working in a pro photo studio, medium format camera
Why buy a DSLR camera!
If photography is your passion, a little more than just a hobby, or your a semi or pro photographer, there should be no reason or delay in so doing...
But lets say your just starting out or just want to capture the kids on your vacations, this could be the real reasons for not spending around $600.00 or more right now, but you will have to spend about $200.00 plus for a good point-and-shoot digital camera, such as the Canon SD750, anyway.
So what will be your choice? Lets look at the pros and cons of this decision.
Part of that extra expense when buying a digital SLR camera is because the manufacturers usually put in faster computers and better autofocus systems. This makes the cameras more responsive with a faster start up time and you are more likely to catch that "magic moment" when shooting a picture of your child's face, or as he scores the winning goal at the school sports day match.
Also with with a digital SLR camera your looking through the viewfinder which gives you a pretty good idea of what you're going to capture. The camera is more responsive, so when you press the shutter release the camera captures the image immediately. When you zoom the handling is faster and better and If you need to zoom or focus manually there are large rings that you can operate quickly by feel. You are also in control when you need or don't need to use flash. There is also an endless range of specialized lens you can buy or rent to create a special image.
But above all it's the preferred choice of all serious photographers and has become the standard tool. Cameras such as the Nikon D40 and the Canon Digital Rebel XTi have expanded the market for digital SLR cameras rapidly. A point-and-shoot compact digital camera can offer reasonably good image quality, but can never compete with the digital SLRs. Also consider the following additional advantages when using a digital SLR:
accurate, large, and bright optical viewfinder
fast easier operation and large controls
excellent image quality in low "available" light situations when it is necessary to use higher ISO speeds
interchangeable lenses
Just to mention a few, the list goes on...
But if you don't aspire to being the next top photographer, then a point-and-shoot compact digital camera could be just what you need for taking pictures of the kids on vacation. This is where I will let you into a secret, I also have a point-and-shoot digital camera and it stays in my pocket most of the time and if I find myself shooting stills or a pro fashion shoot with my DSLR, I will often use the movie mode on the point-and-shoot camera to capture a reference of the shoot and sometimes I use the clips to upload to Utube.
Have you got your new digital camera yet?
If you have, perhaps you should read this first before you take your first digital photo.
Buying a new digital camera can be quite a daunting task and there are some questions you should ask yourself first, one of them being which is the Best Digital Camera for me and...
For what purpose will you be using your new digital camera and a price that will fit your budget. Or putting it another way, do you plan to buy a digital camera to take family holiday photos or are you planning to become a photographer.
The simple and relatively cheap digital cameras costing $100 plus and having a 2-3.5 mega pixel range would be sufficient for recording your vacation and party pictures.
But if you want a greater quality image, then at a little over $200, a camera considered my many as one of the best Point and Shoot Digital Cameras, I suggest you take a look at the Pentax OPTIO M-20 which has a 7 mega pixel image and a large 2.5 inch LCD screen and delivers incredibly sharp images.
The only drawback to these lower priced cameras are their small size and light-weight, compromising on the battery life and the power output of the flash.
If your planning to become a photographer, one of the Best Rated Digital Cameras you could start with is the Canon EOS Rebel XTi, boasting a 10.10 mega pixel image. This digital slr camera is for the serious photographer, producing very high quality images and a range of features previously only found on the Pro version of the Canon EOS digital camera range.
I have seen prices for this new camera kit including the Canon EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, ranging between under $600 to as much as $799. It pays to shop around... This camera gets my seal of approval. Check out our Canon Digital Rebel XTi Camera Review.
Another question you could ask is this, will to day's digital camera give me a better image quality than the the good old Film Camera.
The answer is YES it certainly will in 90% of all cases, especially if your working in a small format size, say the equivalent of the 35mm. SLR film camera.
If your happy to just Point-and-Shoot and all you need is the simplest of cameras to record your holiday photos, most definitely the digital camera is the wise choice to make.
The biggest advantage you have with Digital Photography, is that you can view your images immediately and make adjustments to the exposure and other settings on the spot and that certainly beats the service of a 1 hour photo lab.
For the Professional Photographer, it gives him choices. If for example he is shooting with a 'Medium Format' camera, which has a much larger image size than the 35mm. SLR camera, he can obtain excellent results even if he is using Film.
However, for over a decade now, studio based Professional Photographers tend to use digital backs that will attach to a variety of specially adapted Medium Format cameras such as Hasselblad, Rollei, Mamiya or large studio view cameras. The drawback here is that this is one expencive piece of hardware to buy and unless you happen to be a serious pro' photographer, it would be wise to avoid this kind of outlay right now.
I have said in the past that if you still use a 35mm. SLR film camera and you have your 1 hour digital photo lab transfer your negs to CD, high quality results can be obtained, but you wont surpass the Mega Pixel image quality from the high-end DSLR digital cameras.
Available to the non professional photographer to day is for example, a 7 mega pixel image camera mentioned above, giving an image quality in some cases good enough to be used professionally, keeping in mind that digital cameras that offer 10.10 or 12 Mega Pixels image quality are already in the realms of high quality professional image cameras that many Professional Photographers are happy to use.
Also it's interesting to note that the price now of a 7 mega pixel image digital camera costs around the same price as a 3.5 mega pixel image digital camera a little over two years ago!
Another great little camera from Canon is the Canon Digital Power Shot SD750, with a 7.5 mega pixel image and a large LCD screen. This digital camera is priced around $200 and packs a punch, delivering clear sharp images and movie clips you can share with all your family and friends. In fact it was used to shoot the 'YouTube' Movie Clip shown below on this page. However, the original Image is of a higher quality than 'YouTube' shows it here.
I'm often asked "which digital camera is best for me", and my answer to that question is simply, What application is the camera for.
If your a Pro Photographer shooting fashion photography in the studio or on location, the preferred choice is the Medium Format Camera, with a specially fitted digital back, as described above.
Similarly the Still Life Photographer, in most cases would choose a 5"x4" inch view camera fitted with a digital back.
If your a Press Photographer or Paparazzi Photographer, your choice almost exclusively, is the Pro Digital SLR Camera, a selection of telephoto lenses and a dedicated Speed Light Flash Unit, attached to the camera via the hot shoe.
Many Press/Paparazzi Photographers will also use a Uni Pod, which is a single leg version of a tripod that helps support the camera especially when using a long telephoto lens.
Movie Clips are all the rage right now and with your point-and-shoot Digital Camera, it's never been easier to make a Movie Clip.
So why not give it a go and you will find it will hold the attention of all that watch it on on your TV screen at home, far more than your usual still photos.
I'm not suggesting that you should give up your creative still photography or vacation photos, but just suggesting that you add a Movie Clip to your collection as well. Why not check out our blog and find out a few more tips on how to make your movie clips.
There are many good digital cameras out there, of which two cameras stand out as being the most popular of them all, not only with the professional but the non professional photographer alike.
I would like to add before we name names, we are talking about cameras systems and I will be quick to point out there also are many other camera makers and in the opinion of other photographers and the manufacturers are as good if not better than the two makers mentioned below, not to mention the undying loyalty of the photographers that have bought them. Also I do not intend to discuss all the individual models here.
The best rated digital cameras in question are the Canon EOS digital camera and the Nikon digital camera, these are the most popular cameras among the Pro and non pro Photographers alike.
If you don't believe me, next time you get a chance to watch the press or paparazzi photographers at work, check out the gear that most of them are using. I think you'll find around 80% of all photographers at that gig are using Canon and Nikon cameras and all the rest are a close second, and that's a fact!
