What Camera Should I Buy? | F.A.Q. #5

It’s been awhile since my last F.A.Q. post, and I thought I’d address a question I am often asked: What camera should I buy?

As you become an expert at something…or at least a perceived expert at something, you’ll quickly find people asking you for advice. I know I certainly ask my SEO guru friend questions about SEO all the time. Which is why friends, family, and internet readers often ask me about what camera and gear they should purchase. I’m an expert, right? Yes, in some respects…I do know a lot about cameras, at least the ones I use. But in reality, the question “What camera should I buy?” is mostly dependent on who’s asking the question. I actually wrote a more philosophical answer to the question earlier in the year, I thought I’d try to be more specific this time around.

To answer the question, you need to consider a few things.
1. What do you hope/plan to use the camera for? Are you a mom wanting to take better photos of your kids playing? Are you an enthusiast looking to go pro in portrait and wedding photography? Or are you just looking for a nice camera to take on vacation?

2. How much money are you looking to invest? What’s your budget? $200, $1200, $2000?

3. How long do you see this purchase lasting you? Are you planning on upgrading again in a year? Do you want this camera to last you 4 years? Is this just a step towards bigger and better things?

4. What’s your interest in learning to use the camera’s settings? Do you just want something that only requires you to point and shoot? Or are you actually interested in learning how to use the camera’s functions?

5. Are there any must-have features? Do you want video capability? Face recognition?

Once you answer those questions, you can begin to narrow down what you need. I’ll give a few examples and answers to help you out. Just remember, technology is constantly changing, so what’s current today will be outdated soon. That’s not to say your camera will stop working though! Also, all my recommendations are Canon, because I am more familiar with their line of products. If you are interested in Nikon, just look up their equivalents on their site…they’re a great brand, too.

Example 1: Mom who wants to take better photos of her kids in action, has a budget of $600, wants to use the camera for several years, interested in learning settings, but doesn’t need video. I would recommend the: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS (a.k.a. 1000D) SLR Black Camera Kit with EF-S 18-55 IS Lens. If her budget was $900 and she wanted HD video capabilities, I’d recommend the: Canon EOS Digital REBEL T2i (a.k.a. 550D) SLR Camera Kit with EF-S 18-55 IS Lens

Example 2: Vacationer who wants a portable camera, has a budget of $300, plans to keep the camera around, not interested in learning settings, would like video but doesn’t need to be HD. I would recommend the: Canon PowerShot D10 Compact Digital Camera, 12 Megapixel, WaterProof to 33 Feet, 3x Optical IS Zoom. It’s even waterproof!

Example 3: Hobbyist who has a budget of $1500 is looking for several year investment, is interested in learning settings, but doesn’t need video. I would recommend the: Canon EOS-50D Digital SLR Camera Body only Kit (without lens) and purchasing the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens to get started. Honestly, though, I’d probably look for a good used original Canon 5D camera–you can find them for about $1000, but it won’t come with a warranty and you’ll have to do your homework. Or, if you’re looking for video and only have a budget of $500, I recommend the Canon PowerShot G11 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera. It’s not an SLR, but it will give you plenty of room for controlling settings.

Example 4: Enthusiast who has a budget of $2500, is looking for a long-term investment, is interested in learning settings, doesn’t need video. This is a tough one. You could blow all that money on the Canon EOS-5D Mark II Digital SLR Camera body Kit (without lens), but then you’d need to buy some lenses. In the long-term, good lenses will retain their value, while cameras are quickly outdated. In this case, I’d actually recommend looking for a good used Canon 5D camera (it’s full-frame…not cropped like the 5D and 7D), and then using the leftover $1500 to buy a good lens or two: maybe the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L USM Wide-Angle Camera Lens and the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens. Of course, that may take you over your budget, depending on what you pay for the 5D. You could also try finding those lenses used for a lower price.

So, as you can see, there’s not one answer for everyone. The key thing is to find out what you need/want and then do some research. Obviously, what you purchase will be constrained by your budget. Of course, if you have about $15,000-$20,000 lying around, you could just buy everything I’ve got….and this isn’t all of it.

Milla - This is a great, great post. I get this question all the time! I will now respond by saying “my friend Mary has a great post about this. Check out her blog!”

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