal length, and the closer the focused distance, the less the depth of field, and vice versa; in comparison to a normal lens, wideangle lenses have inherently more depth of field at each f-number and telephoto lenses have less.
Exposure
The quantity of light allowed to act on a photographic material; a product of the intensity (controlled by the lens opening) and the duration (controlled by the shutter speed or enlarging time) of light striking the film or paper. The act of allowing light to reach the light-sensitive emulsion of the photographic material. Also refers to the amount (duration and intensity) of light which reaches the film.
Flash
The artificial light souce in the dark. Electronic flash requires a high voltage, usually obtained from batteries through a voltage-multiplying circuit. It has a brief, intense burst of light, usually used where the lighting on the scene is inadequate for picture-taking. They are generally considered to have the same photographic effect as daylight. Most flash will correct the color temperature back to 5000 kelvin - the daylight color. You can play around with filters mounting on the flash head for some specific effects or alter the color if necessary. Modern flash has multiple TTL flash exposure control functions and even extend to autofocus control. Some specialized flash are high speed repeating flash which can use for strobocopic effect, UV-flash for ultra violet light photography etc.
Focal Length
The distance between the film and the optical center of the lens when the lens is focused on infinity. The focal length of the lens on most adjustable cameras is marked in millimetres on the lens mount. The distance from the principal point to the focal point. In 35mm-format cameras, lenses with a focal length of approx. 50mm are called normal or standard lenses. Lenses with a focal length less than approx. 35mm are called wide angle lenses, and lenses with a focal length more than approx. 85mm are called telephoto lenses. Lenses which allow the user to continuously vary the focal length without changing focus are called zoom lenses .
Focus
Adjustment of the distance setting on a lens to define the subject sharply. Generally, the act of adjusting a lens to produce a sharp image. In a camera, this is effected by moving the lens bodily towards or away from the film or by moving the front part of the lens towards or away from the rear part, thus altering its focal length.
ISO Speed
The international standard for representing film sensitivity. The emulsion speed (sensitivity) of the film as determined by the standards of the International Standards Organization. In these standards, both arithmetic (ASA) and logarithmic (DIN) speed values are expressed in a single ISO term. For example, a film with a speed of ISO 100/21° would have a speed of ASA 100 or 21 DIN. The higher the number, the greater the sensitivity, and vice versa. A film speed of ISO 200 is twice as sensitive as ISO 100, and half that of ISO 400 film. This is also emulated on digital cameras by varying the sensitivity of the CMOS sensor.
Lens
One or more pieces of optical glass or similar material designed to collect and focus rays of light to form a sharp image on the film, paper, or projection screen.
Maximum aperture
The widest aperture which the diaphragm is capable of opening up to; it is engraved on the lens in this manner; 1: 1.4.
Shutter
Blades, a curtain, plate, or some other movable cover in a camera that controls the time during which light reaches the film.
Telephoto Lens
A lens that makes a subject appear larger on film than does a normal lens at the same camera-to-subject distance. A telephoto lens has a longer focal length and narrower field of view than a normal lens and have a shallower depth of field than wide angle lenses. But it can do isolation of subject and have a longer reach without going near to the subject. Life can be very difficult in sports and wildlife photography. Telephoto lens whose focal length is longer than the diagonal of the film frame; in 35mm photography, lenses longer than 50-5Bmm; also referred to as a "long" lens.
Tripod
A three-legged supporting stand used to hold the camera steady. Especially useful when using slow shutter speeds and/or telephoto lenses. Another is the monopod, single leg tripod.
Viewfinder.
Device or system indicating the field of view encompassed by the camera lens. The term is sometimes used as a description of the type of camera that does not use reflex or "straight-through" viewing systems and therefore has to have a separate viewfinder.
Wide-Angle Lens
A lens that has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view (includes more subject area) than a normal lens.Also can explained as a lens whose focal length is shorter than the diagonal of the film frame; in 35mm photography, lenses shorter than 50mm; also referred to as a "short" lens.
Zoom Lens
A lens in which you adjust the focal length over a wide range of focal lengths. Subsituting lenses of many focal lengths. Zoom lenses whose focal length is continuously variable over a certain range without a change in focus; its focal length is changed by operating a separate zoom or a combination focusing/zoom ring; difficult type of lens to design and manufacture, very useful for the photographer on a budget or one who likes to travel light.
