1. The first step in the camera-buying process is to determine the purpose of having a camera. Beginners, with little or no knowledge or experience, typically purchase a camera for casual photography, pictures of family members, friends, travel and vacations. They are also the largest group of camera owners. Students have a different purpose. They want to learn most of all there is to know about digital photography, and often have career goals in the field. Initially, students can begin to learn with a lower-priced compact camera, but eventually they will need a DSLR to gain the knowledge and experience of a professional.
Serious photography enthusiasts are more likely to be upgrading from a beginner’s model to their first DSLR, or a better DSLR. They could be considered “amateur” students. They want to develop the skills similar to what a photography student learns in a formal educational setting. Enthusiasts may have no allusion about becoming a pro, but they want to create above-average images that are much more than family “snapshots.” Professionals have a quite different list of criteria for the cameras they purchase. Their equipment must be of the highest quality and the right combination of features and capabilities to be a competitive tool in the commercial photography world.
2. Once you’re able to define your level of photography competence and decide what kinds of photos you want to shoot, you can start to narrow choices by cost. For beginners, there are many excellent compacts priced at $300 or less. Even the cameras at the lower end of this price range can deliver all the features a beginner, or casual photographer, would ever need. Students can certainly learn much about digital photography with compacts in this price range, but for just a couple of hundred dollars more, they can purchase the best compacts and what are called “bridge” cameras. These are considered between a true compact and true DSLR.
Beginners and students who are ready to graduate to their first DSLR will find many worthy choices at just less than $1,000. Second-time DSLR buyers can spend another thousand dollars and the cameras become serious pieces of photography equipment that are more likely to deliver the higher quality images that are their goals. Again, pros are in a category of their own, selecting from DSLRs that cost thousands of dollars. Since most competitive models are somewhat equal in their broad range of capabilities, pros must match specific functionality with the kind of photography jobs they shoot. This is usually a stronger determinant of what camera to buy than its cost.
3. Selecting a digital camera to buy also relates to budget. The camera you would like to buy may simply not be affordable…today. Your alternatives are to wait or buy what you can afford. The benefit of waiting is that you can start to save money toward the camera you would like to purchase. You can always rent a camera occasionally during this period for an important family event or major vacation.
4. With a thorough understanding of what kind of photography you will be shooting and the practical consideration of how much you can afford, you can begin to narrow your choices. Canon, Sony and Nikon are the top three brands and are likely to have a camera for virtually all photographers. Other manufacturers to consider are Panasonic, Leica, Olympus, Pentax, Fujifilm and Samsung. These nine represent almost all of the cameras sold in the marketplace.
5. To help narrow your choices, schedule some research time on the Internet, which has everything you’d ever want to know about any camera model. Some Web sites often provide model comparisons, which make it much easier to determine which is right for you. Don’t hesitate to contact a local photography club to ask the opinions of its members. Visit a local camera shop to listen to the salesman’s pitch about a few models, but don’t allow yourself to be sold just yet.
6. The final step in the camera-buying process is to pick the three cameras you might purchase. Do additional research about them on the Web, and even access their owner’s manuals, if possible. Then, as a final test, rent each of the three cameras during three different weekends and see how they perform in terms of your kind of photography.
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