My trusty Canon sd870 which went everywhere with me and served me quite well for a couple years. This is its burial photo.
What kind of camera should I buy?
I get asked this question A LOT. So I thought I should address it here.
There are a TON of cameras out there. To help you narrow down your search you should ask yourself these 3 questions.
1. What do I want to use this camera for?
Defining WHY you want a camera is an important step.
If you want a camera just to share the events of your life with family members on the internet, you probably don’t need the most expensive DSLR camera for that. An smart phone like an iphone might be the best camera for you because of its easy integration to facebook and twitter.
But if you are wanting to take landscape shots and print them 30×40” an iphone probably won’t do the trick. You will need a high megapixel DSLR to be getting the quality to print that large.
Identifying the main reason you want a camera is an important step.
2. What is my budget?
This is a good determining factor too. You can want the most expensive DSLR all day but if you only have $500 budgeted than you should NOT go into debt to buy a $3000 camera.
Also don’t forget to include the cost of some necessary camera accessories.
3. What are my friends using?
No you’re not going to buy a camera to fit in with your friends but… if your friends have canon cameras and you buy a canon, then your friends should be able to give you first hand knowledge when you have a question. Or if you have a Nikon DSLR you might be able to borrow and trade lenses with other Nikon users for a weekend to see what other lenses are like before you make the investment to buy one.
What else do you think are necessary considerations when buying a camera?
joan n - Knowledge of settings on a camera. SLR’s can be complicated if you don’t understand apertures, etc.