I know mega means a million, but what's a pixel.
A pixel on an image sensor of a digital camera is a light absorbing element (photodetector) that converts light (photons) into electrons. Camera sensors are made up of millions of these tiny light sensitive elements, the more of these elements on a sensor the higher the megapixel count. The thing that most manufacturers don't tell you is that not all megapixels are created equal and more megapixels don't necessarily amount to better image quality.
Quality megapixels live on larger sensors.
Since most Point and Shoots use smaller sensors (compared to DSLRs). This means that the 10 megapixels on a point and shoot are crammed into a much smaller space than they would be on a typical DSLR camera body. The close proximity of photosites results is higher digital noise for the smaller sensor. This digital noise can significantly reduce the image quality produced by a digital camera, especially under high ISO.
Megapixel counts on similarly sized sensors can however be compared and the more pixels an image is comprised of the larger that image can be printed without noticing the individual pixel that make up the image (the is called pixelation). The chart provides a baseline for Megapixel to print size for comparison.
| Resolution Megapixels | Example Camera | Image Size (Pixels) | Photo quality (300 DPI) | Poster quality (150 DPI) | Billboard quality (40 DPI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21.1 | Canon 5D - high | 5616 x 3744 | 18.7" x 12.5" | 37.4" x 25" | 11'8" x 7'9" |
| 12.1 | Canon 450D - High | 4272 x 2848 | 14.2" x 9.5" | 28.5" x 19" | 9' x 6' |
| 10 | Nikon S60 - High | 3648 x 2736 | 12.2" x 9.1" | 24.3" x 18.2" | 7'7" x 5'8" |
| 8.2 | Fuji J10 - High | 3264 x 2448 | 10.9" x 8.1" | 21.8" x 16.3" | 6'9" x 5'1" |
| 6.3 | Canon 450D - Med | 3088 x 2056 | 10.3" x 6.9" | 20.6" x 13.7" | 6'5" x 4'3" |
| 3.4 | Canon 450D - Low | 2256 x 1504 | 7.5" x 5" | 15" x 10" | 4'8" x 3'1" |
Great! So what camera should I buy?
So where back here are we? Well once you've decided which camera you think fits your needs better (point and shoot or DSLR) I would have a look at some of the many camera review sites available on the web. My favorites are:
www.dpreview.com
www.steves-digicams.com
www.photozone.de
My two cents.
If you're interested in photography for the sake of photography get a DSLR. The lower priced models from Nikon and Canon are only a few hundred dollars more than a quality point and shoot. A good DSLR will help you learn to think about your photo's before you press the shutter button and that alone will help you take better photos. On the flip side, if you just want a camera to capture memories...get a point and shoot with image stabilization and video capabilities. Also I think it's important to get a point and shoot with a viewfinder. Composing a photo using the LCD on the back of the camera forces you to hold the camera away from your body, and all photographers know that having a stable platform is key to getting good photos and holding the camera up to your eye is far more stable than in outstretched arms.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Aperture
Lens opening. The hole or opening formed by the metal leaf diaphragm inside the lens or the opening in a camera lens through which light passes to expose the film. The size of aperture is either fixed or adjustable. Aperture size is usually calibrated in f- numbers-the larger the number, the smaller the lens opening. Aperture affects depth of field, the smaller the aperture, the greater is the zone of sharpness, the bigger the aperture, the zone of sharpness is reduced. The hole or opening formed by the metal leaf diaphragm inside the lens; controls amount of light and depth of field, prevents vignetting and reduces lens aberrations; the size of the aperture is indicated by its f-number, i.e., the ratio of the diameter of the opening to the focal length of the lens; a large aperture is indicated by a small numerical f-number.
CCD
Electronic sensor used by all autofocus cameras, capable of detecting subject contrast; also an image-receiving device for video camera.
Depth of Field
The zone of acceptable sharpness in front of and behind the subject on which the lens is focused; extends approx. one-third in front of and two thirds behind the in-focus subject; dependent on three factors: aperture, focal length, and focused distance; the wider the aperture, the longer the focal length, and the closer the focused distance, the less the depth of field, and vice versa; in comparison to a normal lens, wideangle lenses have inherently more depth of field at each f-number and telephoto lenses have less.
