Cameras are like fashion items now. There are seasons and cycles, and manufacturers are introducing new products and pushing out inventory fast. It’s all about industry and consumerism, not so much about photography anymore. And people get infatuated with cameras and want to get their hands on the newest item ASAP, just like they get giddy about certain fashion/luxury goods.
Compared to the film era, however, digital cameras are outdated more quickly and their value doesn’t hold up as much. The economy is so bad and the sign of recovery is yet to be reported. So how do you choose the right camera and get the most value out of your money in these turbulent times? Here are some simple tips and rules on how to choose a camera and equipment in the digital age.
1. What do you want to photograph?
Photography is great. As Martin Parr of Magnum Photos puts it, it is the most democratic art form and nowadays everyone can be a photographer. But that doesn’t mean everyone needs a big and expensive DSLR with a set of fancy lenses. You can make some great pictures with an iPhone or other sort of smartphones out there. First, ask yourself what you’re interested in and passionate about. Do you want to make pictures of your growing children? Are you a flower and insect lover? Or do you want to make pictures of the football match for the school paper? Different occasions call for different types of cameras and equipment. Usually a DSLR is a great multi-purpose and all-around player. But if you just want to take some casual snapshots or keep a photographic journal of daily occurrences, a DSLR might be too heavy and bulky. There is a reason behind the growing iPhoneography and Instagram culture. Think carefully before going on a shopping spree. Knowing what you want to photograph first would actually save you a lot of time and money.
2. What is your price range?
Okay, if you have the means, just skip this part and buy whatever you want. (Just kidding. You still want to read on.) Most of us have certain financial limits, right? I think in general professionals are more frugal than amateurs when it comes to buying equipment: For pros it has to translate to income one way or another. I’ve seen numerous starting-out amateur hobbyists loading themselves with a full set of flagship cameras and high-end lenses, only to find out that their photos suck and it is quite cumbersome to carry around all the gears. Furthermore, it is actually difficult to learn how to use them properly. And suddenly photography is not fun anymore. Besides there is an emerging trend nowadays that people tend to think good gears make good pictures automatically for you. And they’ll laugh at you behind your back if your pictures don’t match up your expensive gears.
Don’t go overboard with your spending. Don’t fall prey to vanity. (Trust me. I’ve been there and done that.) You can always start with an entry-level DSLR and a bundle lens and add more equipment as you get more comfortable and better. It’s more fun and rewarding that way.
Having asked these questions (and answered them), let us move on to some rules to keep in mind when choosing a camera.
A. The size of the sensor, not the number of mega-pixels, matters.
iPhone and other smartphones boast 8+ million MPs(mega-pixels). Some are even close to 20 million MPs. Don’t fall for mega-pixels, though: It is a marketing gimmick. These smartphones and point-and-shoot cameras have sensors of the size of a pea or smaller. A 10 million mega-pixel DSLR camera with an APS-C sensor is superior to a 2o million mega-pixel point and shoot camera. A 12 million mega-pixel full-frame DSLR is still better than 16 million mega-pixel DSLR with APS-C sensor and so on.
There are standardized formats for different sensor sizes: Full-frame is equivalent of 135 film; APS-C is full-frame divided by 1.5 in dimension; Micro-Four-Third system (MFT) is half the size of a full-frame sensor and so on. Hence the crop factor. You have to multiply the crop factor to get the correct focal length in each system.
The rule of thumb is that the image quality is directly correlated with the size of the sensor. It’s got to do with how much space receives light. Bigger size will also translate to more detail that can be captured. The sensor size plays a crucial role especially in noise reduction in high ISO, low light settings. That’s why a lot of professional photographers use full-frame cameras.
B. Technology is advancing.
Having said that, I need to make a statement: There is no such thing as a bad camera these days; There are just more desirable cameras with more loaded specifications. Generally speaking, most of the cameras on the market with a reasonable sensor size are good to use. Technology is advancing and the gap is narrowing. Some cameras like Olympus OM-D with a MFT sensor and Fufjiflim X100s with an APS-C sensor produce superb images that can be comparable to those by full-frame cameras.
