Our world is changing, science and technology are not standing still, and nowadays the question of how to choose a camera worries not only photographers, but also young parents, students, tourists and even schoolchildren. What are the cameras, what they are different, and what to choose for certain purposes - it is important to know.
Types of cameras
The variety of models of modern cameras will confuse anyone, especially a beginner, and among such an abundance it is incredibly difficult to choose what is needed. In order to make it easier for you to figure out how to choose a camera in such a wide range, we will look in detail at the main types of cameras and their differences.
Camera soap dish
Soap dishes are called simple compact cameras used for everyday life. A good soap box can be a family camera and capture the bright moments of life, can be a travel companion, allowing you to save impressions in the frames, and still used for work purposes, when the high quality of photography does not matter.
The main characteristics of the camera soap dish:
- stationary lens;
- built-in flash;
- Sensitivity of the matrix up to 1000 ISO;
- Optical zoom up to 5x magnification;
- several main automatic modes, one or two modes for manual settings are possible;
- saving photos in JPEG format;
- video recording;
- light weight.
When deciding which camera is best, it is worth paying attention to such firms that produce soap dish series, such as:
- Canon Power Shot;
- Nikon Coolpix;
- Sony Syber Shot;
- Samsung.
Cameras ultrazoom
Many mistakenly attribute the ultrasomes to SLR cameras of the beginning class, but this is far from the case. Asking how to choose a digital camera, those who take pictures at a great distance stop at the ultrasounds. The main distinguishing feature of these cameras is a huge optical zoom, from 12-fold in the simpler old models to 60-fold in the most modern.
In addition to the main feature, optical zoom, the following advantages can be attributed to the important advantages of the ultramums:
- ergonomic and comfortable design;
- High sensitivity of the matrix (some models are able to shoot in total darkness without using a flash);
- the quality and size of the photos is much higher than in the soap box;
- some cameras are capable of shooting in RAW format, which opens up new possibilities for photo editing.
One of the important drawbacks of the ultrasound is the large volume of the camera, which can bring inconveniences, and still a stationary lens, which is very limited in capabilities. Cameras ultrazuma are great for shooting animals in the wild, technology, aviation from a long distance.
Digital SLR Cameras
If before a SLR camera was a luxury, and only the professionals of the photo gallery had them, today they are owned by very many - and travelers, and young parents, and just lovers of relaxation. Modern "SLRs" have a wide range of models for any request and wallet. The main distinguishing feature of this technique is the system of mirrors, thanks to which we see an image in the video detector. Mirror cameras are pleased with the quality of photos, sharpness, saturation of colors. And they are extremely convenient to use and have an abundance of settings.
How to choose a SLR camera is not an easy question, since these cameras are divided into different classes, from amateur to professional, it all depends on the purpose for which it will be used. A good mirror camera is produced by Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax.
Mirrorless cameras
These are cameras of a new generation, who managed to win fans both among amateurs and among professionals. On the quality of photography, they are not inferior to the above-described SLR cameras and have one important advantage - they do not have a large mirror, the image in the finder we get in digital form, due to which the weight and dimensions of the camera are much lower. Such a camera is easy to take with you and on a trip, and for a walk. The best mirrorless cameras are Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm.
Film camera
Thinking over the question of how to choose a camera, most do not even consider such an option as a film camera, considering it the last century. But this is not true - the film is also in great demand among connoisseurs of good photographic equipment. The photos taken by such a camera are unique, they can not be repeated. Modern film cameras are a completely different color scheme, often softer than digital cameras, with special shades.
One can not lose sight of the important drawbacks of film cameras: the purchase of a film, the inability to alter a frame, and the creation of special conditions for the development of film and the printing of photographs, although in our time special photo studios are engaged in this. To summarize, one can say that such cameras are for the amateur - for someone, their features are important advantages, and for someone they are significant drawbacks.
Camera with instant photo print
Such a camera is a real godsend for street photographers and photography enthusiasts on paper. What is an instant photo camera, and how does it work? The camera inserts a special cartridge (cassette), which contains 8-10 sheets of photo paper. This paper consists of several layers - photosensitive, developing and protecting. Due to the special surface of the paper, the light does not fall on the matrix, as in the above-described cameras, but immediately on it, and within a few seconds we get a ready printed photo.
