Whether you’re just starting out in photography or you want to take it to the next level, you’ve probably already asked yourself questions about thereflex purchase. Let’s look at what to consider when making this investment: It could well be that surprise you.
Literally every dayand often several times a day, I am asked for advice on choosing a camera. Most of the time, I get questions like this. «what is the best camera between the Canon EOS MachinD and the Nikon DTruc?». There’s no good answer to that question. It’s a bit like asking what is the best between a croissant and a bun. (a chocolatine for southerners 😉 ): it depends on taste. (even if we all know that pain au chocolat is better :D)
A reflex is good. for you…first and foremost. The brand, whatever. Canon is no better than Nikon, or Pentax, or Sony, or Olympus. 18 Mpixelsit’s no better than 12. A burst of 12 frames/second to photograph still lifes, it’s useless. The problem isn’t that you don’t know the cameras and the technical specifications, it’s that you’re not asking yourself the right questions. Let’s see what you have to ask yourself.
Are you handling it well?
That’s the first thing to ask, and it’s very important. If you have very small hands, it’s obvious that a Canon EOS 5D MkII may not be the best camera for you. Not being comfortable with it will probably end up discouraging you and leave it in the closet.
So turn off your computer, and find a store where you can take charge of the devicesand see if you’re comfortable with it. Department stores often leave models on display, but if there aren’t any near you, ask at the local photo shop. And if you live in the country, move to a city, it will be much more expensive to change your camera if you’ve made the wrong choice.
There’s no point in buying the Super Apparatus of the Super Brand if it’s to get a grip that doesn’t satisfy you.
Are the menus intuitive for you?
This is also important, especially if you are just starting out. Each brand has its own “way of thinking”, and while you’re in the store, I advise you to look at if you can quickly find your way around the menus.. You don’t have to all find out right away (it is normal that some very little used functions are not visible first), but you need to understand globally how it works.
Look especially at whether you can easily change ISO sensitivity, aperture, shutter speed, brightness metering mode, collimator and autofocus mode, and exposure compensation. These are the main features you’ll need I think. Oh, with the shutter release of course 😛
Do you really need the brand-new, trendy thing?
It’s easy to get caught up in the spiral of the “arms race” that manufacturers are engaged in. The race for pixels, ISO sensitivity, video mode, etc…
For example, I’ve seen a lot of people buy a 600D instead of a 550D just for the swivel screen, when they didn’t particularly think about making video. I mean, it’s a nice feature, and maybe for you it’s a must-have feature. But not for everyone. (I take that example because it made an impression on me, but there are plenty of others)
It’s the same for the 12 frames per second, the ISO sensitivity up to 12,800, the 45 autofocus collimators… Honestly, do you need them?
As always, it all depends on your needs. None of these options are mandatory. The important thing is to be lucid and to differentiate between your envies (a 12 fps burst too good, too classy!) and your needs (I take pictures in very low light, I need low noise at high ISO sensitivity.).
Do you just want to make nice pictures of your children in the garden, or the photo of sportor landscapes when you go on vacation, or from the concert in bars lit by three weak 12-year-old spots? All these situations call for different functions.
Don’t be fooled by tests that tell you that this or that option «is nowadays unavoidable». It’s pure marketingand it’s strictly none in relation to your needs.
I’m not saying that these options are useless, just that there’s a reason to keep them. Think about what exactly this or that function is for.
And if, like most of you, you just want to start taking pictures without really knowing what your style will be and what tempts you, buy a entry-level SLR with the 18-55 kitif you have 100€ extra take a 50mm f/1.8, and go learn the photo 😉
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