Aug 31 2007
Choosing a Camera – Compact versus SLR
Before you go out and buy a camera, the first question you need to ask yourself is “what do I want from photography?”.
If you want something convenient that’s easy to carry around, that takes the guess work out of photographs, then a compact is probably more for you.
However, if you want to be able to take control of your images, deviate from the norm and tell the camera how you think the photo should be taken, rather than the small machine always dictating to you, then an SLR is more your style.
When I bought my first SLR, there were two main choices in brands (for me) – Canon and Nikon. I ended up choosing Canon because I liked the way it was set out and it was smaller, which suited my small hands.
In the years since, I’ve become a fan of Canon and have since bought two more Canon cameras.
That’s not to say the other brands aren’t good. Just to name a few, you have Leica, Pentax, Olympus, Panasonic, Kodak, Sony, Ricoh and Minolta (who, in 2006, announced they were discontinuing the manufacture of cameras) – just to name a few.
Once you have chosen between a compact camera and an SLR, you’ll just want to jump in and take photos, so go right ahead!
At some point though you will need to read the manual. Not cover to cover, but at least understand what all the buttons on your camera are for.
How do you set the timer? How long is the timer? Can you use continuous shooting mode? Is there red-eye reduction?
Most compact cameras these days have built in creative functions – portrait, night shooting, fireworks, beach conditions, snow conditions – the list goes on.
These automatic functions are good, but they don’t give you control of the outcome, except for deciding what will fill the frame. Understand what these functions are. They do come in handy, especially if you don’t have unlimited time to take a photo.
But, if you take the time and effort to really get to know your camera and how to take wonderful photos, the process becomes second nature!
My friends and family will attest to the amount of time I sometimes spend to get the shot I want. The light isn’t quite right (the sun went briefly behind a cloud), there are too many people, a bus is in the way…
Just give it a few minutes, and most of the ‘distractions’ may disappear, and if they don’t, well, you might need to wait a few more minutes… You’ll thank me later when you see the end product.
The following topics will be most relevant if you have and SLR, but some of the topics (such as composition, file size, tripods, flash etc.) will still give you some valuable tips.
As with everything in life – perfect practice makes perfect, so get snapping!!
