Your First Camera

So you have decided that you like photography and want to buy a camera, but which one to buy? There are so many options it is enough to make you head spin. With all the talk of mega pixels, crop sensor or full frame and shutter speed the frustration level creeps up quickly. It took me about 2 months of research before deciding on which DSLR to purchase, a Canon Rebel T3i. This is one of the entry level DSLR's on the market, but there are several others. Picking your first camera will depend heavily on two factors:

1. Where do you want to get to in your photography? Hobby, professional or just for fun.
2. How much money are you prepared to spend on your camera and related gear?

Let us look at the main points of the more popular types of camera currently available:

1. Point and Shoot camera: This is your basic digital camera that most persons are familiar with, they are small, lightweight, inexpensive with limited features. Many Electronics manufacturers have Point and Shoot camera (Samsung, Sony, Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Olympus).
2. Bridge Camera: These are larger than the Point and Shoot and heavier, the features they have are similar to a DSLR, (including manual control) They also usually have quite an extensive optical zoom allowing for very close up photos. The lenses however are not interchangeable.(Fuji, Olympus)
3. DSLR: Typically the camera of choice for serious photographers. Big, heavy on weight and price, a lot of add on lenses (if you have the finances) Feature rich, with full control over several of the camera's features. (Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Leica, Olympus)

The most popular brands for DSLR's are Canon, Canon and Canon :) Yes I am a Canon fan, the other popular brand however is Nikon. These two brands between them have the most camera types and lenses. Also after market lens makers such as Sigma, Tokina and Tamron are usually sure to have lenses for their systems. Of course there are other DSLR camera makers such as Olympus, Leica and Pentax, but their market share is much smaller and the lens options are limited. This factor will also play a role in your choice, that of availability of attachments for the camera body you select.

Below you can find a list of the more popular Canon and Nikon cameras, this is by no means an exhaustive listing, if you seek more specific details on any of these you can visit the following sites, either one will open on a new page in your browser:

Information on Canon DSLR's

Information on Nikon DSLR's