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THE ANSWER MAN:
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What's the Best Camera?
As a professional, I’m asked all the time, “What’s the best camera?” Of course, we all know that there is no “best camera” out there, at least not yet, but there is one out there that’s best for you. After reading the information below, you’ll be perfectly capable of making that decision.
The first question has not changed. It doesn’t matter if you shoot film or digital, for as long as I can remember the first question has always been, “What kind of photos do you take?” Think about it. Would a person whose main interest is taking pictures of their kids on holidays use the same camera as a guy who wants to photograph NASCAR races? Probably not. And what about the photographer who wants to take macro photos of flowers versus a scuba enthusiast? Once again, these photographers with widely divergent tastes will probably not be looking at the same camera. So once you’ve decided the primary and possibly secondary use of your new camera, here are the areas and specs that will help you make a good buying decision.
1. Megapixals: Even though we’re going to look beyond the obvious, this is a good place to start. You’ve got to decide how much megapixel power you want. If you strictly want to make slide shows, make small prints, and e-mail photos, a five or six megapixel camera will be just fine for you. If you want higher quality files for larger images, you’ll need seven or eight megapixel power. And for really professional results, you may want much more. As in anything in life there is a price to pay in terms of cash, size, and weight. But once you’ve decided upon the chip size, you are then free to look at other factors in your search for the perfect camera.
2. Lens: The next thing I look at is the lens. The two critical aspects of lens choice are zoom range and lens speed. Once again, expect to pay more for a fast lens with a wide range. If you dislike using flash and prefer making pictures with “available light”, you’ll want the fastest lens possible, especially in digital, where noise is more significant at ISO’s over 200. If you’re just going to be using it on the beach in San Juan or the slopes of St. Moritz or flashing pics at your two-year-old’s party, speed is not as big an issue. But if you want to take images as early and as late in the day as possible and prefer a natural, window light look rather than flash, a high speed lens is best. Be careful when reading about the zoom range of lenses. Many cameras now sport 10x zoom lenses. You might think, “Great, I’ll never need another lens again!” And you may not—if you don’t need a wide angle. You see, many of those lenses start at 38mm and go to 380mm. (All focal lengths mentioned in this article are 35mm equivalents.) That’s a great range to be sure, but it’s not giving you a much wider field of view than a “normal” lens. Great for long telephotos, not so hot for wide vistas or those family shots during the holidays.
3. Storage Media: If all storage media acts the same, why does it matter which one you use? If you’re buying your first digital camera, it probably doesn’t. If you’ve been shooting digital for some time though, you may already have a small investment in digital cards. In this age of miniaturization, you may also prefer one of the larger media cards, or might want to get a camera that uses the same cards as those you already own.
4. Camera Size: I also don’t like my cameras too little, since I feel they’re sometimes more difficult to hold steady, than something a little bigger. Maybe it’s because I cut my teeth on full size SLR film cameras, but you’ll find you have your own preferences, too. When choosing your camera, find the balance of size and weight that you feel comfortable with. Look at how you carry the camera, also. I don’t like a neck strap on a point-and-shoot but I find the wrist straps very convenient.
5. Battery Size And Life: Ideally, all cameras would take the same batteries. For example, when I went shopping for my point-and-shoot, I looked for a camera that took rechargable AA batteries. Why? Because I have about 10 sets of them that I use in my bigger cameras and flash units. No proprietary battery makes life easier. You also want to look at battery life, or how many shots you may take before the battery needs recharging. You can find approximate numbers from the camera manufacturer’s website but reading test reviews both in print and on line will give you a more accurate idea of battery life in real world shooting conditions.
6. Price: Ah, it rears its ugly head. The fact is, once you’ve got your camera search narrowed down to a few specific models, you’ll probably see a wide range of prices for models with similar specs. Why? Expect to pay more for one of the more well-known “marquee” brands than a brand known for selling computers. While they both may give you comparable results, the higher price for the top names is usually worth the difference in construction, optics, software and the other little details that they have been dealing with for years. I always go with the “name” brands—they got that way for a reason.
7. Exposure Control: A critical part of any camera is how much control you have over exposure. Can you live with just auto or program? Do you need complete manual or can you get by with aperture and shutter priority? Does it just have auto white balance or do you have a choice of several modes plus manual? Again, your usage is going to define how much control you need. Holiday photos of the family can probably get by with auto everything but you may want more options to cover that once in a lifetime vacation.
