Advice for Buying a Fancy Camera

I am occasionally asked by non-professional photographers what kind of camera I recommend to them for their personal use. Firstly, this is a great question for the staff at Creve Coeur Camera. Secondly, as a Nikon girl and primarily wedding photographer, I know very little of anything other than Nikon. As well I know very little of models not great for wedding photography because those higher end professional grade cams are all I've ever really known since like 2009.

Wulp, I like helping people with their technological questions, despite the fact that I am neither a camera guru nor very technical by nature. Anyway, here's my contribution. It's very simple! Buying a new camera does not have to be difficult at all. This should make the decision very easy for you.

To start, ask yourself two very important questions:

1. Do I really need a "fancy" camera? If you call it a "fancy" camera and expect a [properly termed] DSLR to make you an instant great photographer, then you probably don't need to drop a couple thousand dollars on a DSLR. You need to drop a couple hundred dollars to take photography classes. Advice: Borrow or rent a DSLR and take some classes to see how you do. If you enjoy it enough to stick with hobbyist photography, consider purchasing one later. See where it goes from there. Sub-advice: A great camera doesn't make a great photographer; knowledge does.
2. What am I doing with this camera? Taking family photos? Dimly lit creative photos? Professional photos for web or commercial purpose? Professional portraits to which you may later add a lighting system (flash or radio system)? Fast moving subjects? Nature/travel photography? Making prints? Posting images to Facebook? Wearing a tech savvy necklace? All the answers to these questions direct you to the type of camera that's best for you. Advice: If you're sincere about investing in a DSLR, check out the chart below to see an honest comparison chart of DSLR features. This is from Nikon's website (< click to see this chart in full detail), but similar features will exist for Canon and other brands too:

Familiarize yourself with these terms: megapixels (big numbers mean great print and/or web resolution), ISO (high numbers and ability to reduce noise means great dim shots), autofocus (options exist to make following and freezing movement easier). You also need to invest some time playing with these expensive cameras to make sure you're not overspending on something a much much cheaper camera can still do for you. Gobs of enthusiasts make this mistake!

There's a load of extremely technical information here. If this chart intimidates you or these feature descriptions make you feel like you're reading ancient Hebrew, then considering a DSLR is probably not for you. Save your money.

If you plan to take snapshot images, family photos, just-for-fun stuff of family and friends socializing... if you don't intend to make prints larger than a 5x7... if everything you photograph will shoot straight to Facebook and probably remain there in storage, go no further than your smartphone. Seriously. This is what I would do if I was not a professional photographer. Having one with great megapixels and applause-worthy camera features is the way to go. Plus they fit in your pocket! I'd hate to lug around a very boxy DSLR if I didn't have to. If you've already got one of these amazing smartphones, you just saved yourself a few hundred dollars! Lucky!

If you want super pro looking family portraits, investing in a family photographer rather than buying a camera will actually save you money on:

• A thousand(s) dollar DSLR camera
• A few hundred dollars in lighting systems
• Technical knowledge which comes with the package
• Artistic knowledge which comes with the package

You can't put a price on those last two. Actually you can. It's something like a 4 year college tuition and/or years of in-the-field, hands on learning alongside technology changing over the years.

There you go! Easy! I hope you do well with your smartphone camera, photography lessons, new DSLR or favorite portrait photographer.