Which camera should i buy?

A very frequent question in the most recent times after people started knowing my interest (very little talent though) in "Photography"...

I used to feel little funny and jealous when people start of with a SLR(single lens reflex/professional) camera straight away without even knowing what it is or how it can be used. I am not against those who have enough money to afford for a DSLR or those who are like a hungry beast to learn the skill somehow.

Apart from all these selecting a camera is crucial. You need to list out certain things before zeroing in a model;

The major classification is;

1. I’m a newbie. I would like to learn photography.
2. Enough of P&S cameras. I want a DSLR camera.

What’s my utmost usage?

One should be very much aware of what they are getting a camera for. Just because you can afford lots you can’t simply dump your money in a worthy gear.On the other end I would be happy if you are drawn towards photography and start clicking with passion. Instead I see some people just getting some costly cameras as a part of their status symbol. They don’t show any interest on it, or learn about it. Soon it reaches the dust bin and the blame is on the manufacturer.

I have also seen people taking very normal pictures with high end cameras not willing even to switch between the scene modes dial. The camera’s life ends with the “Automatic” or “Programmed Auto” mode itself.

The point is simple. Get a camera that suits your needs. According to me it is not a good idea to start of the learning process with SLR camera before choosing your domain in photography. We shall discuss about this in the near future.

According to me it is a very good option to start with a Prosumer. Prosumers or SLR - like cameras are cameras that are intermediate to Compact and SLRs. They have shooting modes like S(Shutter priority),A(Aperture),M(Manual) like a SLR. This helps a lot in experimenting at the initial stage. Of course they have their own drawbacks and limitations but a fair deal for beginners.

The best part is it comes in affordable price and a decent zoom (say from 10x to 20x). The price ranges from 14k to 23k (at least in Chennai) irrespective of the brands.Point and shoot or P&S cameras are compact cameras (soap box cameras in my terms J). They come with 3x or 4x zoom with various scene modes. In terms of a novice these cameras are with pre defined settings preventing us to use what is available instead of what we want actually. This is overcome in a Prosumer.

However they come with more effective pixels, means the resolution or clarity in megapixels. At times the compact cameras itself would cost around 12k or even more. In that case we can choose a Prosumer instead.

Even though prosumers have pre defined modes the other modes shall not be convenient for everyone to handle except you.

If you want a camera simply to capture images with no complications go for a compact camera. They come with 2 types of batteries; one with alkaline and the other with rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries. The former is a bit cheaper compared to latter(2k max is the difference).

If you are interested in experimenting with the camera and if you can afford a bit more Prosumer is what you want.