What should we consider when buying a camera?

October 08, 2019

For those who love to travel and capture beautiful places in memorable photos, a camera is the best companion .

Many people don't know which camera will be practical for them. So I'll try to make it a little easier for you.

When Eastman Kodak released the Brownian camera in 1900, it was a cardboard box with a lens and a roll of film.

This camera was revolutionary in democratizing photography. At that time, buying a camera was easy. More than a century later, today, cameras offer us amazing possibilities.

Most of us already have a practical camera in the form of a smartphone, but it still doesn't compare to the capabilities of a professional camera.

The price of new cameras ranges from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.

Which do you need, an expensive lens or is your phone camera enough?

This blog is here to help you solve such issues.

Camera types

Cameras come in all shapes and sizes, but no one really knows which one is the best choice for their needs.

There are three main categories:

Compact/Spotlight shooting
Mirrorless interchangeable lens
Digital SLR (DSLRs)

Within each, there are different variations - some point-and-shoots are DSLR-like, some mirrorless cameras are incredibly compact, while others are larger, etc. Here's what you'll find in each category.

Point-and-shoot camera

This is a camera with a wide range of features. Depending on the size, it can be compact - pocket-sized, which is affordable and easy to use.

Or powerful advanced models with long focal lengths, large sensors and full manual control. One thing that remains constant is the lens.

You probably know that the popularity of point-and-shoot cameras has declined significantly as smartphone cameras have also mastered this feature.

Such cameras are no longer attractive to the mainstream, and manufacturers have responded to this challenge with higher-end cameras.

Another type of point-and-shoot is the less compact superzoom, so called because of its extremely zoom lens.

The Nikon P1000 is currently the record holder for long-range zoom, with a power of 125x or an equivalent focal length of 24-3000mm. This camera gives you a lot of shooting possibilities in a relatively compact package.

Mirrorless camera

This category offers higher image quality, more creative options, and faster performance than a point-and-shoot camera.

The name mirrorless comes from the fact that these cameras do not have a mirror built into a DSLR and also do not have an optical viewfinder.

Instead, mirrorless cameras are always in live view mode, regardless of whether you are looking at the LCD screen or the electronic viewfinder (EVF).

There are different formats of mirrors produced by different brands.

See: The best cameras for travel enthusiasts

Panasonic and Olympus share the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) format. This means you can use Panasonic lenses on an Olympus camera and vice versa.

Fujifilm uses a larger APS-C sensor for its X series models, and Sony makes mirrorless cameras with both APS-C and full-frame (35mm) sensors.

Canon and Nikon introduced full-frame mirrorless cameras in 2018 that finally give Sony real competition, and Canon also maintains its EOS M line, which uses the APS-C format.

Digital SLR (DSLRs)

DSLRs cover the same price range as mirrorless cameras and run the same gamut from consumer to professional.

For the entry-level user, a DSLR will offer better image quality, a relatively compact camera, due to its relatively large sensor, but does not offer the speed and extras of a professional DSLR.

If size doesn't bother you, a $500 entry-level DSLR will be more useful than a $500 compact. At least in terms of image quality.