buying a camera

Recently, a number of people have been asking me what digital camera to buy. I find this rather strange seeing as digital cameras are not new, and most of these people are not buying their first camera. Nevertheless, I suppose it is logical that they come to me, given my reputation as a gadget freak. So once and for all, I will try to lay out my advice to potential camera buyers.



My own experience with digital cameras is quite extensive across most of the popular brands. My own personal collection includes
Fujifilm MX-500 (1999) - My first camera was a free gift, not very picky there
Olympus C-3030 Zoom (2000) - First 3mpx camera with manual functions
Sony DSC-U10 (2002) - Tiny camera with near instant startup time for the Kodak moments
Pentax Optio S (2003) - Combined size of Sony with quality of Olympus in an Altoids can
Canon PowerShot S200 (2003) - A second compact camera for the family
Panasonic DMC-FZ20 (2004) - 12x Leica zoom lens with image stabiliser
Pentax Optio S (2004) - Because the first one fell into river and later models didn't fit into the Altoids can
Panasonic DMC-LZ2 (2005) - 6x zoom with image stabiliser

Informed observed many notice I have actually gone for increasingly simpler cameras. I got tired of fiddling with the exposure settings and decided to focus on composition, which I think is the most important skill in photography and can (and should) be done with any camera.


My philosophy is that all cameras are the same, it just boils down to design and price. All my cameras have excellent image quality and the only one I have been warned off is Casio. That said, there are just a few factors that I would consider.

Image Quality
Not many people realise that a 2mpx camera is all you need to print an 8R photo (A4 size). With a 3mpx camera, you can crop it artistically before printing the 8R photo. Anything more than 3mpx is overkill for the casual photographer.

The main thing to look out for is colour saturation and balance, especially in low light conditions. So you should try to find sample photos from the camera to see if the skin tones are nice and the lines are clear. I find that flash, especially at close range is very harsh, and this has developed a preference for slow shutter speeds in low light. This requires a steady hand; an image stabiliser is very useful as well.

Ease of Use
For slightly more advanced photographers, you will want to be constantly changing the flash mode, white balance, exposure and even the manual settings. It is much less painful if the camera has a good interface, and my experience is that Canon and Pentax have the most user-friendly designs. Nikon is good too; Olympus and Panasonic are pretty bad. (This is based on my experience with the models listed above.)



Zoom
For all-purpose use, your camera should at least have a zoom of 3x, which is the standard today. The more the merrier of course, depending on what size of camera you are willing to carry. If you expect to take a lot of group photos of large groups, it is also important to look at how wide the angle can go - about 28mm is a good start (usual is about 36mm).

Appearance
Above all, I think that appearance is most important. You must find a camera that you are happy carrying around, and can show off to your friends. The Panasonic DMC-LZ2 is the perfect example of a poor purchasing decision (by my Dad). It has excellent technical specifications but it's a lousy chick magnet. Form factor is also paramount if you intend to carry the camera with you everywhere. And of course the camera should also fit your wallet.

Where to Buy?
I only have two places to recommend:
John 3:16 in Funan Centre has helpful and knowledgeable staff, and excellent sales support.
Parasilk in Holland Village is unbeatable on price.



And finally, when in doubt just check DPReview and count the stars.

For myself, I now intend to move up the value chain into digital video. Does anyone have camera recommendations?