Choosing a Camera

Area 2 CAT group18 October 2012

Presented by Derek Southern

Decision tree• How will you use your pictures?• What subjects will you photograph?• How ‘techie’ do you want to be?• How often will you use the camera?• Is portability important?• Other questions…

How will you use the pictures?

• Post on internet eg Picasa, Flikr, Facebook etc

• Prints – size?• Photo-book• Exhibition or selling images

What will you photograph?• Landscapes• Family groups• Children in action• Sports• Close-ups• Nature• Movies• Low light

Special subjects

• Under-water• Astrophotography• Microphotography• Panoramas• etc

Types of cameras

• Smart phones (including iPad, iPod)• Point & Shoot• Bridge (superzooms)• Compact System (CSC)• DSLR

(decreasing portability)

Smart phones (inc. iPad, iPod)

• Small, easily carried cameras for reasonable stills and movies

• Casual photos of family and places• Easy to upload pictures to social

sites• BUT when battery goes…

Apple iPhone, iPod, & iPadThe iPhone 5 has a refined version of the 8MP camera in the iPhone 4S, while the iPod touch gets a serious shot in the photographic arm with a 5MP autofocus camera. Both devices also get a backside-illuminated, 1.2MP, 720p FaceTime HD front-facing camera and a new automatic panorama shooting feature in the Camera app.

Point & Shoot

• Easy to use• Wide range of options• Can have wide zoom range• Image quality somewhat better than

smart phone• Constant flow of new models• Fits in pocket

3 P&S for 2012

Compact System Camera (CSC)

• Interchangeable lens• Better quality than high end P&S• Good low light images• No mirror so uses electronic

viewfinder• Doesn’t fit in pocket, but smaller

and lighter than DSLR

Mirrorless (CSC) cameras

Bridge, or superzoom cameras

• Wide range zoom, often 18X – 42X• Needs optical stabilization for long

zoom• LCD viewing + electronic view finder

EVF• Full range of controls

24 – 42X zooms

Digital Single Lens Reflex

• Superior quality images• Huge selection of lenses• Can be controlled by computer• Big & bulky• Steep learning curve• Very fast response

Most popular DSLRs

Smart phone

s

P&S CSC Bridge DSLR

Landscapes

Family groups

Close ups (macro)

Active children ?

Nature ? ?

Sports

Movies

Waterproof ?Low light

Cameras and your subject

Why?Task Camera typeUncomplicated images (landscapes, family)

any camera

Fast action (kids, sports, nature)

Fast shutter response or you miss the picture (DSLR, CSC)

Videos Many camerasWaterproof P&S (size)Low light, no flash DSLR, CSC

How ‘techie’ are you?• NOT! Smart phone or P&S• Somewhat: CSC, Bridge, entry level

DSLR• Very: DSLR, CSC

How often used?• Rarely: smart phone• Sudden need: smart phone, P&S• Planned events: P&S up• Special events: CSC, DSLR

Other considerations

• Megapixels (MP) – usually unimportant!• Budget!• Extras

−Batteries−Memory cards (8GB minimum)−Case−Tripod

For emergencies• File recovery program in case you

delete some files or even accidentally reformat your memory card!!!

Megapixels are unimportant!

• Internet images can be quite small, for example 800x600 pixels (0.5MP)

• A 4 x 6 inch print at 300 dpi is 1200x1800 pixels (2.2MP)

• An 8 x 10 inch print at 300 dpi is 2400x3000 pixels (7.2MP)

• 8.5 x 11 inch print at 300 dpi is 8.4MP

4000 x 2667 pixels (10.6MP)

10,600 KB

1800 x 1200 pixels (6 x 4 inch)

2300 KB

800x600 pixels

500 KB

200 & 400 pixels

59 KB

151 KB

200 pixel enlarged

Some suggested ‘best’ cameras

• http://www.photographyblog.comupdated Oct 12, 2012

• www.dpreview.com