How To Buy a Digital Camera and Use It Effectively

[Yellowhello]

How To Buy a Digital Camera and Use It Effectively
By Nate Phillips


Why do you need a camera? And why is a guide needed to show you how to buy one? Well, as simple as it may seem, there are many important and sometimes confusing aspects of deciding on the right camera for you. We all know megapixels, but what about ISO, aperture, noise, or shutter speed? This guide is intended to simplify some confusing (but important) terms of digital photography, and provide buying tips.

Note: Almost all of the information is based my my knowledge and understanding of the topic. So please read this guide with a grain of salt and do some research on your own before buying.


There are basically three different types of cameras. There are subcategories within them, but here is a basic run down of each categories strengths and weaknesses.

Point and Shoot (P&S)
The easiest to use and most popular group of digital cameras. These have a built-in, non-interchangeable lens and do not require you to mess with different settings like ISO or aperture. They have an automatic setting which does the dirty work for you. Some of the more advanced ones have a manual mode which lets you experiment with ISO, aperture, etc.

Fujifilm P&S cameras are famous for their large image sensor (compared to most other P&S cameras). This makes for shots with less noise and more detail. You can use higher ISO settings for faster shutter speeds without fear of noisy photos. I would recommend a Fujifilm P&S if you take primarily indoor shots on lower light settings.

For another great P&S is the Canon G9. It has been getting rave reviews lately, and gets great image quality, especially for a P&S.

Super Zooms
Basically the same as the point and shoots in regards to ease of usage, but usually have a much bigger, better lens which, as the name implies, has some telephoto capabilities. A better lens really allows for much better photos, but the downside is that super zooms are bulkier than their P&S alternatives, making them not as transportable.

Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR)
DSLR's are the king of the hill when it comes to photo quality. But what really makes DSLR's different than the P&S and super zoom cameras in the ability to change lenses. This is extremely useful because you can have the perfect lens for every situation. Macro? There is a lens for that. Portraits? There is a lens for that. Landscapes? There is a lens for that. The downside is lenses can really suck up a lot of money, and DSLR's are much bigger than P&S cameras and slightly larger than the super zooms. Personally, I would have no trouble carrying a DSLR around. It is a small price to pay for the phenomenal image quality they offer.

The two “big dogs” in the DSLR arena are Canon or Nikon. When you do decide to buy your first DSLR, you are not really buying a camera, but buying into a system. Canon lenses will not fit on Nikon bodies, and vise versa. Do a lot of research before buying a new DSLR because once you have a Canon lens, you probably not want to buy Nikon body in the future. The lens is what will cost the most, not the body, and the lens is what will stay with you the longest. You may upgrade bodies frequently, but you probably will not want to throw away that trusty old lens of yours.

For a beginning DSLR user, I would recommend the Nikon D40 or the Canon Digital Rebel XTI. Both companies have come out with newer versions of both cameras (the Nikon D60 and the Canon Digital Rebel XSI respectively) but they are still both great entry level DSLR's. You would like a step up from entry level, the Nikon D300 or the Canon 40D are great choices.

Of course, there are other companies who make DSLR's and they should be considered. Sony, Olympus, Pentax, and Samsung all make DSLR's as well. However, it may be harder to find good lenses for them, so I would stick with Canon or Nikon for the time being.

Image Stabilization
One more important feature you want to take into consideration is the image stabilization abilities of the camera in question. This can be extremely useful when you are doing a lot of handheld photography, or when you are zoomed in really far. Canon's image stabilization system can be identified with the "IS" (or image stabilization) suffix, be it a P&S or lens. Nikon's flavor of image stabilization can be identified with "VR" (or vibration reduction) in the name of the lens or P&S. Both Canon's and Nikon's image stabilization systems are built into the lens of their DSLR's, not the body. Be sure to buy lenses with the "IS" or "VR" branding. Many manufacturers now have in-body image stabilization for DSLR's which will stabilize the image regardless of lens used. Olympus is a good example of this.

There are a few terms you should probably become familiar with which are frequently referred to in camera reviews and discussions. They could also help you become a better photographer.

Megapixels
Most of us know what the megapixel (MP) rating on a camera signifies, but for those that do not, let me enlighten you. It is the size of the picture that the camera can take. One megapixel is equal to one million pixels. One common misconception is the more megapixels, the sharper the image. Is this simply not true. You could have a 20MP camera and still have crappy, blurry pictures.

Say you have a 6MP camera and a 10MP camera. The 6MP camera takes reasonably sharp images, while the 10MP camera takes slightly lower quality pictures than the 6MP. When you resize the 10MP image down to the size of the 6MP picture, the photo from the 10MP camera looks sharper. Which camera actually takes sharper images? The 6MP does. This may be where the “Megapixel Myth” originated from.

ISO
ISO is the sensitivity of the image sensor in the camera. The higher the number, the more sensitive the sensor is to light. Most cameras, even budget ones, usually have an adjustable ISO setting. A high ISO (depending on the camera, this may be 800, 1900, or even 3200) setting is great for sports, or when you need a very fast shutter speed. However, the drawback is more noise.

A lower ISO setting (80, 100, or 200 depending on the camera again) is good when there is lots of light available (like outdoors) or when you are using a tripod. A lower ISO will have less noise than a higher setting. The downside is the picture will blur or easier due to the shutter having to be open longer.

ISO stands for International Standards Organization. Basically what that means is this: say you have an ISO setting of 200 on a camera. You then take a different camera and set it to ISO 200. The sensitivity to light is exactly the same on both cameras. How ever, that does not mean both shots will turn out the same. That depends on the size of the image sensor, quality of the camera, etc.

