Reader Q&A: Which Camera Brand Should I Buy?

Photographer:Al Jurina

When starting out in photography, we find that the typical point and shoot user seems to approach camera's by megapixels, zoom length, or features. However, once they are ready to move up to a DSLR, the investment choice becomes a larger consideration.

One of the major worries about investing in a dslr, is that you are purchasing a "system". This system is comprised of a camera, lenses, and accessories, that typically go with that system. Of the most popular two brands of cameras in the dslr realm is Canon and Nikon. Both companies are fairly well-known and offer many great choices. This is where the problem comes in: Which brand should I get? A very good question. These are many other brands out there that also make excellent cameras, such as Pentax, Sony, and Fuji. How can you know which to go with? Here are a few tips to help, if you are on the fence with that decision:

1. Try them out. Go to a local camera store, borrow a friends, etc. Seeing how a camera feels in your hands, and where the controls are, and getting personal feedback from the owner are invaluable.

2. Know what you are looking for. Certain brands can carry features that are either absent or hard to find on other brands. Research the specifics of what you want and see if that particular brand (and model) has those features.

3. Look at the upgrade path.  This may seem like an unusual tip, but if you are the type of person that likes to upgrade, or thinks that you will move up the chain to more advanced cameras (eventually), then looking at the entire line of cameras and their features and costs can really help you make an informed choice when investing in the entire system of cameras and lenses.

4. What do your friends have? This one was a big choice for me. One of the major decisions for my choice of camera had to do with the fact that I had several friends that also owned that brand. By choosing that brand of camera, I automatically had friends who could help me out with tips, advice, gear, etc. Had I chose a different brand, I would have been on my own for much of that learning process.

The above tips are only some of the things to consider, but hopefully you now have several options to think about to help you with making an investment.

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