It is also important to note the significant shortcomings of instant-printing cameras. Firstly, it is the high cost of use. Cassettes are designed for 8-10 pictures, depending on the model, so you need to regularly purchase them. If you do not have a new camera, the cassette can be extremely difficult to find. Another important drawback is the quality of images, even the most modern fast-printing cameras for the quality of photos can be compared only with a soap box.
The first instant photo printers were produced by Polaroid, which still produces modern cameras with a focus on reliability and durability. For many, the very word Polaroid is synonymous with a fast-printing camera. Another such technique began to produce firm Fujifilm, inferior in quality and reliability, but bribing more modern models.
How to choose a good camera?
How to choose a camera and stay happy with your purchase? First, we should determine how the camera will be used - how often, under what conditions. Remember that it is not always advisable to buy the most expensive - not being a professional photographer, you are unlikely to appreciate the benefits of mega-speed SLR cameras. The most important stage before choosing the right camera is to decide what level of photographic equipment you need.
How to choose a camera for the family?
To capture the bright moments of family life, there is enough good modern soap dish - it does not require special skills and knowledge of terms. You just need to select the desired mode ("Portrait", "Landscape", etc.), and the camera itself will adjust to the conditions. But the highest quality photos should not be expected from such a camera - soap boxes are very simple, and they can hardly surprise you with special photos.
If you are interested in what kind of camera to buy for the family to get bright and unforgettable pictures, the answer is unambiguous - it should be a mirror or mirrorless amateur camera. To use this technique, you do not need to be an expert or deeply versed in photography, the same automatic modes can suffice, but the price of such cameras is much higher.
How to choose a good camera for an amateur?
You can not yet call yourself a photographer, and you are not even sure that you will be doing this, but the art of photography fascinates you? In this case, wondering how to choose a camera, you should pay attention to the amateur-level SLR cameras. Let's consider in detail what kind of cameras are the amateur class, and what models should be given preference.
- Nikon D5300 Kit. Advantages of the camera - fast autofocus and a matrix with a low amount of noise; minuses - needs frequent cleaning from dust, autofocus does not always work correctly, in the video recording mode, a lot of noise.
- Canon EOS 100D Kit. Advantages - small size and weight, ease of mastering, high sensitivity of the matrix. The disadvantages are slow autofocus and a lot of noise.
- Nikon D3300 Kit. The main advantage of the camera is the prostate in mastering, good quality of mechanics and a capacious battery. Disadvantages - few automatic shooting modes.
- Canon EOS 1300D Kit. Advantages - easy settings, a good modern matrix and affordable price, shortcomings can be called a small number of focus points and poor sharpness in video mode.
How to choose a camera for a beginner photographer?
If you are new to the photo session, you should not start with high-end technology - most likely, you will not be able to use all of its resources. In this case, you should pay attention to the SLR camera for beginners, and before choosing, check out the ratings of semi-professional cameras:
- Canon EOS 6D. This is the only full-frame camera, not belonging to the class of pros. The most compact camera with a full-frame matrix. Pros - a tenacious focus, high-quality color rendering, very low noise.
- Nikon D610. The main advantages are exact metering, a capacious battery, a modern matrix and video recording in FullHD format.
- Sony Alpha ILCA-77M2. A modern processor, fast autofocus, accurate color reproduction and low noise - a brief description of the camera.
How to choose a professional camera?
A camera for a professional is a high-end technique with a large size and high sensitivity matrix, a modern powerful processor, speed. Often, these cameras are large and have a lot of weight, so as an amateur and family camera, they are unlikely to be convenient, but a professional will appreciate them. Modern professional cameras we will present in the rating, which will help you decide which one is best for you.
- Canon EOS 5D Mark IV;
- Canon EOS 5DSR;
- Pentax K-1;
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III.
Which camera to choose for travel?
The traveler's camera must possess such important qualities as:
- lightness and compactness;
- high-quality pictures;
- a good battery - not always on the way there is the possibility of charging.
If you can easily get out of the situation with a discharged battery with an autonomous charger or with spare, charged batteries, then the question of how to choose a compact digital camera is more acute. It should not be a soap box - it will not convey the beauty of nature or cities in the pictures. It is worth to choose your choice on mirrorless cameras or light "mirrors" of the amateur class.
The best mirrorless cameras that are convenient for travel are:
- Nikon 1 J5;
- Sony A6000;
- Sony A7 II;
- Fujifilm X-M1;
- Panasonic G7;
- Olympus OM-D E-M10.