How to Choose Your Photography Camera?

How to choose a your Photography Camera….?

Firstly the basics would be Budget.

Budget will always get in your way of choosing what's right for you and whats affordable for you. Before we continue on what to look for in a camera, there are companies out there that offer payment plans. DT Film Services is one of those companies. They offer payment plans through Mobicred. 

We get a lot of people who just buy a camera because its affordable at the time, and then a few months later they regret their decision because its not up to their standards. Having a payment plan in mind, now lets go further on what to look for.

 The few things to consider before getting it would be :

1. Sensor Type

You get two main sensor types which is a Full Frame Sensor or a Crop Sensor/ Aps-c Sensor. (Different brands have different names for this)

Full Frame Sensor is generally the higher end models (more expensive) but has a better image quality and handles higher ISO's better than the Crop Sensor; which means less noise or grain. 

Cropped Sensor is the entry level to mid range which is perfect if you just want to shoot for personal use such as family occasions ect. 

HOW TO DECIDE:

If you shoot indoors with low light, then a Full Frame is the way to go.  You can fit a lot more into the image which are much better for landscape images. The one down side to a full frame is that they are heavier and bulkier than their crop frame counterparts

If you shoot mainly outdoors with plenty of light, and you don't often shoot landscapes then a Cropped Sensor is for you, as you won't be shooting at terribly high ISO's. 

2. ISO Range

Having the option to use higher ISO capabilities is particularly useful if you take a lot of photos in low light. Many Crop Frame cameras will only allow you to go up as high as ISO6400, whilst a Full Frame can go up ISO25600.

Having that extra ISO goes a long way in picture quality especially in places with less light, like dark wedding receptions, or evening outdoor events. 

3. Frame Rate / Frames Per Second (FPS)

The “frame rate” is the number of frames recorded per second (fps). The higher the  frame rate, the quicker your camera can record the image onto your memory card before its stops to catch up.

Some top of the line camera bodies can capture 14 pictures in one little second, whilst a point and shoot camera will much slower is the 2-3 pictures per second range.

If you take a lot of action images, such as sports or wildlife, or even a running toddler, then FPS can be important, since it can be the difference between getting that perfectly timed shot and a not so great one. 

4. Megapixels

Simply put, megapixels are important for print. It can determine how large your image can be printed whilst still keeping its crisp quality.

Having more megapixels also allows your more mobility when it comes to cropping your images. The more megapixels you have, the smaller you can crop. 

A larger pixel will absorb more light and information about that light during an exposure than a smaller pixel. This translates into more digital information being recorded during the exposure.

To sum up, if the camera you are eyeing up has 20mp, but another camera has 21mp, I wouldn't let that be the deciding factor.

5. Autofocus

Autofocus points are what the camera uses to focus on a subject. You'll probably first notice them when you press the shutter halfway. Many cameras will emit a beep and some of the AF points will light up—often in a red or green color—in the viewfinder or on the display screen. When your DSLR is left on automatic AF selection, you'll know where the camera is focusing by which AF points light up.

The more of these focus points you have, the more accurate your focus is likely to be.

Automatic AF selection works fine for many different types of photographs. For example, if you're using a big depth of field and aren't shooting anything that's moving, allowing the camera to automatically select the AF points should work well.

TO CONCLUDE:

Of course there are a whole bunch of other features that I havnt mentioned here that may be of importance to you, such as wifi capabilities, video ect. 

The top points are the main things to consider when buying a camera, but remember, when you buy a camera don't let the sales man just sell you a camera, if they don't ask what you want to use it for... Don't even bother buying from them.

If you need any assistance buying anything, don't hesitate to come through to DT Film Services, they will be able to sit down with you and find out exactly what would best suit your needs.