Photo credit: Zeina A
Information on Camera shopping
Basic Equipment You Should Have
In my opinion, the most expensive camera is unnecessary for someone starting out in photography. If you are taking Digital Art 1, a good "point and shoot" with a viewfinder is fine. Choose one of quality. Many manufacturers have quality "point and shoot" cameras, such as those from Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus, etc. Do try to find a viewfinder as part of the camera because on bright days you cannot see the LCD display. It seems that most camera manufacturers do not include a viewfinder until you arrive at the more expensive models.
If you are in IB or AP, it will be hard to do the quality work with a "point and shoot" camera. They do not offer the creative or manual control that you will need in exposure and focus. You should look for a more sophisticated camera that allows manual operation. Again, you do not have to buy the most expensive model to get a good camera.
Here are some examples of cameras, lenses, and important accessories that someone might consider for a student photographer.
BEST Budget Cameras 2016
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2015/12/27/best-budget-cameras-2016-8-top-options-tested-and-rated/
One all-purpose lens (a "walking around lens")
18-55mm lens: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_13?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=canon+lens+18-55&sprefix=canon+lens+18-55%2Celectronics%2C302
50mm lens: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-STM-Lens/dp/B00X8MRBCW/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1440332089&sr=1-1&keywords=canon+lens
Tripods that can fit in your backpack
Example: http://www.amazon.com/Dolica-AX620B100-62-Inch-Proline-Tripod/dp/B001D60LG8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1275371181&sr=1-2
FILTERS
Circular Polarizing filter Example: http://www.amazon.com/HOYA-52MM-Circular-Polarizing-Filter/dp/B00006HOAN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1275370731&sr=8-1
GET A MM SIZE THAT FITS THE DIAMETER OF YOUR LENS.
ADDITIONAL things you will need:
Shopping for Cameras
Looking for a camera? What things should you consider? Here is my rambling discussion on how to choose a camera. The thoughts come in no particular order, but they are done with my basic philosophy that "You don't have to spend a fortune to get very nice photos." My other philosophy is "Watch out! If you get good at photography you will see the difference an amazing camera makes and you will want to spend a fortune." (This is where I am now). You will choose to buy either "point and shoot" camera or an SLR. When you shop for cameras, take advantage of the customer reviews on Amazon.com. These reviews often prove to be very useful because they come from thousands of ordinary people who use the cameras and give their unprofessional opinion.
"Point and Shoot"
Small, automatic cameras that often fit in your pocket. They are programmed to make every image look great, and they do a darn good job. Canon "PowerShot" or Nikon "CoolPix" are two examples of this type of camera. Point and shoot is sometimes used as a way to insult these small cameras, but realize that these small cameras can take fantastic pictures. Their general limitations are that they have small sensors and the lenses are not sophisticated. This kind of camera is often preferable to a big SLR because they are not obvious and they don't tend to draw attention to the user. I have five of these--Canon, Ricoh, Casio, and two Sony. I just don't throw cameras away. Two of these are broken, one is very old. The Sony is now my favorite because it is relatively cheap ($250 USD) and it takes terrific photos. If you are looking for a more sophisticated point and shoot, check out Panasonic's Lumix line. Look at the FZ35, in particular. It is big, like an SLR, but you just press one button and it takes fantastic photos. http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-FZ35-Digital-Optical-Stabilized/dp/B002IKLJU0
Price: you can spend $250-400 USD and get a fantastic camera. You don't need to spend more, but you can if you want. Spend the extra on reserve batteries and massive memory chips, instead.
DSLR
DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex. Don't worry about what that means. These cameras are familiar because they are large and fancy and full of controls. These are the cameras with interchangeable lenses. The lens and the "body" can be sold separately. They can be at a level that is extremely complex and expensive (professional level), or they can be less sophisticated and aimed for amateur photographers (consumer level). There is a class of SLRs that is quite sophisticated but not quite at a level that pros would use. The slang term for these cameras is "Prosumer."
Good consumer SLRs can start at 500-600 USD. Pro cameras (without the lens) cost between 2500-10,000 USD. For less than $700, expect to get a "kit" lens with the camera body. (Example: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Digital-Camera-18-55mm-3-5-5-6/dp/B0012YA85A/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1275370952&sr=1-20 )
If you get a consumer SLR camera, consider getting a very good lens. SLRs are often offered in a package deal, or "kit." This is a camera "body" plus an inexpensive lens. Usually, it is the least expensive lens the manufacturer sells. Kit lenses are not known to be all that great. You might consider getting a better lens. What makes a good lens? More on that later.
Brand is not all that important.