C. DSLR vs Mirror-less vs Smartphone
Again, this comes down to your purpose and price range. In Korea and Asia, a lot of female users go for Sony or Samsung mirror-less cameras. They are light and easy to use. Most of them have an APS-C sensor, and some models even have a pop-up and swivel LCD screen, ideally designed for sel-ca. (or short for self-camera, a coined term for self-portrait. You know how Asians are crazy about making food pictures and self-portraits.)
Their image quality has improved dramatically over the course of the past two years. Unless you’re planning to make large photographic prints or want to make sports/action photos, mirror-less cameras can be an affordable option. They are also recommended for various travel purposes.
The reasons to hold back from a mirror-less camera would be flaky auto focus and the lack of quality optics. The mirror-less market is still in its infancy and lens choice is limited. I wouldn’t shoot a wedding or other “urgent” occasions with a mirror-less camera, mainly because I don’t fully trust their lens and AF system just yet.
I don’t recommend smartphones for prints mainly because of their sensor size, but I’ve seen some publications with iPhone pictures in them, processed with Hipstamatic or Instagram filters. They actually looked pretty decent. It’s all about format, though: Books aren’t that big. Anyway, the best camera is the one in your hand at the right time, and it could be your phone for sure.
D. The bigger the initial price, the more you will suffer from depreciation.
When Leica M9 came out at the beginning of 2010, it was the most coveted item around the world. The MSRP was $7000 USD, but it was even more expensive in Korea. The total came down to about $9500 with the exchange rate and taxes and so on. Well, guess how much the resale value is now in Korea? About $4500-5000. So those who got the first batch and held onto it (yep, that’s me) suffered a near 50% depreciation over the course of 3 years. Well, don’t get me wrong. I loved the camera and it produced some awesome images for me, and Leica does hold value pretty well. But in retrospect it was a bad financial decision.
In the digital era, product cycles are even shorter. There is a huge competition and oligopoly at the same time. So manufacturers will replace cameras with their successors once a year, and that leads to even faster depreciation in resale value. Fifteen percent depreciation from $5000 is $750. From $1000, it is $150. Still huge.
E. When a new camera comes out, go for the previous model.
You don’t want to be a beta tester for a new camera. You are not a professional reviewer, so why spend your hard-earned cash and put up with possible defects? Wait at least a couple of months, especially if the manufacturer is not a major player in the market. Let other people find out defects and pros and cons for you. Maybe the manufacturer will release a firmware update. Read reviews carefully.
In the meantime, if you really need a camera urgently, get the previous model – possibly used. Not only will it save you money, but also it will save you a lot of headaches. A camera’s market price – new or used – drops a lot when the successor is released, and it recovers somewhat in the following months. Keep in mind that the hype and satisfaction don’t last so long: A month or two at tops.
F. Invest in lenses, not bodies.
As I have stated, digital camera bodies don’t hold value so well. But for lenses it’s a different story. Actually I recommend getting a body new and a set of lenses used. You start out with a bundle, but sooner or later you will be looking at a faster zoom lens, possibly with hand-held shake stabilization function. Different manufacturers have different names for that: Canon IS for Image Stabilization, Nikon VR for Vibration Reduction, Tamron VC for Vibration Compensation, and Sigma OS for Optical Stabilization. They come in handy especially for telephoto zoom lenses. You may also want to add some prime or macro lens for shallow depth of field and beautiful bokeh/blur effects.
All in all, investing in lenses is worth it. Their value doesn’t depreciate too much even if you buy them new. Once they reach a certain price range, they stay there. Lenses are also a great liquid asset: You can turn them into cash quite easily and fast if you need to. Try third-party manufacturers like Tamron and Sigma if money is tight. They have impressed me with their recent line-up of optically superb lenses with high build quality. To sum up, you can hold on to your lenses and use them on the camera of your choice, regardless of the manufacturers’ marketing scheme.
Remember these rules when choosing a camera and equipment. Know your purpose and budget. Be financially judicious and spend within reason. And stop fretting about who has expensive gears and what not. You might actually start enjoying making pictures and get ahead of the game among your photo buddies.