Camera Buying Guide
The following are things that you should consider (roughly in order) when you’re thinking of getting a new camera:
What are you going to use the camera for?
Cameras out in the consumer market cater for an extremely wide target audience. They range from people who want to just point and shoot and not care about anything else, to those who want to be able to control all the different aspects of taking a photo (often referred to as prosumers) so that they can achieve artistic effects.
- Are you looking for something small and compact so that you can take it around with you unobtrusively?
- Are you looking for something with a somewhat more rugged build so that it can take more of a beating?
- How much optical zoom do you need? (Digital zoom is a hack. Turn it off and never use it.)
- How much control do you want over the camera?
- Do you want to record video?
What’s your budget?
It’s important to set a budget for how much you plan to spend on your camera since it helps in limiting your choices to cameras that fall within your price-range. Remember that you may need to budget for any other accessories (e.g. spare battery, flash memory, waterproof case if you’re going to take it to places where the camera might get water damage, camera bag, etc).
Review cameras that suit the above
Now that you’ve got an idea of how much you want to spend, and what you want in a camera, do some research online to find a list of cameras that match your criteria. I generally recommend that people start off looking at the Digital Photography Review website. It usually has plenty of info and reviews on heaps of cameras, and it has a decent Buying Guide section.
Try them out yourself
By now, you should have a handful of cameras that you’re interested in that fits within your budget, and does what you want. Next step is to walk into stores that sell cameras and actually try them out. Note that you’re not planning to buy anything at this stage – simply getting a feel of the cameras and how they perform.
- Does the camera do what you expect it to do?
- Is the camera easy to use? Can you take photos, review them, delete them easily and quickly? Can you access the important camera features without fuss?
- If possible, ask them to let you review some shots on a monitor. Are you happy with the quality?
Ignore anything that salespeople say
Those guys are there to sell cameras. Most of them are told what products to push for, especially when a vendor has some sort of promotion on. Don’t believe them if they tell you stupid stuff like you’ll need cameras with lots of megapixels (like >7. Even for A3-sized prints you rarely need more than 6-7). They may want to flog accessories on to you because they can make more money that way. Just filter all of the marketing spiel that they give you. You’ve done the research and so you almost certainly know more about what you want than the salesperson.
That said, the salesperson can be very helpful in case you want to know more about the store’s policy on refunding and exchanging faulty goods, letting you look at photos on a monitor, etc.
Find best option and purchase
So you’ve tried a whole bunch of cameras and you’ve picked out the one that you’re happy parting money with. Now all you need to do is find a shop that offers the best deal and go ahead and purchase. Make sure that you have a decent amount of warranty (1 year is pretty standard). I wouldn’t bother with extended warranties since cameras these days are pretty reliable. If it doesn’t die within the first year, chances are it’s gonna last for a good few more. However, if it makes you feel better at night, go ahead and get that extended warranty.
Don’t forget to buy some flash memory. Depending on your camera, it will most likely be either SD or CF cards. If you’re like me and like haggling, you may be able to knock off a nice amount off the total.
Go take photos!
That’s why you got a camera in the first place, right?