Many fine cameras and lenses are made by a variety of manufacturers. If you get a camera from one of the major manufacturers, you will probably be just fine. In digital SLRs, Canon and Nikon rule. They are both great. There are MANY manufacturers of good point and shoot cameras. Canon, Nikon, Lumix, Fuji, Minolta, Olympus, Casio, Sony, etc.
Why is the DSLR considered "better"?
If your goal is simply tourist photography, then a point and shoot camera is just fine. If you want to make larger images or do other creative things, then a DSLR is more appropriate. There are three big differences:
Sensor Size: DSLRs have a much larger sensor that captures the image. This sensor is called the CMOS-APS and as a rule they do a better job if they are larger. The color is better and the resolution (sharpness) better. Tiny point and shoot cameras have tiny sensors. Camera phones? Even smaller.
Manual Control: Digital SLRs allow you to control focus and exposure in a number of ways. You can command it to be out of focus or to make a bad exposure for artistic purposes. Point and shoot cameras simply cannot be forced to make many mistakes. They are so good you will nearly always get a decent image. That is why casual users buy them. More serious photographers have different purposes and they need to give specific orders to the cameras. Digital SLRs also have an automatic setting that will make them take the "best" photo as well, and this setting generally does a fine job.
Lens Quality: DSLRs allow you to take off the lens and replace it with a different one. This flexibility is important if you have to photograph a herd of stampeding Wildebeest. You do not want to be close to large animals with hooves, so putting on a large lens can bring the image closer (zoom). In addition, the SLR style of lens generally has less distortion than the point and shoot lenses. Look for this distortion in bent horizon lines and in the lines of buildings that seem to lean in.
What makes a good lens?
What makes a good lens? Basically, it is a combination of good glass, quality construction, and speed which is represented in f-stops (aperture). Rule of thumb: the faster the lens, the better it is overall...
Good glass is made with excellent quality control in every state. Creating the glass, grinding, polishing, getting the size perfectly right. Very good lenses are made by throwing out all of the glass that doesn't meet the standard. Good glass means less distortion and better resolution (sharpness).
Quality construction is hard to describe. But you can feel it when you turn the elements of the lens and focus it. If it is auto focus it works quickly and accurately. Some lenses are a lot of plastic surrounding glass elements. A good lens has some metal in it. If feels right. Think of the feeling of how the doors on a very expensive car sound and feel. They whump shut and don't vibrate. They don't rattle. It sounds and feels solid. That is the idea behind quality construction on a lens. The dials turn and feel solid. They don't stick or feel loose.
Speed. "Speed" means that a lens will adjust very wide open and allow in a huge amount of light. That allows the camera to use a fast shutter speed. The 'speed,' is in the shutter speed but not actually the lens. There is no substitute for speed. In low-light situations, you are at a big advantage if you can still hold the camera and take a photo without blurring it. Fast lenses let you do this. Find a lens with a low aperture value. 4.0 is normal for a cheap lens. It is not too useful. 3.5 is better. 2.8 is better still. Apertures can go as low as 1.7 or 1.2. These types of lenses are very expensive, but then again, there is no substitute for a fast lens.
Lens type: Try to get a lens that would be good enough that you don't need to change it out very often. People call this a "walking around" lens. This means that if you had to put just one lens on the camera and walk around with it all day, you would choose one that is good enough to do most photo tasks. The lens that fits this description is a bit wide angle and a bit zoom. Wide angle is generally less than 50mm and zoom is more than 50mm. Some typical all-purpose zooms would look like: 18-70 mm, 24-70 mm, 24-105 mm. These are typical walking around lenses. To get one in this useful size that is also fast is expensive. You have to make compromises on either the zoom or the speed. Or else spend a bunch of money.
Lens prices: Inexpensive lenses cost less than $200 USD. Don't expect much from them. An example of expensive lenses would be the Canon professional "L" lenses which all cost more than $1000. This is a lot and many lens manufacturers make lenses in between for people who want a better lens but don't want to buy the pro lenses. In addition to the camera makers like Canon and Nikon, there are some lens makers who build lenses that fit on Canon or Nikon or whatever. Some of these lens makers include Tokina, Tamron, and Sigma. Look at the lenses they offer. Read the reviews. See what people say. If you get a lens from one of these manufacturers, make sure that it will auto-focus with your exact camera. Auto-focus means the lens has a small motor that focuses for you and your camera has to connect up properly to the lens in order for it to work.
