A reader recently posted a request for me to recommend at good digital camera for a beginner. I certainly wish the answer were as simple as the question…
The truth is that selecting a digital camera, no matter what your level of expertise is dependent on many things, including your shooting style, the type of photos you want to capture, how you will use the images (online or print, or both), your budget, and the list goes on…
Not quite the answer you were hoping for, I know, but I will point out a couple of things you want to keep in mind no matter what your level:
Optical viewfinder is worth the compromise:
Look for an optical viewfinder instead of just an LCD screen. If you only have the LCD for composing the shot, then you will be lost in bright sunlight such as at the beach, on the soccer field or on the ski slopes. Unfortunately, optical viewfinders are increasingly difficult to find in the smaller pocket cameras geared to beginners. But this one feature could be the difference between getting a good photo and getting nothing at all.
Manual controls help you develop as a photographer.
Find a model that allows you to manually control the exposure (shutter and aperture), flash, ISO, and white balance. As your photographic skills improve, the ability to manually adjust your camera settings will allow you the creative freedom you will want.
Don’t be dazzled by video and other gimmicks.
Despite the new trend for using a still camera to capture video, still cameras are still best used to capture photographs and video cameras are best for video. It’s fine to have the video feature, and you may find yourself using it, but videography and still photography are still separate disciplines. And for beginnners, your camera should help you capture beautiful images. Period. Adding video to the mix just confuses things at the beginner level.
Other gimmicks:
- Megapixel counts in the 10 and higher range are just too much for the smaller sensors found in digicams. They are great capturing images in good light, but add some under exposure or a dark scene and you will have the dreaded digital noise (red, green and blue specks in the darks areas and shadows). Also, the higher the resolution (megapixels) the more memory each image uses on your memory card and computer. Ideally, a digicam should be from 5 megapixels to 10 megapixels, but not above. More is definitely not better!
- Image stabilization-Another trend to capture the attention, and possibly the hard-earned cash, of the beginner photographer is the image stabilization feature. This promises that you can take photos in low light without using the ugly, flat on-camera flash. Low light and dim scenes require a slower shutter speed to be properly exposed, and a slower shutter means camera shake (blurry images) if you are not using a tripod. The cameras that promise image stabilization often increase the shutter speed by boosting the ISO (light sensitivity of the sensor), which will introduce digital noise (see above) that will seriously degrade the quality of the photo. Some mid-level and high end cameras do offer image stabilization through mechanical means without changing the ISO. The bottom line: ignore this feature in the pocket cameras, but seriously consider it in the mid-level units.
Now, with all of that being said, I will tell you my favorite cameras manufacturers for each level of expertise:
Beginner-Olympus Stylus, Panasonic, Nikon Sony
Mid-Level-Canon G11, Sony, Lumix
Advanced.DSLR-Sony Alpha series, Nikon D series
And, in case you are wondering what I use when I am not shooting for hire, here they are:
Concerts, traveling light-Canon G7-has good zoom, good low light, and decent video, for short clips.
Parties, the beach, skiing-Olympus Stylus 760-shock resistant, weather and water resistant-wish it had an optical viewfinder.
Birdwatching, photo hikes-Sony Alpha 550-has live-view on LCD screen, articulating LCD, killer fast auto-focus, and I can use my 500 mm zoom lens to get close to nature without scaring it away!
What camera did you choose when you first entered digital photography? Were you happy with your choice? Or did you find yourself living with buyer’s remorse? Please tell us about it!
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