What Camera Should I Buy?

Photographer: Al Jurina

 Reader Q&A

"What camera should I buy?" This is like asking what car one should buy. Sadly, there is no simple answer. Because we are all different in our needs, our camera choice might not be meeting those needs. In the end, it is about compromise. Some cameras simply cannot give you the features you want without spending the money for them. This post will give you two recommendations, but they do not come cheap. They are cameras that can do pretty much everything in their respective category, so they can cover a broad range of options for the photographer who wants to learn and/or does. Here goes:

Point-and-shoot: These are cameras that do not have interchangeable lenses. They are smaller than SLR cameras, but sometimes suffer from shutter lag or other poorer low-light performance. They typically shoot decent video as well as stills and some of them have zoom ranges that would cost you thousands of dollars in lenses on an SLR.

Here's my favorite model of Canon Point-and-Shoot:
 This camera is an updated version of the one I learned on. The zoom range is great, it takes excellent close-up shots, there is nearly no shutter lag, and it even has a burst mode. This camera rocks, and the newer version is even better! Yes, it is pricey, but it does everything and more. It is definitely worth the money if you have it.

Digital SLR Cameras: These cameras do it all. They have interchangeable lenses, they produce outstanding image quality, imperceptible shutter lag, and many advanced options. The issues with them are their weight and bulk, as well as their price. The good news is that the prices are coming down.

A highly recommended DSLR model would be one of the following:

This camera rocks! At 450 dollars with an included lens, it is a great choice for entry level photographers looking to ramp-up their game. Keep in mind that this is an entry-level camera. It is also a bit older than the other entry-levels, but for the price, it gives you a whole lot. If you are looking for something with video, then the Canon T2i is another one of the same caliber of quality and features albeit with a steeper price tag. So, believe it or not I actually gave some specific recommendations. This is usually unheard of. I'll be honest though, you can make great pictures with any camera. I just feel that the above two options are great cameras to learn and grow with. I have personally used at least a version of both of them, so I can speak from experience. I have also learned on some entry-level Nikon DSLR's and they are great too. My preference just leans to Canon for now. :-)