8. Flash: A good, accurate built-in flash is a requirement for this class of camera. You may want to look at a few specifics, such as power, angle of coverage, red-eye reduction and possibly even a hot shoe to add a more sophisticated flash at some point. Since the flash is so close to the lens, red-eye is a major problem. I know Canon has in-camera software that will automatically repair the red-eye. I’m sure other companies have it too. In usage, remember that using the flash and LCD screen will reduce the amount of exposures you can make on a single battery charge.
9. Viewfinder: This is a very important point. I prefer a camera that has a “real image optical viewfinder” over an electronic viewfinder (EVF). Why? Because if you just have an EVF your screen will usually freeze up after you’ve taken a picture, meaning if you try to take photos in rapid succession, you won’t be looking at what you’re taking until after you’ve already taken it! Also, I’ve tried taking action photos with one at a baseball game and the EVF can’t keep up with the fast motion. On the other hand, most EVF cameras will show you 100 percent of the image, while some optical finders are as low as 80 percent. Again, you decide which is most important to you based upon your picture taking style.
10. File Sizes: While most of these cameras shoot different size JPEG files, not all of them shoot raw. Decide for yourself if this is important to you and you want to take the needed time to convert and adjust the files. If in doubt, go for a camera that shoots raw; you don’t have to use it, but it’s nice to know it’s there.
My Quest For The Perfect Vacation Camera
Much of the reason for the above article is because I recently purchased a new camera for myself. I grew tired of lugging my bigger DSLR’s around on every photo trip so I started a search for my “perfect” vacation camera. I’ll avoid the suspense and tell you now—I bought a Canon PowerShot G10. Now I’m sure you know, that as great as this camera is, there are other options out there, and your choice will be based upon your needs. With that in mind, let me tell you my decision making process.
OK, let’s start with megapixels. I wanted a camera that would allow me to print very high quality images if needed. No point in taking great photos if you can’t use the file to make a quality print. This model happens to be 14.7 mega pixels.
Next, I looked at lenses. My most important criteria here was how wide the lens went. It’s hard to make wide angle lenses for these cameras because of the small chip size. Canon has come up with this new lens that is 28mm to 140mm equivalent, most cameras in this class start at 38 mm, a big difference. While I wish the longer end went beyond 140mm, my decision was based on the premise that most “vacation” photos benefit greatly from a wide angle for more sweeping vistas. The camera also has “stitching” ability and software that is child’s play to use, again great for scenics. Next, I wanted a camera that gave me the abililty to shoot in raw. It’s nice to know that I can shoot raw if I have any doubt about getting the highest quality image I can. This camera can shoot raw and JPEG at the same time. I then looked at the size. If the camera’s a pain to carry around, I won’t take it. I wanted something I could put in my pocket. I spent a few days on vacation and just shoved the camera in my pocket whenever I went out. It’s a great feeling not to be encumbered by a heavy camera and bag but knowing you’ve got the tools to create high quality images. My last consideration was the battery. While I would have preferred to use my AA batteries, the Canon has its own. And now that I’m used to it, I’m pretty comfortable with it. I can easily take several hundred photos using flash and checking the LCD and the battery charges in less than an hour, so I am not finding this a drawback. Should I need it, I can buy a backup battery for under $50.
Full manual controls, a fast high quality wide angle zoom lens (f2.8-f4.5), the ability to shoot raw, external flash hot shoe, vibration reduction, great macro capability and many other features too numerous to mention, make this a must have camera.
Miscellaneous. There are a few other factors to consider when making your digital camera purchase. These may include items like image stabilization, an important consideration with those 10-15x zoom lenses that are equivalent to about a 400mm or more, macro mode, how fast the camera can keep shooting in fast action, stitching ability, and others. The whole point I’ve tried to make during this article is that the very first consideration is the intended usage for the camera. So when someone askes you, “What camera should I buy?” you know the first question you’ll be asking him or her. Now do your homework, get that camera and get out and photograph.
As always, if you have any questions or comments about this or other
photography subjects,
contact me at ijschneller@msn.com or
call 215-781-6360.