Exposure
The quantity of light allowed to act on a photographic material; a product of the intensity (controlled by the lens opening) and the duration (controlled by the shutter speed or enlarging time) of light striking the film or paper. The act of allowing light to reach the light-sensitive emulsion of the photographic material. Also refers to the amount (duration and intensity) of light which reaches the film.
Flash
The artificial light souce in the dark. Electronic flash requires a high voltage, usually obtained from batteries through a voltage-multiplying circuit. It has a brief, intense burst of light, usually used where the lighting on the scene is inadequate for picture-taking. They are generally considered to have the same photographic effect as daylight. Most flash will correct the color temperature back to 5000 kelvin - the daylight color. You can play around with filters mounting on the flash head for some specific effects or alter the color if necessary. Modern flash has multiple TTL flash exposure control functions and even extend to autofocus control. Some specialized flash are high speed repeating flash which can use for strobocopic effect, UV-flash for ultra violet light photography etc.
Focal Length
The distance between the film and the optical center of the lens when the lens is focused on infinity. The focal length of the lens on most adjustable cameras is marked in millimetres on the lens mount. The distance from the principal point to the focal point. In 35mm-format cameras, lenses with a focal length of approx. 50mm are called normal or standard lenses. Lenses with a focal length less than approx. 35mm are called wide angle lenses, and lenses with a focal length more than approx. 85mm are called telephoto lenses. Lenses which allow the user to continuously vary the focal length without changing focus are called zoom lenses .
Focus
Adjustment of the distance setting on a lens to define the subject sharply. Generally, the act of adjusting a lens to produce a sharp image. In a camera, this is effected by moving the lens bodily towards or away from the film or by moving the front part of the lens towards or away from the rear part, thus altering its focal length.
ISO Speed
The international standard for representing film sensitivity. The emulsion speed (sensitivity) of the film as determined by the standards of the International Standards Organization. In these standards, both arithmetic (ASA) and logarithmic (DIN) speed values are expressed in a single ISO term. For example, a film with a speed of ISO 100/21° would have a speed of ASA 100 or 21 DIN. The higher the number, the greater the sensitivity, and vice versa. A film speed of ISO 200 is twice as sensitive as ISO 100, and half that of ISO 400 film. This is also emulated on digital cameras by varying the sensitivity of the CMOS sensor.
Lens
One or more pieces of optical glass or similar material designed to collect and focus rays of light to form a sharp image on the film, paper, or projection screen.
Maximum aperture
The widest aperture which the diaphragm is capable of opening up to; it is engraved on the lens in this manner; 1: 1.4.
Shutter
Blades, a curtain, plate, or some other movable cover in a camera that controls the time during which light reaches the film.
Telephoto Lens
A lens that makes a subject appear larger on film than does a normal lens at the same camera-to-subject distance. A telephoto lens has a longer focal length and narrower field of view than a normal lens and have a shallower depth of field than wide angle lenses. But it can do isolation of subject and have a longer reach without going near to the subject. Life can be very difficult in sports and wildlife photography. Telephoto lens whose focal length is longer than the diagonal of the film frame; in 35mm photography, lenses longer than 50-5Bmm; also referred to as a "long" lens.
Tripod
A three-legged supporting stand used to hold the camera steady. Especially useful when using slow shutter speeds and/or telephoto lenses. Another is the monopod, single leg tripod.
Viewfinder.
Device or system indicating the field of view encompassed by the camera lens. The term is sometimes used as a description of the type of camera that does not use reflex or "straight-through" viewing systems and therefore has to have a separate viewfinder.
Wide-Angle Lens
A lens that has a shorter focal length and a wider field of view (includes more subject area) than a normal lens.Also can explained as a lens whose focal length is shorter than the diagonal of the film frame; in 35mm photography, lenses shorter than 50mm; also referred to as a "short" lens.
Zoom Lens
A lens in which you adjust the focal length over a wide range of focal lengths. Subsituting lenses of many focal lengths. Zoom lenses whose focal length is continuously variable over a certain range without a change in focus; its focal length is changed by operating a separate zoom or a combination focusing/zoom ring; difficult type of lens to design and manufacture, very useful for the photographer on a budget or one who likes to travel light.
