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3, advice on buying a camera

photographers on Nigardsbreen, Norway 2008

In recent days, I repeatedly asked: "What camera should I buy only model with the features X 1, 2 and 3, or rather device Y with the features 4, 5 and 6? I have always tried to respond sensibly to the questions, whether by mail or here in the comments. (Please write me such questions better in the comments, because then all have some of the answers!) However, I have decided to write a separate post in which I would like to gather some basic thoughts on the camera purchase.

First of all I want to list some criteria that could play a role for you, before I will give my wise advice. So, what things play a role in choosing the right person for you photo equipment? The following list is not exhaustive and will appear in totally random order.

• size and weight: Are you willing to carry much, or do you prefer something in your pocket?
• money: How much are you willing to spend for your new camera? (And how much for the best lenses plus memory card, spare battery, bag, etc.)
  
• resolution enough for you inevitable snapshots of the compact camera with 8 or 10 megapixels, or you need a digital SLR camera with 12 megapixels, or even the highest 24-megapixel resolution?
• sensor format: Is a small digital camera chip, or should it be a Four Thirds sensor, or is essential at least an APS-C device ago, perhaps even the full-frame sensor or the medium format?
  
• High ISO capabilities: Do you need really noise-free ISO 3200, or perhaps meet ISO 800 and a little post?
  
• lenses: the focal length / light levels you need for your photos and what system you get it? Do you want convenient zoom or fixed focal length requested?
  
• motives: What pictures do you want? How fast to move your images, or are they still even?
  
• image products: What do you want to do with your photos? Do you want to print them or exposed at present? If so, how big? Or would you show it on the Internet or make a DVD show of it?
  
• Features You Need's most innovative, the touch screen or face recognition, or would you even an older machine or one with fewer buttons and functions?
• brand: Do you have a particular brand of camera, because one of your examples may have photographed it, or because you think that a particular company a dominant position or has a large selection of accessories?
• Prestige: Do you need to feel that your new camera is special, perhaps even a status symbol, or is it you do not care that it is a mass product, which have many? Must it be a so-called "professional" device, or enough, the "Semi-Pro" - or "beginner" class?
  
• design: Like the camera a certain appearance to most, or you can not shape and color of the device so important?
• feel: How to feel your camera, if you do is in hand? Plastic is ok for you, or should the upper be more metal or leather? Which camera feels to the touch in the photo shop on well, who does not?
• Software: How much do you want to edit your photos? Will you have jpegs or work with RAW quality?
• reviews and buying recommendations: Does it make you a lot of fun for days to surf the Internet, to roll reviews, write forum posts about this and many prizes (new / used) to compare and speculate on the next perhaps newly released models, or you is all that annoying, and you just want to make only photos?
• Durability Plan , You that you should accompany your new camera in the coming years, or could it be that you within a few months or no later than next summer again sell to try out a newer model or even a different brand because there may be technical innovations?
• Personal development: Do you think you like to do with a "simple" camera, and then later when your photography skills are up to buy a "better" camera, or would you rather directly with a "great" enter model, not to limit yourself to in your development, at the risk that you get details on Ford's first or perhaps not at all know where you can develop yourself as a photographer at all?
• etc. etc. etc. ..

Please take this list too seriously! We read so much about it in so many forums and everyone has a good tip is to buy what and why, or what is considered to be quite sure the "right" gets camera that fits into a ... Of the brand fetishists who fight each other to well above the insolence limit, even to mention. Well, but my final advice is quite different, even though I promised in my last test a particular camera very much.

Should I even re-enter again, or completely change the system, I would follow do, and I recommend it be any of you so that you may save much time and money:

1. This is the most important: Set a time limit , when your decision is to be cast! It makes sense to actually exceed a period of one week to ten days, because more time is not necessarily a more meaningful information. Be consistent and tolerate no delay. Meet the decision and stick to it.
   
2. within such time limits should look at you, make you want to which photos (people, animals, sports, macro, landscape, nude, etc.), and then if you have the photographers, whose photos you can find good, just ask what Camera and what lenses to use it. Alternatively, you can make of course also choose a specific camera and see if there is a photographer who makes this camera the photos you like. In the Internet there are enough visual examples and give real photographers, the information. Go in a photo shop and take hold of the cameras, but without buying anything right at the first visit.
   
3. If you have taken your time out after the decision, then do not compromise everything! If you have not money enough, then save until you have it together. you purchase only the exact camera that you really like and you fun, and you want to have, because otherwise you'll always see you after this camera useless and only spend money for the "second choice", which you will sell it so soon, because it did not wish your camera! The same applies to the lenses.
   
4. Nearly as important as the first point: set yourself a time period, how long you keep the camera and lenses in any case! And within this period then You get the most fun and the best pictures out of your equipment, as it gets. You have the camera and the lenses that you want to have and stay with you because you want to take pictures, and you will increase your photography skills more quickly and get better results than if you were constantly re-think what you could buy another camera or still camera which you can buy to have. At the end of the period you can then start again at point 1, if you want.

course I have not made it past the way I advise you here. I frittered away some money by too much back and forth. I have listened to the wrong recommendations. Sure, it also was fun, always trying out new equipment, but really pleased I was only temporarily, as when I bought myself for a long journey which was then quite newly released Nikon 18-200mm VR, although at the time an almost insane for me large sum of money it cost. But it was the lens, what I wanted, and I was happy with it on my long journey, and two whole years to come.

least since I last year on my trip to Namibia already implemented some of my wisdom. So I was very happy, even if the leave of Nikon fell hard. Most of the equipment from Namibia Safari is still in my possession and is used regularly. Meanwhile, I have, however, the Olympus E-30 against the Panasonic GF1, and then finally exchanged for the Olympus E-P1, to an even lighter and more compact equipment have. My time in which I present my photographic equipment will continue to use is, by the way today to just under a year. Sometimes he adds a more objective not to, but. So I made it for me at least.

The reason is that is that I would fall back more on the content side of photography, but because it finally comes to take good pictures, right? So please be very disappointed not to if it here in the near future is not one test after another. I hope you also like to look at my photos! But do not worry, I will of course continue to pass on tips on buying camera to camera settings and software and workflow, and also my opinion on newly released Cameras and lenses known to do. Just let me know in comments what you are interested.

Believe me: It's all about making a decision and sticking to your decision. Get your favorite camera and lens and then enjoy it and take photographs and forget everything else. I'm sure that your pictures will get better and better!