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Thursday 24 January 2013

Picking Your First Camera

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Picking your first camera is a harder decision than most people realize because you don't have all the answers about your own interest in photography at this point.
If you knew in advance that you were going to become an advanced hobbyist and eventually transition to paying work, picking a camera would be much easier. You'd be looking at one of the full frame Canon, Nikon or Sony models and a couple really high end lenses. If you're certain about really getting that far into photography, then front-loading the expense makes sense. If it were only that easy!
For probably 75 percent of people who buy a high-end, full frame sensor DSLR, the bulk of the functionality the camera never gets fully utilized. The majority of the time the camera never leaves the AUTO setting. It's big, it's heavy and, eventually, it ends up sitting in a closet for longer and longer periods of time. This is the sad end for many high end cameras as their owners discover they weren't really that committed to photography.
If you're going to leave a camera in the closet, leave a less expensive camera with a kit lens on the shelf. Actually, there are even better reasons to start with a mid-range camera.
The best strategy for many people starting out may be getting a mid-range DSLR with a good quality kit lens and then shoot until it, literally, falls apart. The reason for that is you'll learn more in your first year of photography than you will at any other time in your photography career. You'll learn about lighting, lenses, post-processing, and you'll start developing your personal style.
Most importantly, that first year will tell you whether photography is a hobby or a potential career. If it is a potential career, then you'll already have something any professional shooter would want to have and that's a spare camera body. If you stick with the same camera brand then your introductory camera will not fade away, it will simply find other uses. It will be your second body at weddings and events in case your main camera fails, it will sometimes find a dedicated home on a very long lens, because switching cameras is much faster than switching lenses. A good camera body never goes to waste.
If you end up choosing a different camera brand, you can still sell your old one and use the money toward new lenses.
For your first camera, any mid-range camera with at least an APS-C size chip in the middle of the price range with interchangeable lenses will get you started. Don't worry too much about the specs, there's virtually no difference between a 14-megapixel and a 16-megapixel camera. The big question is deciding how important video may be to you. If being able to shoot video is very important, then you'll want to stick with Canon or Sony. Nikon has recently started providing better video support, but it's always been reluctantly for them.
If still photography is your passion, then any mid-range camera from the name brands will work to get started.
One final piece of advice, don't let anyone make you feel bad for having a lower end camera and a kit lens. Manufacturers pair up cameras and kit lenses because they provide excellent quality for the money. Just shoot every photo like you own the most expensive camera on the market and the quality will show through.
posted by michaelabela.weebly.com

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