Which Camera?

Once friends and colleagues get to know that you can take half decent photographs, they start asking you about what you use. An old favourite used to be, 'What film do you use?' as if changing the film that they used would make all the difference to their pictures. It was a bit like asking a painter which brushes he used. The question misses the point by a mile.

One of the most frustrating things about photography forums is the constant, 'My camera is better than yours,' nonsense. To be honest, if you buy a camera from a decent maker, you are going to have a decent camera.

Anyway, cameras are not good in all situations. Like many things in life, camera choice is a compromise. In some situations a 10x8 view camera is probably still the best choice, in others, a camera phone is perfectly fine. And of course for most photo opportunities neither of these is appropriate.

Most enthusiasts and professional shooters choose a DSLR. The image quality they produce is very good and they are also very versatile. With the correct lens you can take shots of the head of a wasp or the craters on the Moon - or anything in between. Having said that, a DSLR with a collection of lenses and other accessories can be a pain to carry around. If you haven't got the right lens with you then shot is lost.

Another choice is a digital compact. These cover a very wide range from high quality products that will shoot RAW and produce images suitable for stock agencies to cameras only suitable for happy snaps - which is just what many people want.

The choice that you make has to be a personal one. The best thing to do is first decide what sort of images you want to take with the camera and then go from there. Also, will you be going out to make photos or will the photos be incidental to other pursuits. When you have answered these questions you can start to make a choice. It is only then that brand decisions should be even considered. 
Copyright © Greg Wright 2005-14 Photography from Frome - All rights reserved
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