How to choose a camera

I was sent this rather excellent article by Jen Reviews about the different types of cameras and how to understand why they are different.

How to Choose a Camera – A Comprehensive Guide

I have published similar articles in the past but this one is really comprehensive and his you are thinking about buying a camera this will help you choose the type. We then have on this blog posts about the best cameras in any particular range, just go to the Categories Drop down menu on the right and scroll down to new cameras. I am sure you will find this article and the earlier posts useful

By the way while you are thinking about a new camera you should also consider one of our excellent courses, we have a new series starting this autumn, here are the dates

Entry Level DSLR Cameras

 

The 10 best mirrorless cameras in 2017

For people who want the control of a DSLR but not the size or the weight there are mirrorless or compact system cameras CSC. These have interchangeable lenses and the same sorts of control that a DSLR will have but not the optical viewing system. If there is a viewfinder it will be a EVF type (electronic viewfinder) so this is like a small monitor that you look at through the viewfinder. Some don’t have this at all and you are required to use the monitor on that back to compose your images as you might on a compact camera. I would generally avoid these. This type of camera tends to be more expensive than traditional DSLR and the lenses are expensive too.

I see many of these cameras in class and find I am constantly irritated by the necessity to hide all the controls you want at your fingertips in menus that you have to access on screen. The tradeoff of in size and weight for a decent photographic experience is not one I would choose but I understand why people do

Tech Radar has a very useful review of the CSC cameras available and has ranked these as the best of 2017

Best CSC Cameras 2017

Once upon a time, keen photographers bought a DSLR – it was the established order of things. But the mirror mechanism of a DSLR is complex and noisy and adds to the weight of the camera, and that’s where the mirrorless camera, or compact system camera comes in. They keep the big sensors and interchangeable lenses of DSLR cameras but ditch the mirror to produce a smaller, lighter and simpler camera.

In fact, there are still pros and cons to both designs. If you want to find out more, read this: Mirrorless vs DSLR cameras: 10 key differences.  Some mirrorless cameras have a compact, rectangular body, some are styled like DSLRs with a ‘pentaprism’ on the top – though this houses an electronic viewfinder rather than the optical viewfinder you get with a DSLR.

Be aware, too, that cheaper mirrorless cameras don’t come with viewfinders at all – instead, you compose the photo on the rear screen, just as you do with a compact camera or a smartphone. (If you’re still not sure what kind of camera you need, read our easy to follow guide: What camera should I buy?)

No two photographers are exactly the same – we’re all looking for slightly different things, so we’ve ranked the 10 best compact system cameras you can buy right now based not just on specs, handling and performance, but size, simplicity and value for money too.

What camera should I buy?

I get asked this a couple of times a week. Sometimes it comes with the proviso, I want to have a career in photography but that opens another can of worms. Buying a camera, the right camera is important because if you get it wrong you may never enjoy the experience of taking pictures and so end up just using your phone, heaven help you! Anyway this really useful article on Digital Camera World looks at the four main types of cameras and in a simple way makes observations that seem appropriate to me. If you are thinking of buying a camera then read this first. It won’t tell which model to buy but it will help you to buy the right type for you, which is a good start point. Should you buy a dslr, maybe a bridge or compact or even the kid on the block a CSC (compact system camera) [who thinks up these names?]

 “What camera should I buy?” Truth is, it can be tricky to decide what camera to buy because we like to shoot different subjects which have different needs. In this jargon-free buyer’s guide our head of testing Angela Nicholson has some advice that will put you on the right track.

Read the full article in Digital Camera World here