Photography – Choice of camera

What does one require to be a photographer? A camera, an eye and a finger.

Its as simple as that. All you need to create photographs is a camera. With the advent of competition, there are various companies in the market which produce digital cameras with various controls functions and all the stuff. So for a person who wishes to take up photography the first problem comes in the form of the choice of camera model. To make it easy, here are a few notes to consider:

– Budget: Its a key and plays a major role in the choice of model. In other words it helps cut down the choices to a minimum. So if my budget were to be rs.10,000 I would not be required to look at cameras costing above it. Hence the first step in deciding on a camera is to fix your budget.

– Requirements: Once the budget is set, decide on what you require. In today’s competitive market, the cameras are filled with so many options, most of which you may not need or never use. So deciding on your requirement becomes quite important.
1) Control: The amount of control that you wish to have helps cut down your choices by more than half. If you wish to take up fine art photography, then you will require manual controls such as aperture priority, shutter priority and full manual mode in your camera. Most of today’s point and shoots dont offer manual control so you might need to search for the one that does.
2) Genre: You would probably not know what interests you right now, but know it could help in the choice of your camera.
3) Usage: Today most of the camera come with Li-ion batteries which have longer life as compared to the AA where in you will be required to have back-up. So if you intend to shoot for longer period choose the ones that use li-ion battery. Having said that AA is nowhere a don’t pick choice. One of my favourite point and shoots canon Sx120IS uses AA and the back-up is pretty good.
4)Brand: Strictly speaking its not an option, but liking towards certain brands can definitely have a say on your choice of model. Say, you need manual control, the nikon coolpix doesn’t have any model which offers it, so you will be required to look out for canon or fuji or some other brands which do.

The best camera: How many times have you felt that moment when you thought, I wish I had my camera right now. There isn’t a single day when I don’t feel it (Don’t judge me by that statement. We will deal with it some other day). Its of no use if you have the best in the field when you hardly take it out. The best one is the one which suits your style and more importantly the one which you bother to take along with you almost everywhere. There is no reason the tiny camera in your cell phone could not be the best one for you. As the famous saying goes, It ain’t the camera, but the man behind it that matters. (women folk, no offence, you are included in it. *wink*)

Here are a few cameras reviewed as best in their range by the team of BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY.

– Below Rs.20,000

1) Fujifilm FinePix AV100 – Rs.4,499 (12.2MP)
Who: Casual users and families who want to shoot a lot of video too.

2)Canon PowerShot A495 – Rs.4,995 (10MP)
Who: For hobbyist and families who are tight on budget.

3) Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55 – Rs.14,990 (12.1MP)
Who: Point and shoot users who do not need manual control, but want a fast AF system and great image quality.

4) Fujifilm FinePix JZ300 – Rs.9,999 (14MP)
Who: Serious hobbyists who want an all-in-one budget camera.

5) Fujifilm FinePix S2500HD – Rs.14,999 (12.2MP)
Who: Those who want extra zoom but do not mind carrying some extra weight.

6) Samsung WB650 – Rs.17,990 (12MP)
Who: Travel enthusiasts and wanderers.

7) Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7 – Rs.17,990 (10.2MP)
Who: Fashion-conscious youngsters who love to shoot video and panoramas.

8) Fujifilm FinePix F80EXR – Rs.17,999 (12MP)
Who: Hobbyists who want the advantages of a compact body, but need better results in contrasty light.

9) Olympus STYLUS TOUGH-8010 – Rs.18,995 (14MP)
Who: Adventure enthusiasts who indulge in a lot of trekking, mountaineering, rafting or swimming.

– Rs.20,000 – Rs.50,000

1) Fujifilm FinePix F300EXR – Rs.20,999 (12MP)
Who: Enthusiasts who want the flexibilty of zoom with the advantages of the EXR sensor.

2) Canon EOS 1000D (Kit) – Rs.25,295 (14.2MP)
Who: Advanced amateurs who on a tight budget.

3) Canon PowerShot S95 – Rs.26,995 (10MP)
Who: Pros who want a pocket-able camera that produces high-quality images.

4) Nikon D3100 – Rs.27,250 (14.2MP)
Who: Anyone who needs a fantastic entry-level DSLR for shooting stills and video.

5) Canon PowerShot SX30IS – Rs.28,995 (14.2MP)
Who: Wildlife lovers who do not mind compromising on quality for additional zoom.

6) Olympus PEN E-PL1 (Kit) – Rs.29,995 (12.3MP)
Who: Those who need superb, high-quality photos but do not like the bulk of a DSLR.

7) Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ100 – Rs.34,990 (14.1MP)
Who: Those who want a super zoom camera with every possible still and video frame.

8) Sony Alpha NEX-5 (Kit) – Rs.34,999 (14.2MP)
Who: For those who want an efficient still-video DSLR in a small size.

9) Fuji Real 3D W3 – Rs.39,000 (10MP)
Who: Those who are willing to pay a premium to use 3D technology.

10) Nikon D90 – Rs.43,450 (12.3MP)
Who: Serious hobbyists who lay equal emphasis on both handling and performance.

11) Canon EOS 550D – Rs.45,295 (18MP)
Who: Pros who need a light backup body and film-makers.

12) Sony Alpha 55 (Kit) – Rs.49,990 (16.2MP)
Who: Anyone who wants to shoot high-quality action photography on a budget.

– Rs.50,000 – Rs.1,50,000

1) Canon EOS 60D – Rs.65,295 (18MP)
Who: Film-makers who want tilt-and swivel LCD for shooting videos.

2) Nikon D7000 – Rs.74,450 (16.2MP)
Who: Hobbyists who want tons of still and video features, or pros who want an excellent backup body.

3) Canon EOS 7D – Rs.87,995 (18MP)
Who:  Sports and wildlife photographers.

4) Nikon D700 – Rs.1,39,950 (12.1MP)
Who: Pro shooters who want outstanding quality in low light.

5) Canon EOS 5D Mark II – Rs.1,41,995 (21.1MP)
Who: Landscape photographers and videographers.

– Above Rs.1,50,000

1) Canon EOS 1D Mark IV – Rs.2,59,995 (16.1MP)
Who: Sports and action shooters who want the extended reach of a 1.3x sensor.

2) Nikon D3S – Rs.2,89,950 (12.1MP)
Who: Sports photographers, photojournalists and wildlife photographers.

3) Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III – Rs.4,12,995 (21.1MP)
Who: Those who wish to use canon glass to make wall-sized prints, but also need pro-level autofocus and built.

4) Nikon D3X – Rs.5,24,950 (24.5MP)
Who:  Professionals who need to make giant-sized prints with incredible detail.

Having said that, there are other great models out there which you might need to look out before you make your choice.
I hope it helps you choose better. In case you have any queries kindly contact me so that I can be of some help.

Get that camera ready so that we can get down to some shooting stuff soon.