BEST Budget Cameras 2016:
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2015/12/27/best-budget-cameras-2016-8-top-options-tested-and-rated/
Information on Camera shopping
Basic Equipment You Should Have
In my opinion, the most expensive camera is unnecessary for someone starting out in photography. If you are taking Digital Art 1, a good "point and shoot" with a viewfinder is fine. Choose one of quality. Many manufacturers have quality "point and shoot" cameras, such as those from Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus, etc. Do try to find a viewfinder as part of the camera because on bright days you cannot see the LCD display. It seems that most camera manufacturers do not include a viewfinder until you arrive at the more expensive models.
If you are in IB or AP, it will be hard to do the quality work with a "point and shoot" camera. They do not offer the creative or manual control that you will need in exposure and focus. You should look for a more sophisticated camera that allows manual operation. Again, you do not have to buy the most expensive model to get a good camera.
Here are some examples of cameras, lenses, and important accessories that someone might consider for a student photographer.
BEST Budget Cameras 2016
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2015/12/27/best-budget-cameras-2016-8-top-options-tested-and-rated/
One all-purpose lens (a "walking around lens")
18-55mm lens: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_13?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=canon+lens+18-55&sprefix=canon+lens+18-55%2Celectronics%2C302
50mm lens: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-50mm-1-8-STM-Lens/dp/B00X8MRBCW/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1440332089&sr=1-1&keywords=canon+lens
Tripods that can fit in your backpack
Example: http://www.amazon.com/Dolica-AX620B100-62-Inch-Proline-Tripod/dp/B001D60LG8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1275371181&sr=1-2
FILTERS
Circular Polarizing filter Example: http://www.amazon.com/HOYA-52MM-Circular-Polarizing-Filter/dp/B00006HOAN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1275370731&sr=8-1
GET A MM SIZE THAT FITS THE DIAMETER OF YOUR LENS.
ADDITIONAL things you will need:
- Extra battery
- Extra memory cards
- Lens cleaning cloth or tissue
- Padded bag or case to protect your gear
- Card reader and connecting cord
Shopping for Cameras
Looking for a camera? What things should you consider? Here is my rambling discussion on how to choose a camera. The thoughts come in no particular order, but they are done with my basic philosophy that "You don't have to spend a fortune to get very nice photos." My other philosophy is "Watch out! If you get good at photography you will see the difference an amazing camera makes and you will want to spend a fortune." (This is where I am now). You will choose to buy either "point and shoot" camera or an SLR. When you shop for cameras, take advantage of the customer reviews on Amazon.com. These reviews often prove to be very useful because they come from thousands of ordinary people who use the cameras and give their unprofessional opinion.
"Point and Shoot"
Small, automatic cameras that often fit in your pocket. They are programmed to make every image look great, and they do a darn good job. Canon "PowerShot" or Nikon "CoolPix" are two examples of this type of camera. Point and shoot is sometimes used as a way to insult these small cameras, but realize that these small cameras can take fantastic pictures. Their general limitations are that they have small sensors and the lenses are not sophisticated. This kind of camera is often preferable to a big SLR because they are not obvious and they don't tend to draw attention to the user. I have five of these--Canon, Ricoh, Casio, and two Sony. I just don't throw cameras away. Two of these are broken, one is very old. The Sony is now my favorite because it is relatively cheap ($250 USD) and it takes terrific photos. If you are looking for a more sophisticated point and shoot, check out Panasonic's Lumix line. Look at the FZ35, in particular. It is big, like an SLR, but you just press one button and it takes fantastic photos. http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-FZ35-Digital-Optical-Stabilized/dp/B002IKLJU0
Price: you can spend $250-400 USD and get a fantastic camera. You don't need to spend more, but you can if you want. Spend the extra on reserve batteries and massive memory chips, instead.
DSLR
DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex. Don't worry about what that means. These cameras are familiar because they are large and fancy and full of controls. These are the cameras with interchangeable lenses. The lens and the "body" can be sold separately. They can be at a level that is extremely complex and expensive (professional level), or they can be less sophisticated and aimed for amateur photographers (consumer level). There is a class of SLRs that is quite sophisticated but not quite at a level that pros would use. The slang term for these cameras is "Prosumer."
Good consumer SLRs can start at 500-600 USD. Pro cameras (without the lens) cost between 2500-10,000 USD. For less than $700, expect to get a "kit" lens with the camera body. (Example: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Digital-Camera-18-55mm-3-5-5-6/dp/B0012YA85A/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1275370952&sr=1-20 )
If you get a consumer SLR camera, consider getting a very good lens. SLRs are often offered in a package deal, or "kit." This is a camera "body" plus an inexpensive lens. Usually, it is the least expensive lens the manufacturer sells. Kit lenses are not known to be all that great. You might consider getting a better lens. What makes a good lens? More on that later.
