Selecting the right camera
The complete guide to finding the suitable digital camera for beginners
Let’s face it: No vacation or trip is complete without a bunch of cool pictures. Whether simply to store as memories, or show the folks back home or to share on social media, clicking is important. Photography, as with a lot of things, has gone digital today. However, there are so many types of digital cameras in the market today, catering to every category of user that it can be extremely confusing to choose one that is just right for you.
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But despair not, for we have solved this confusion with our basic guide to selecting the right camera just for you!
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The camera you need depends on what you will be mostly using it for.
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1) A smartphone:
Well, just because you like clicking away does not mean your little hobby has to cost an arm and a leg. If you are happy clicking a few pictures only occasionally and just want to share them on social media and have no inclination to print them or to learn the intricacies of photography, you could save a lot of money by going in for a good camera smartphone. Many smartphones these days have fairly good cameras and that easily get the job done.
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Pros:
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No extra camera or lens to be carried around.
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Saves a lot of money.
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Easy to click, edit and share on the internet.
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No maintenance costs are involved.
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Cons:
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Poor picture quality-not suitable for prints.
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Low light performance is usually very poor.
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Lacks most of the features of dedicated cameras.
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Not suitable for shooting videos.
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Some of the best mobile phones for photography today are the iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy S8. Check out our detailed list for every category and budget.
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2) Point and shoot/Compact cameras
Sometimes you just need a simple, efficient and intelligent camera that takes care of your basic needs without having to
spend time fiddling with the settings or trying to get the exposure right. A point and shoot camera does just that. The lens is attached to the body, meaning you have to make do with the lens that it comes with and cannot change it at will. At the same time, this allows for great compactness, hence they are the choice of many. There are hundreds of compact cameras available in the market though, and it can be extremely tiresome as well as tricky to differentiate them on the basis of quality. Some cameras in this category are nearly as good as entry level DSLRs whereas the best mobile phones can outperform some compact models. Prices start as low as $100 (7,000 INR).
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Credits: Kristopher Volkman | Wikimedia Commons
Pros:
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Average to good picture quality at an affordable price.
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Compact and durable system; light and easy to carry around-ideal for vacations.
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Extremely simple and user-friendly-best for absolute beginners.
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No need for extra lenses, filters etc.
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Low maintenance.
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Some models offer semi-automatic modes that allow little flexibility-good for learning the basics of photography.
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Cons:
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Thanks to pre-programmed modes, results are sometimes inconsistent.
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Little control over the exposure settings, especially aperture and shutter speed-so forget the background blur (bokeh) or picture quality DSLRs offer.
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Picture quality not suited for medium to large prints.
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With smartphone cameras gettting better by the day, their popularity is on the decline.
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Trouble selecting the best compact camera? Check out our recommendations.
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3) DSLRs
Digital Single Lens Reflex Cameras (DSLRs) are the ones to have if you want consistently good picture quality along with the ability to tweak the settings in order to get the best out of every situation. About every professional and hobbyist photographer in the world today uses a DSLR-no wonder they are so wildly popular that you would surely have heard about them sometime. They have the largest collection of lenses and accessories. DSLRs are mainly of two types-the crop sensor (cheaper), and full-frame (more expensive, better picture quality). If you are even mildly interested in photography, a DSLR is pretty much the way to go. Invest in a mid-range body and upgrade your lenses as you learn. Prices start $400 (25,000 INR) and upwards.
Pros:
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Images are stunningly bright and remarkably sharp-even in low light.
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Suitable for taking large prints.
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Fully customisable-manual settings.
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Optical viewfinder, precise focussing.
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Numerous choice of lens and accessories.
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Ability to capture HD (720p) and full HD (1080p) videos.
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Suitable for all kinds of photography-just need the right lens for the job. The kit lens should cover most of your basic needs.
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Tons of other benefits, such as zero shutter lag etc.
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Cons:
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Bulky.
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Expensive, although entry-level DSLRs are fairly cheap.
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Lens and sensor cleaning and maintenance may be required from time to time.
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Require little operational knowledge. However, DSLRs these days offer easy guides for beginners. Plus, one can always switch to the automatic mode.
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Need help understanding and finding the best DSLR for you? Take a peek at our suggestions.
