Before Buying A Camera

Either you want to take a photograph for your family trips, make photography your hobby or want to dedicate yourself to be a professional photographer, the first and single most important thing to do is buy yourself a digital camera. Digital camera offer instant preview, take pictures as many as you want to and, people say, fun!

With more than dozen camera makers launch their products nearly every month you will have too many options, sometime this condition will put you in a difficult positions (though actually it is an advantage for us, customers). It can be difficult to buy a digital camera, especially if this is the first time you’ve purchased digital. These little steps will ease you to pick the right camera for your photographic purpose, at the right type and the right price:

Know Your Own Style

Understand your own style and characteristics in photography:

• In which situation you are going to use your camera most often (indoor, outdoor, travel, studio, sports, close-up, portrait )?
• How much money you allocate to buy the camera?
• How immediate is your need for the camera?
• How long will you expect to master the camera (since digital camera could be tricky)?

Pick The Features You Want From A Camera

• Price
• Pixel size (resolution), also you need to know the difference between optical zoom and digital zoom
• Ease of Use ( think about button, handle and interface)
• Manual mode (for you who wants to advance yourself in photography, this is somewhat important)
• Weight
• Size
• Color
• Accessories availability (additional battery, memory card, bag/shack)
• ISO capability
• Service and warranty
• For SLR you may also think about:
  • Lens and flash type, and are they easily available in the market?

Prioritize The Features

Prioritize all those features you have listed in this way:

• Must Have: List the features you think the camera must have
• Should Have: Put the features you consider the camera should have, but least important that the first priority
• Nice to Have: These features are the last thing you want to but it would be nice if the camera posses them

Read Some Reliable Reviews, here are some reliable resources to digg deeper:

• www.dpreview.com
• www.dcviews.com
• www.steves-digicams.com
• reviews.cnet.com
• www.digitalcamerareview.com
• www.fredmiranda.com
• www.dcresource.com

Some important advices:

• Don’t let yourself being too flexible regarding the money you have budgeted before. Those camera makers are really smart, that when you make little addition to your budget you will get richer features, just remind yourself to your priority above.
• Don’t forget to prepare yourself to buy some additional accessories as listed
• If you really want to learn photography, find a camera where manual mode is available (especially when you interested to buy a pocket camera)
• Your style is your style. Do not be a follower, find your own style and find the camera best suited to that.
• When you already in the store, try the camera yourself. Feel the grip and its level of comfort, take some pictures and review the result. You may compare different brand with similar feature and price.
• When you already buy the camera, keep on going! It is much more fun to take picture rather than look back. Photographer is the master of the camera, not in reverse order.