Picking out a camera system is just one of life's ongoing series of choices. I like to visualize these as the branches on a tree, repeatedly dividing. Each decision we make presents us with subsequent ones that are different from those we would have had, given taking the other option. According to Carl Sandburg, the road not traveled eliminates a whole parallel existence. For the most part, I think that's true, but not in the case of photography.
In today's photographic climate, choosing one camera or type of photography doesn't preclude another. So when you go out shopping for equipment, don't feel that you are married to whatever decision you make, if it turns out that you aren't comfortable with your purchase. A bit of research will help, however, in preventing unnecessary expenditures. Many elite photographers, in fact, have an assortment of cameras of various levels of sophistication, accumulated over time, as tastes and needs have changed, and still use them. There is also an active market for good used equipment.
Some still hang on to the ones they started with, even an occasional box Brownie inherited from parents, mostly due to sentiment, so it becomes a shelf decoration, but not necessarily because it no longer functions. I wish I still had the Brownie I took my first really good picture with, at the age of 8 or 10--I was so amazed that I had managed to push the button at just the perfect moment! It was probably the beginning of my interest in photography as a hobby. There wasn't any way to make adjustments to the camera, and I think there was only one kind of film available for it--but it took some really great pictures! So if you decide to purchase a camera that isn't technologically the most current, don't feel that you are doomed to subpar pictures.
The array of equipment you will be offered when you go shopping can be daunting, but with a little preparation, you can sort it out like a pro! To begin with, with rare exceptions, cameras come with two types of recording media: film and digital memory cards. Film cameras will open a lens, let light through, and bounce it around with some mirrors until it lands on a strip of film, leaving an impression which becomes useful after being doused with chemicals. There's more to the process, but it's already too messy and cumbersome for the average person to enjoy. In addition, film is a much more expensive proposition than digital; however, it isn't obsolete, because of the quality of photographs it can produce. Film is still used by many elite photographers. Most sales clerks will assume (correctly, I would guess) that you aren't interested in using film, and will only show you digital cameras. In fact, many retailers no longer stock film cameras at all, except, perhaps, disposables.
A digital camera also opens a lens and lets light in and bounces it around, but at the end it lands on an electronic sensor, which is like a little computer covered with receptor cells that convert the light waves to digital data . Think of a mini solar roof! These are sent off to a small removable card--there are several different sizes and types, determined by the manufacturer of the camera--which records the electronic message. This is very much the way your eye works, so if you remember that from biology, you've got the concept!
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| Guest Blogger Pam Gurney |
So, okay, you're off to acquire your digital camera. Again, two main options. (There are some new, intermediate introductions, but they aren't yet well-established . We'll just focus on the categories that are widely available.) The first one is known as "point and shoot" and the second as "D(digital)SLR(single lens reflex--the mechanism for directing light inside the camera, inherited from 35mm film cameras)". Point-and-shoot cameras are small, compact, and have fixed (non-removable) lenses. They range from very basic to loaded with bells and whistles. If you are on a tight budget, you can spend less than $100 to get started, for a p&s that you can't adjust much, sort of like your smartphone. At the top end of the scale, you can get one with lots of features including manual settings that pushes $500. DSLR cameras have interchangeable lenses, sturdy bodies, and more elaborate innards. An entry-level DSLR starts at a few hundred dollars, but a high-end model can be very pricey--up to about $8,000, not including the lenses, which can cost more than the camera bodies.. It's probably a good idea to have an idea of the upper limit of what you want to spend before you start shopping--a salesperson who likes and knows the stock can tempt you into a model that's beyond your needs and budget. Avoid buying a camera that is so advanced you will get discouraged just trying to understand the manual, even if you can afford it! You will get better pictures from a simple camera than a fancy one that you can't set properly!
Of course, you can use the internet and make an online purchase, which is a good way to save money, but for this first time, it's best to at least make a scouting trip to a brick-and-mortar store and handle the merchandise. If you are going to buy online, pick a reputable company. One I personally like is Amazon, because the prices are a bit lower than most other stores, there's no tax charged, and, since Amazon is what's called an "authorized" reseller for the major equipment manufacturers, you don't have to worry about the warranty not being honored, should you buy yourself a lemon! Tomorrow I'll get more into specific brands.
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