Brand is not all that important.
Many fine cameras and lenses are made by a variety of manufacturers. If you get a camera from one of the major manufacturers, you will probably be just fine. In digital SLRs, Canon and Nikon rule. They are both great. There are MANY manufacturers of good point and shoot cameras. Canon, Nikon, Lumix, Fuji, Minolta, Olympus, Casio, Sony, etc.
Why is the DSLR considered "better"?
If your goal is simply tourist photography, then a point and shoot camera is just fine. If you want to make larger images or do other creative things, then a DSLR is more appropriate. There are three big differences:
Sensor Size: DSLRs have a much larger sensor that captures the image. This sensor is called the CMOS-APS and as a rule they do a better job if they are larger. The color is better and the resolution (sharpness) better. Tiny point and shoot cameras have tiny sensors. Camera phones? Even smaller.
Manual Control: Digital SLRs allow you to control focus and exposure in a number of ways. You can command it to be out of focus or to make a bad exposure for artistic purposes. Point and shoot cameras simply cannot be forced to make many mistakes. They are so good you will nearly always get a decent image. That is why casual users buy them. More serious photographers have different purposes and they need to give specific orders to the cameras. Digital SLRs also have an automatic setting that will make them take the "best" photo as well, and this setting generally does a fine job.
Lens Quality: DSLRs allow you to take off the lens and replace it with a different one. This flexibility is important if you have to photograph a herd of stampeding Wildebeest. You do not want to be close to large animals with hooves, so putting on a large lens can bring the image closer (zoom). In addition, the SLR style of lens generally has less distortion than the point and shoot lenses. Look for this distortion in bent horizon lines and in the lines of buildings that seem to lean in.
What makes a good lens?
What makes a good lens? Basically, it is a combination of good glass, quality construction, and speed which is represented in f-stops (aperture). Rule of thumb: the faster the lens, the better it is overall...
Good glass is made with excellent quality control in every state. Creating the glass, grinding, polishing, getting the size perfectly right. Very good lenses are made by throwing out all of the glass that doesn't meet the standard. Good glass means less distortion and better resolution (sharpness).
Quality construction is hard to describe. But you can feel it when you turn the elements of the lens and focus it. If it is auto focus it works quickly and accurately. Some lenses are a lot of plastic surrounding glass elements. A good lens has some metal in it. If feels right. Think of the feeling of how the doors on a very expensive car sound and feel. They whump shut and don't vibrate. They don't rattle. It sounds and feels solid. That is the idea behind quality construction on a lens. The dials turn and feel solid. They don't stick or feel loose.
Speed. "Speed" means that a lens will adjust very wide open and allow in a huge amount of light. That allows the camera to use a fast shutter speed. The 'speed,' is in the shutter speed but not actually the lens. There is no substitute for speed. In low-light situations, you are at a big advantage if you can still hold the camera and take a photo without blurring it. Fast lenses let you do this. Find a lens with a low aperture value. 4.0 is normal for a cheap lens. It is not too useful. 3.5 is better. 2.8 is better still. Apertures can go as low as 1.7 or 1.2. These types of lenses are very expensive, but then again, there is no substitute for a fast lens.
Lens type: Try to get a lens that would be good enough that you don't need to change it out very often. People call this a "walking around" lens. This means that if you had to put just one lens on the camera and walk around with it all day, you would choose one that is good enough to do most photo tasks. The lens that fits this description is a bit wide angle and a bit zoom. Wide angle is generally less than 50mm and zoom is more than 50mm. Some typical all-purpose zooms would look like: 18-70 mm, 24-70 mm, 24-105 mm. These are typical walking around lenses. To get one in this useful size that is also fast is expensive. You have to make compromises on either the zoom or the speed. Or else spend a bunch of money.
Lens prices: Inexpensive lenses cost less than $200 USD. Don't expect much from them. An example of expensive lenses would be the Canon professional "L" lenses which all cost more than $1000. This is a lot and many lens manufacturers make lenses in between for people who want a better lens but don't want to buy the pro lenses. In addition to the camera makers like Canon and Nikon, there are some lens makers who build lenses that fit on Canon or Nikon or whatever. Some of these lens makers include Tokina, Tamron, and Sigma. Look at the lenses they offer. Read the reviews. See what people say. If you get a lens from one of these manufacturers, make sure that it will auto-focus with your exact camera. Auto-focus means the lens has a small motor that focuses for you and your camera has to connect up properly to the lens in order for it to work.
BEST Budget Cameras 2016:
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2015/12/27/best-budget-cameras-2016-8-top-options-tested-and-rated/