Selecting a camera can be a daunting task with the plethora of options from the Nikon, cannon and sony’s of the word, especially if you are a beginner. Here is a simple guide which will help you in your pursuit to choose your first camera which is right for you.
Broadly there are three types of camera’s.how to choose your first camera
1. Point and shoot
- Also called the pocket camera because of its small size & portability
- Budget friendly
- Designed for people who wants to just click pictures and not make pictures (if you know what I mean)
- Designed exclusively to be used in auto modes (camera decides every setting for you) with limited manual options & features.how to choose your first camera
2. Super Zoom Cameras
- Also called bridge cameras because it’s a segment which is in between point and shoot and DSLR, both in terms of features and cost
- Ease of operation like point and shoot and comparable quality like DSLR
- The USP of super zoom camera is as the name suggest long telephoto capability (zoom)
- Typically any camera with more than 35 X zoom falls in the super zoom category
- Especially useful to people who have requirement for long zoom eg. Bird & wildlife photographers who do not want to lug a heavy Dslr with even heavier telephoto lens on excursion
3. Digital single lens reflex camera(DSLR)
- Recommended for advance amateur and definitely a must have for professionals
- Compared to the other two segments it has a bigger sensor, more features and best picture quality
- As expected be ready to shell out more money for the DSLR then the point and shoot or super zoom cameras
- Flexibility to use different lenses catering to different genres of photography
- Subsequently you will be investing more in the lens as you up your creativity game.
how to choose your first camera
While buying your first camera I suggest you to drop point and shoot from your consideration as this category is almost dead because of the advent of mobile camera’s. Now, based on the pointers given for the super zoom and DSLR you can decide which camera segment / category you fit into and start narrowing down to your final purchase. Buying a camera should be an enriching experience and not just a mundane purchase just because you can afford it.
Should I buy Nikon or Canon camera ? this is a very common question among beginner photographers. I always tell my students that both are equally good you can go for any brand without any inhibitions but only thing to remember is that when you choose your first camera, you are buying into the family. Let me explain going ahead you would be bound to that particular brand because of the investment you would have later made in to lenses and accessories so it would be difficult to switch to a different brand as you will have to reinvest all over again, so keep this in mind.
Also for people who are planning to upgrade their gear, don’t buy just because you can afford. Buy only when you outgrow the capability of your current camera then I ensure you that photography would be an enjoyable journey
Following are the tips / suggested one should follow before going ahead and making the first camera purchase
1. Do your research
- Google and youtube is your friend when it come to online research
- Read review and see what people are saying about the camera
- Watch unboxing and review videos on youtube only make sure its coming from a reputed photographer
2. Talk to your photographer friend
- You can expect genuine feedback without any bias
- He would have already gone though the process and should caution you with any pitfalls
3. Visit Digital store
- There are many camera on display and you can try your hands at it
- Touch and feel all those you have shortlist in your desktop study
- Click pictures, see how it feels in your hand, compare and decide
- Ask questions to the category experts
4. Compare and buy
- Now that you have zeroed on to the exact brand and model price is the only variable
- One should not be averse to buying a camera online if it offers a good deal. Warranty is valid even for online purchases
TOP 3 Point & Shoot
Sony DSC W830 Cyber-Shot 20.1 MP
- Super HAD CCD sensor with 20.1 effective megapixels
- 720p MP4 movie mode the camera shoots 1280 x 720 high definition movies at 30 fps
- 8x optical zoom Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar lens.
- Screen type: 6.7cm(2.7-type)(4:3) / 230,400 dots / ClearPhoto / TFT LCD
- Equipped with sweep panorama, intelligent auto and picture effect, Self-Timer: Off
Sony Cybershot DSC-W810/B 20.1MP
- CCD sensor with 20.1 megapixels
- High-resolution 720p HD movie shooting with picture effect for both still images and movies
- 26 millimeters wide angle lens with 6x optical zoom
- ClearPhoto TFT LCD screen
Canon IXUS 185 20MP
- 20.0 megapixels
- 8x optical zoom (28 – 224)
- 16x ZoomPlus, Featuring an 8x optical zoom, y
- Easy mode and date stamp feature
Top 3 Super Zoom cameras
Sony Cybershot DSC-HX400V 20.4MP
- 50X Optical Zoom with Zeiss Lens
- Full HD video Recording with Optical SteadyShot
- Electronic View Finder with 100% field coverage
- DSLR like creative modes (P/A/S/M), WiFi & NFC connectivity
- Tilt LCD for easy handling
Canon PowerShot SX430B 20MP
- 45x optical zoom (24 – 1080mm) with 90x ZoomPlus
- 20.0 megapixels sensor
- Intelligent IS
- Wi-Fi and NFC
Nikon Coolpix B500 16MP Point
- 16 Megapixel
- 40x Optical Zoom
- 3 Inch Tilt LCD
Top 3 DSLR
Canon EOS 1500D 24.1 Digital SLR Camera
- Sensor: APS-C CMOS Sensor with 24.1 MP
- ISO: 100-6400 sensitivity range
- Image Processor: DIGIC 4+ with 9 autofocus points
- Video Resolution: Full HD video
- Connectivity: WiFi, NFC and Bluetooth built-in
- Lens Mount: EF-S mount compatible with all EF and EF-S lenses
Nikon D3500 W/AF-P DX Nikkor
- Sensor: APS-C CMOS Sensor with 24.2 MP
- ISO: 100-25600 sensitivity range
- Image Processor: Expeed 4 with 11 autofocus points
- Video Resolution: Full HD video with fully manual control and selectable frame rates
- Connectivity: WiFi, NFC and Bluetooth built-in
- Lens Mount: Nikon F mount.
Canon EOS 200D II 24.1MP Digital SLR
- DIGIC 8 PROCESSOR
- APS-C Approx 24.1 mp CMOS Sensor
- 9-point AF during optica viewfinder shooting
- Dual Pixel CMOS AF
- Eye detection AF
- Item comes with a 16GB Memory card and bag
- 4K Movie
Choose your first camera
About the author
Amol Patil is the founder & promoter of Masterpics a leading Photography training Institute in Thane. He is not only an excellent photographer but passionate teacher as well.
Masterpics regularly conducts photography workshops across different locations in India and over the years has mentored hundreds of aspiring photographers