Buying a camera can be quite daunting for the many choice of brands and the constantly changing technology. Izwan Ismail offers some tips.
WELCOME to the first issue of Click!, a special section about photography and related news, aimed at photography enthusiasts and also the man on the street. In this column, we will cover topics on taking photos, choosing peripherals, selecting places for a photoshoot, setting up a camera and much more.
Okay, let’s start from the very beginning: Choosing a camera. I have often received messages and questions about which camera is good for them. This is a subjective thing as it all depends on what you want to do with the camera and your budget, of course. With various brands, models, designs and prices, one can be spoilt for choice. Here are some tips:
1. Point-and-shoot: If you only want simple pictures of friends and families, then all you need is just a point-and-shoot. As the name suggests, it is simple to use, small and affordable too. You don’t need to know all the confusing terms to get nice pictures. Major brands such as Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic and Sony have point-and-shoot series.
2. Bridge: In between the point-and-shoots and dSLRs/mirrorless cameras, are the bridge cameras. They are often comparable in size and weight to the smallest dSLRs, but have superzoom retractable lens. Nikon CoolPix P900 is one popular example of a bridge camera.
3. dSLR: If you have some knowledge of photography, want to explore more and get better results from your cameras, then dSLR cameras are the obvious choice. These cameras allow one to control the shots with several modes such as aperture, shutter, programme and manual. You get better image quality from these cameras. Among the popular dSLR modes are the Nikon D series, Canon D series.
4. Mirrorless: These are cameras with the same functionality and capability as dSLR cameras, but come in a smaller form factor. For example, Sony has its Alpha series and Fujifilm its X series. Unlike dSLR cameras, mirrorless cameras do not have a moveable mirror and a mirrorhousing in the optical path, so the cameras can be smaller.
5. Action: Normally operated via smartphones, these cameras are very small (smaller than the average palm), come in a box shape and can be mounted to helmet, surfboard, cars and even placed on a camera stick. GoPro is one of the famous brands.
Sharing is caring Izwan Ismail is A self-taught tech and photo journalist. he believes that the best way to encourage people into photography is through knowledge sharing.