Camera Buying Guide

A grand trip to the mountains, a day off at the beach, festivities with the family, or stargazing in the middle of the night. Your camera will enable you to capture a precious memory forever. But which camera fulfills YOUR needs? Whether you are an amateur photographer considering the purchase of the famed "DSLR" camera, or a beginner confused by the plethora of camera makes and models available in the market, we're help you make the most well informed decision.

DSLRs

DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex. "Digital" because your photos are on a memory card and not actual film. "Single Lens Reflex" means is that your lens sends the light through a reflected mirror onto the viewfinder OR image sensor. This is an important distinction from cameras that use a separate tiny lens on the viewfinder to frame your photo. DSLRs show you exactly what your photo is going to look like until you click your shot, when the camera alternates the reflected light onto the image sensor and takes the photograph.

Lenses make DSLR photography an expensive venture, but having the right lens for the right occasion will improve your photos by leaps and bounds. Having multiple lenses on your excursions provides you with an arsenal to tackle any situation and produce the perfect image. From wide angle lenses for beautiful landscape photography to zoom lenses for capturing fantastic photos of animals without startling them. Macro lenses for tiny subjects close to you and even tilt shift and long exposure lenses. You can shoot on auto focus or switch to manual whenever you want. The DSLR's provision of precise control over you lens' focal length and aperture give your fingertips incredible agency. Prime lenses have fixed focal lengths and are amazing for low light photography as well as videography because of their larger apertures.

RAW image format available in DSLR cameras provides all the unprocessed data that you need to bring out the best in your photos. Programs like Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop allow you import RAW photos into your computer and tweak options like Exposure, White Balance and Clarity among many others. Combined with the artistic and creative capabilities of Photoshop you can transcend from the realm of impressive photography to jaw dropping artworks. Getting into DSLR photography has never been easier with and entry level Canon 3000D Camera Single Lens Kit or Nikon D3400 Camera Single Lens Kit.

“ Along with a deluge of great lenses and flash arrays, DSLRs offer great versatility for any situation. However, they possess a sharp learning curve and you need some practice and patience to temper your results. Once you master them, DSLRs will give you better results than any other kind of camera.””

MIRRORLESS

Owing to the lack of a "Simple Lens Reflex" mirror housing, Mirrorless cameras are lighter, more compact and cheaper than their DSLR counterparts while still allowing post processing capabilities of the RAW format. The viewfinder operates as an EVF (Electronic Viewfinder).

DSLR vs Mirrorless

Mirrorless cameras have their own dedicated lenses but can also accommodate DSLR lenses. The latter give a smaller focal length in this case as the distance between the sensor and the lens is reduced with the absent mirror housing. Shooting speeds are faster with an electronic shutter when compared to the DSLR's mechanical shutter operation. Videography is an area where Mirrorless cameras have an advantage. Contrast Detection AF maintains focus faster than Phase Detection can. Mirrorless cameras come with 4k or Ultra HD video options which are features only available in higher end DSLRs. On a professional level, DSLRs are again better as the precise control on multiple lenses outweighs a better AF system.

Features like GPS tracking and WIFI are available in most Mirrorless cameras these days. Another curious feature of image stabilization is actually inbuilt into the body of these cameras as opposed to just the lenses in DSLRs. The good thing about this is you will have image stabilization no matter which lens you use. Although all modern cameras can to an extent deal with small amounts of camera shakes.

The autofocus system used by Mirrorless cameras is also different from DSLRs. Based on contrast detection (focusing on an area with the highest contrast difference) instead of the DSLR's phase detection(explaination), this system is comparatively slower and tougher to use in low light. However, some mirrorless cameras like the Sony A6300 Single Lens Kit Mirrorless Camera come with hybrid AF systems and these are the ones we consider the better choice.

Phase Detection vs Contrast Detection

The EVF viewfinder is slower due to the process being electronic, and hence uses more battery power. This in turn takes a toll on the total number of photos that can be taken on one charge. There is a tiny but noticeable delay in the viewfinder as its electronic and not run using mirrors.

Image sensor size for Mirrorless is either APSC which is what the smaller entry level DSLRs use, or they possess the micro 4/3 sensor. As a result, the image quality lies somewhere between full frame DSLR sensors and the smaller ones Point and Shoot cameras employ. The drop-in image quality is always more apparent in low light conditions.

“ “Mirrorless is the choice for you if you want something a little cheaper and more portable than a DSLR. You still get to shoot RAWs and use multiple lenses, albeit with a slight drop in image quality.””

BRIDGE CAMERAS

Various Sensor Sizes

So, named as they are a bridge between "Point and Shoot" and "DSLR" cameras, bridge cameras size up somewhere between those two categories. The design and ergonomics are similar to DSLRs while the interface and operation, including automatic shooting modes, are closer to "Point and Shoot". They have a fixed but versatile lens that although not so useful for Macros, do allow for wide-angle to extreme telephoto of 30x/40x zoom. Nikon Coolpix P900 Ultra Zoom Camera for example gives you 83x zoom.

You cover more bases with one purchase as opposed to buying a DSLR with multiple lenses. Since bridge cameras are smaller than DSLRs they also have a smaller image sensor. The image quality suffers when compared to their larger cousins, and is even worse in low light. The lack of the "single lens reflex" system also means that what you see in the viewfinder is not the exact photo you will be capturing.

“ “If you want a step up from P&S but don’t want to delve into the complexities of DSLR shooting or using multiple lenses with a Mirrorless, Bridge Cameras are for you.””

POINT AND SHOOT

Often overlooked, perhaps because of the simple and obvious moniker. These cameras are small, cheap and come with a single attached lens. P&S Cameras are designed to automate for quick shots, so even novice photographers don’t miss fleeting moments. In addition, shooting modes like fireworks, beach, sports, portrait make the camera do automatic adjustments and get the best possible results. Good P&S cameras have full HD video capture and all you need to do is point, as the AF figures out faces and other features and guesses where to focus.

P&S make for excellent travel cameras if you don’t want to carry a cumbersome DSLR with all its lenses. High end P&S cameras like the Canon Powershot SX740HS Black cost about just as much as an entry level DSLR and can provide stunning results even with a smaller image sensor. P&S also make for excellent B cameras for professional photographers. Location scouting and testing the setup pre-shoot becomes much easier with such a handy device. These days P&S cameras come with WIFI and 3G/4G capabilities and apps like Instagram preinstalled to directly upload and share your favorite photos on social media before you even leave the location.

Sadly though, smaller size also means a smaller sensor leading to photos with more noise compared to DSLRs. Camera settings cannot be manipulated too much outside of the shooting modes. They also have lower exposure and ISO (light sensitivity) levels. Low light videos also suffer in quality because of limited aperture.

“ “So, if you are just getting into photography and don’t plan on spending too much money or carrying around hefty cameras and lenses, “Point and Shoot” make a great choice with their ability to take quick photos with automatic modes.””

We hope our guide helps you pick out the perfect camera to suit your needs. Be on the lookout for more guides and gadget reviews coming very soon.