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Tips on buying a digital Camera

Red & Gold's Nick Griffin gives tips on what to consider when buying a digital camera.

Introduction

There are four simple things to consider in making a smart camera purchase:
How?, What?, Features? and Price. We have expanded on each in the article below.

1: How?

Decide on your budget. The expression that ‹you get what you pay for› is never truer than in the world of digital photography. My advice is to set your budget as high as you can afford.

2: What?

Decide what you want to use your camera for ask yourself: Are you a professional. are you wanting to take quick shots of the family or kids, is camera size important (does it need to fit in to a handbag or pocket), do you mind changing lenses, do you need to photograph specialist scenes (for example underwater or sport). Once you have made your decision, it is time to look into and understand the features and functions of cameras that are currently on the market.

3: Features

Understand the pro and cons of camera features. Here is a short guide on what to look for:

a: LCD vs Optical Viewfinder. Many cheaper cameras lack an optical view finder having an LCD screen that is used to compose shots. An LCD camera has its drawbacks and these should be considered. An LCD:

- causes batteries to drain faster than an optical viewfinder.

- in high levels ambient light, the LCD may be difficult to see.

- a screen may lack the detail of an optical viewfinder, crucial in some photo composition situations.

b: Be careful when considering second-hand cameras. They may be damages, connectors may be worn and spare parts may be hard to come by.

c: Consider the Camera›s ISO levels. Choose one that has a low ISO (50) if possible. A low ISO number reduces the amount of noise (or pixelation) in a picture. For more information in ISO please look at Red & Gold›s Tutorials.

d: Consider where the tripod socket is. When purchasing a digital camera, if you plan on using a tripod, check the underside of the digital camera to see where the tripod socket is located. For best balance, the socket should be in the middle of the camera, though some manufacturers design sockets on the left or right side of a camera. A poorly designed socket placement may make it more difficult to steady the camera for crystal-clear photos using a tripod

e: Consider buying a higher end camera and lenses separately avoiding kit packages.

Most kit lenses have a limited zoom range such as 18-55mm which won›t allow you to get close to your subject. For a smaller additional investment, you can purchase a zoom lens.

f: Be cautious when buying ‹Package Discount Deals›. It is an unfortunate fact that technology becomes obsolete very quickly. Products are discounted for a reason and, as Warren Buffet says ‹If it seems too good to be true, then it is too good to be true!›

g: Consider Media type. There are lots of media types available for cameras, such as CompactFlash, SecureMedia etc. If your previous camera uses a particular media, it may be beneficial to remain with that format or selecting a camera that permits multiple format cards.

h: Consider how much zoom is needed? Purchasing a digital camera with a greater optical zoom distance is more expensive than one with only a 2x or 3x zoom, so this decision can greatly affect your pocketbook.

While there are no hard and fast rules, consider the following:

- For photos of friends and family, a 2x or 3x zoom should be plenty.

- For photos of outdoor scenery, or architectural elements in a cityscape, a 5x+ zoom should suffice.

- For photos of wildlife, sporting events or other situations where it will be difficult to get in close to your subject, a 7x+ zoom may be needed to get the photos you want.

I: Mega pixels. A digital camera with 5 or more mega pixels will offer advantages over smaller-megapixel cameras, including the ability to crop out information allowing prints up to 8×10 with a little space for cropping. For more information in mega pixels, please visit Red & Gold›s Tutorials.

J: Small does not mean underpowered. More and more manufacturers are packing the power of a professional level camera into a pocket-sized case. Some even have interchangeable lenses. Do not overlook small cameras. They have significant advantages over larger bodied ones.

K: Understand how the camera›s controls work before purchasing it. Though control placement obviously should not be the only consideration when comparing digital camera models, if you like to adjust settings frequently, do consider a camera that complements your work style.

L: Read the reviews: There are many sites online that provide free, and excellent reviews on all cameras. Take time to check out what other users think of the camera you are considering and use their information to weigh up the pros and cons of your purchase. Here are some links to sites we use:

- Digital Photography Review

- Photo.net

M: Ignore Digital Zoom. Only look at cameras› optical zooms statistics. Digital zooming performs an interpolation, or computer-based ‹guesswork›, of an image to try to increase the perceived zoom distance. These can result in «fuzzy» images or those with less than optimal clarity, especially if you blow them up into 8×10 or larger photos. However, optical zoom provides for a true zoom-in or zoom-out on your subject.

N: Image Stabilisation. Keeping your digital camera stable when taking photos is vital if you want your photos to remain clear and crisp, free of blurriness. When abundant light is available, stabilization is less important as your digital camera can shoot photos with faster shutter speeds, usually nullifying any shaking of your hands. However, when shooting in less than ideal lighting conditions or fast-moving subjects, a tripod or other stabilization device is highly recommended.

O: Consider the cost of accessories: While a digital camera may be a certain price, consider the following accessories you will most likely consider buying to enhance your photography or protect your investment:

- Digital media to store photos

- Media card reader to transfer files to your computer

- Extra rechargeable batteries to prolong photo shoots

- UV Filter to remove UV light and protect your lens

- Protective camera bag

- Accessory lens, and for a digital SLR, you have to buy one lens to begin with

- Tripod to stabilize your photos

- Backup device if you don›t have a CD burner

P: Consider a Wi-Fi enabled camera. Does your photography often take you out in the field where you wish to send photos back to a central computer or e-mail them to others? Some digital camera makers are starting to build wi-fi directly into the camera, so you could take your camera to a wi-fi hotspot and upload photos from there.

Q: Consider the higher cost of owning an 8+ mega pixel camera. 8+ megapixel digital cameras, especially digital SLRs, are great in that they allow you to take photos with far greater detail than lesser-megapixel cameras. Plus, crisp photos can be printed blown up to a larger width and height. However, these cameras may contain some hidden costs, consider:

- To take full advantage of the digital camera›s features by shooting photos in super-fine JPG or RAW format, you will need much more digital camera media.

- To process the larger photos, you may need a faster computer with more RAM, at least 512 megs, 1+ gigabytes recommended.

- To store your digital photos will require either more hard drive space or more time backing-up photos to external media.

R: Pre-Programmes Scene selections may help: Scene modes make it easier to take digital camera photos in tough lighting conditions, especially if you are a beginner to digital photography. Pre-programmed scene modes can configure the digital camera›s settings to assist in taking pictures under difficult situations.

- Night photography

- Sports scenes or other action sequences

- Portrait photography

- Inside lighting situations

- Firework displays

While these modes will not result in professional-quality photos every time, they can assist you in taking better photos «out of the box» until you are able to familiarize yourself with f-stops, apertures, shutter speeds, white balance settings, and the like.

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Thank you

 

About the Author

Nick Griffin is the CEO of WilsonGriffin, a marketing and communications expert. Nick is also the co-founder of Red and Gold. For more on Red and Gold please click here

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