First time digital camera buyer: look before you leapFeb 08 '02 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Digital photography is a revolution, enter it with a mixture of enthusiasm and caution and remember that choice boils down to what you PERSONALLY expect of your future camera!
Dazzled by this new technology, I felt I needed to do quite a bit of research into the subject before diving in to digital photography (I'm an SLR user, and cherish my old Nikon FE and old-fashioned but oh-so-brilliant lenses). I was tempted by and as a new user am delighted with the possibilities offered by digital photography - it's just brilliant being able to take as many photos as you want, just to try different poses, look at them instantly, keep only what you want, and share them with friends and family at home and abroad, instantly. I found reading reviews on this site extremely useful, so decided to contribute my own, as a first time digital camera buyer. If you have never used a digital camera before, it is really worth gathering as much information as possible, from friends, magazines and websites. I found www.dpreview.com excellent. Points to consider: - price range - size and weight: are you willing to carry a standard size camera about, or (as I did) do you want a pocket-size, light-weight, take-it-anywhere camera - type of photography: do you mostly take portraits, landscapes, people in motion, kids and animals, close-ups, indoor, outdoor - each camera has its strong and weak points, it's up to you to decide on your priority. Some have a better flash, others a better lens,yet another a better focusing system - image quality: do you want top-quality printable pictures or is your priority sharing photos by e-mail or internet - for high quality prints, you need an excellent lens and fine resolution, making the most of all the pixels offered. For internet use, it's not worth investing in a 2mega-pixel camera. - accessories: battery packs and charger are crucial! Memory cards are vital too: different makes use different types of card, some are better, cheaper and more easily available than others (the flash card system is an excellent compromise). - video shows: some cameras let you take a few seconds of video, with or without sound - is this important to you? - ease of use : are you willing to spend hours learning and re-learning how to use your camera, or do you want a straightforward, easily understandable system? - speed: differs greatly from one model to another: sport, kids, animals require a fast camera, landscape, portrait, macro won't suffer from a slower system - site reviews and readers comments and very useful on this point too - individuality: do you want an automatic only or will you only be satisfied if you can play about choosing your own settings? - software: the key to transferring your pictures to the computer - good, fast, easy to use software is a boon. It is really worth considering all these questions and being clear in your head as to what your priorities are - there are hundreds of different makes and models available, and none is perfect (unless perhaps at the very top of the market, but that's not for first-time buyers anyway!). Once your priorities are set, spend plenty of time researching and reading reviews, but WITH A PINCH OF SALT, especially when reading individuals comments. Remember that what is ideal for YOU may be useless for someone else. It all comes down to priorities - I personally wanted a pocket-size, lightweight, first-time-user camera, but equally important was excellent image quality (to my eyes, not to the eyes of a professional). I decided on the Nikon CP775 despite awful private reviews, because it really filled all my requirements - and I am absolutely thrilled. But then that's personal!  |
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