Aperture
Aperture is how wide the shutter is open. The bigger the aperture, the more light you can let in. Aperture is commonly referred to as “f” as is “f/2”, “f/5”, etc. What this means is pretty easy to understand, but can be confusing. The lower the number, the wider the shutter is open since it is a fraction. If you think about it, this makes sense. 1/2 is bigger (wider in this case) than 1/5. the “1/” is just replaced by “f/”.

Another important aspect of the aperture is that it controls the amount of the image which is in focus. A wider aperture will have a very small portion of the image in focus. On the other hand, a smaller aperture will have more of the picture in focus. Say you are taking a photo of a flower, or any object which is the single focus of the picture. You would want a wider aperture since you only want that one object in focus, nothing else. But if you are photographing a landscape, for example, and you want the foreground as well as the background in focus, use a smaller aperture.

It is a balancing act though. Remember, a smaller aperture will let less light into the camera, forcing you to use a higher ISO setting or a longer shutter speed. Just keep in mind that the three things with affect whether the picture is at the right exposure is ISO, aperture, and shutter speed.

Shutter Speed/Exposure Time
This is simply the length of time the shutter is open. A shorter shutter speed in good for sports since it is tends to freeze the image in place and is harder to blur. 1/250 (of a second) is a good starting point for sports or other situations in which you need a fast shutter. A longer shutter speed is great for night shots or when you have a tripod. Sometimes exposure time can stretch into seconds or even minutes if you are doing a long night shot. A tripod is highly recommended for long exposure shots.

Again, remember than when you change the shutter speed you will need to change the aperture and ISO as well.

Noise
Noise, or “grain” in the image is caused by high ISO settings or insufficient light. Smaller P&S cameras usually have more noise than higher end DSLR cameras usually due to the size of the size of the image sensor.

Example of noise due to low light and high ISO

Why learn all of this? Well, the way something is portrayed can really make or break a product review, an interesting something you found at the beach, a family gathering, etc. You could have the coolest water cooled machine in all of existence, but if you have a crappy camera and/or mediocre photography skills it could look horrible.

Thanks for reading my guide! If you have any suggestions or see any typos, please tell! Thanks again, and I hope you found it useful!

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by Yellowhello

Of course, there are other companies who make DSLR's and they should be considered. Sony, Olympus, Pentax, and Samsung all make DSLR's as well.

I fall into the budget DSLR category, and ended up snagging an Olympus E-510 w/ 2-lens kit. There are quite few entry-level DSLR bodies to choose from, and one of the big selling points (for me) during my research was the in-camera stabilization, among a wealth of other features.

Neat guide, YH - keep up the good work!

[Yellowhello]

Originally Posted by One4yu2c

I fall into the budget DSLR category, and ended up snagging an Olympus E-510 w/ 2-lens kit. There are quite few entry-level DSLR bodies to choose from, and one of the big selling points (for me) during my research was the in-camera stabilization, among a wealth of other features.

Neat guide, YH - keep up the good work!

Thanks Paul! I didn't really cover image stabilization in my guide (mostly because I wasn't reviewing a specific camera, but cameras in general), and that is why it is very important to do research on your own. Most DSLR's have the image stabilization in the lens (Nikon's in-lens stabilization is identified with "VR" or vibration reduction in the name of the lens, while Canon's image stabilization can be identified with "IS" or image stabilization in the name of the lens) and it is a pretty important part of deciding on what camera or lens to buy.

Also, what do you think of your Olympus Paul?

[Capper]

way to go Nate!!!

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by Yellowhello

I didn't really cover image stabilization in my guide

Add a little blurb, and as comments start rolling in, fine tune as you see fit. Afterwards, I'll discuss it with Rich, but I see no reason why this shouldn't be front-page material.

Originally Posted by Yellowhello

Also, what do you think of your Olympus Paul?

I'm loving it so far, but having just purchased it a month ago, I've yet to really get acquainted.

Before DSLR, I was making do with about a 4-year old point-n-shoot (Sony CyberShot DSC-P73, 4MP). The quality had degraded over time, and along with other reasons, it was time for a major upgrade.

[Yellowhello]

Image Stabilization
One more important feature you want to take into consideration is the image stabilization abilities of the camera in question. This can be extremely useful when you are doing a lot of handheld photography, or when you are zoomed in really far. Canon's image stabilization system can be identified with the "IS" (or image stabilization) suffix, be it a P&S or lens. Nikon's flavor of image stabilization can be identified with "VR" (or vibration reduction) in the name of the lens or P&S. Both Canon's and Nikon's image stabilization systems are built into the lens of their DSLR's, not the body. Be sure to buy lenses with the "IS" or "VR" branding. Many manufacturers now have in-body image stabilization for DSLR's which will stabilize the image regardless of lens used. Olympus is a good example of this.

Blurb added, and thanks for the kind words Rich.

[RAID]

Originally Posted by One4yu2c

I see no reason why this shouldn't be front-page material.

agreed. awesome work nate dogg!

[Reloadron]

Nate

That was a really well written and informative article. Obviously books of text and images can be written about Digital Photography and you did an excellent job of providing a great overview and included some images. You well coverd the DSLR family and the importance of doing some homework prior to purchase.

I remember the homework and effort Paul placed into his shopping for a digital camera, and his followup with some images. I really liked the quality of his images as they appeared.

Again Nate, really nice and enjoyable article!

Ron

[qazwsx]

nice guide! very informative indeed

[gvblake22]

BRAVO!!!
I learned something about Aperature that I didn't really know anything about before!

Nikon just came out with the P60: a new P&S with 5x optical zoom, 8MP, and lots of manual features in a compact body. I'm thinking of selling my Olympus C740-UZ and jumping on board with the P60 but want to wait for a professional review first. It looks like a very nice camera for the P&S crowd looking for something full featured and compact.