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4) Mirrorless Cameras:
The latest entrant in the photography world-mirrorless cameras are essentially DSLRs without the mirror that makes the optical viewfinder work. The different internal mechanism makes them as good as DSLRs, but in a compact package. This makes them greatly popular with street photographers and bloggers. The viewfinder is electronic-in some models you only get to shoot through the LCD screen though. The growing collection of lenses and great video shooting capabilities-sometimes better than DSLRs in the same price range make them a great option to consider. Some mirrorless cameras with fixed lenses are priced as cheap as $300 (20,000 INR).
Pros:
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Smaller and much lighter than DSLRs.
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No shutter sound due to absence of internal mirror-good for candid photographers.
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High resolution image and video capturing.
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Cons:
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Battery life is shorter compared to DSLRs.
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Auto-focus is slightly slower.
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Fewer lens and accessories-though options are growing by the day.
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Some photographers have reported shutter lag with some models.
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Some mirrorless cameras have fixed lenses-check before buying.
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Confused between which mirrorless camera to buy? Get a look at the best mirrorless cameras in the market today.
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5) Action Cameras:
The past few years have seen action cameras become quite the rage. Small and compact enough to fit in the palm of your hand, these cameras are rugged and built to withstand action in any environment and record it from close range. Shoot wide-angle images and videos with ease using these bad boys. What's best is the wide range of accessories they come with, including waterproof casing and mounts, allowing them to be attached to helmets, bikes and even drones. They are pretty affordable and if you are the kind of adrenaline junkie who's paragliding one moment, and diving into the ocean in another, these cameras are the ones made for you. Really cheap ones can be yours for just $60 (4,000 INR) while the more expensive options can even go up to $700 (48,000 INR).
Pros:
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Compact and lightweight.
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Rugged-works in challenging environments.
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Easily connects for remote viewing and sharing with smartphones. Some can connect via Wi-Fi too.
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Versatile and mountable on various surfaces.
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Wide-angle.
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Cons:
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Fixed focus.
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Exposure settings are semi-automatic and not fully customisable.
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Viewfinder is sometimes not available. Some photographers have reported it to be too small on some models when it exists, or to be difficult to use in sunlight. However, anti-glare viewfinders are provided with many models.
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Limited zoom.
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See our list of recommended action cameras that will make you relive your adventures.
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FINAL VERDICT:
If you are the kind of person who's camera-conscious and hardly clicks/gets clicked and has little or no interest in photography, get a phone with a good quality camera and it will serve you well.
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On the other hand, if you have a little interest in photography and/or go on tours and vacations etc. very often, it makes a lot of sense to get an entry or mid level-DSLR. The benefits are numerous-you can upgrade your picture quality by simply changing the lenses and the sensors used in budget DSLRs these days are very powerful. While buying a DSLR, you will likely find that you have the option to buy only the body of the camera or with one or two kit lenses, typically something like an 18-55mm lens and a telephoto zoom lens, usually of the order 55-250 mm (Canon) or 70-300 mm (Nikon). While the lenses are okay, and will suffice for general needs, you will not be able to realise the true potential of your DSLR with those and should upgrade to prime, macro or telephoto lenses of better quality with time. Don't worry about that for now though. Also remember that some DSLRs come with a lens with focal length range of 18-135mm and if you can get that deal, absolutely go for it as it will cover your needs for a while to come. The next two paragraphs are only relevant in the former case.
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Irrespective of the retailer from where you buy it, you will likely find that buying the body and the lenses separately can cost you much more than buying the entire kit of the body and both lenses together. The difference can come to almost $200 (13,500 INR). So it is important that you decide whether to go for just the body, body + 18-55 mm lens or body + 18-55mm + 55-250 mm (or 70-300 mm) lens. To help you decide, I am covering the matter of focal length and what you should consider in a few lines.
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Focal length is the length between the lens and the image sensor when the object is in focus. Essentially, the 18-55 mm lens will suffice for general photography, including shooting landscapes and portraits. Remember that an APS-C sensor (mostly used in the beginner DSLRs) will anyway have a crop factor of about 1.5, so using a 50mm lens means the effective focal length is actually 75mm. Do not worry about that straightaway though, read this if you need more information.
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The other 55-250 mm or 70-300 mm kit lens is a telephoto zoom lens which you will be needing if you wish to capture, say, a shot of the moon or wildlife or sports. If you are interested in shooting any of those, you should definitely go for it, especially keeping in mind the fact that it will cost much more separately. We recommend going for the kit of body and both lenses.
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Check out our top picks in DSLR kits.
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What do the different letters on the lens designation mean?
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How do I control exposure and blur the background?
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What are the different types of lenses and which one is right for me?
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