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If you are a photography aficionado, then you need a good-quality camera. Especially, if you want to be a professional photographer and earn money, you need a good camera. Buying a camera involves a lot of expenses. Before you spend so much money, you need to be sure you are buying a quality camera. This calls for proper due diligence.
If you are planning to buy a camera, then you will find this article useful. We give you some useful and practical tips that can help you decide on the best camera that meets your needs.
Tips to buy the best camera
1) Decide a budget
An important thing to do before you start the process of buying a camera is to decide on a budget. To do this, do some preliminary research. Take the advice of friends and other professionals in the field. Visit online websites that sell cameras and look for prices and reviews. This will help you get an idea of camera prices. Based on this decide your budget. Look at affordability and also keep future needs in mind while finalizing a budget. Instead of having a fixed amount, have a range in mind. Ensure you don’t exceed your budget while buying.
2) Know the camera types
There are different types of cameras, and you need to know about them before proceeding
- Point and shoot: This is a simple camera easy to use. They are portable and less expensive. While they are better in quality than mobile cameras, they cannot match the best cameras
- Bridge cameras: These are more advanced than point and shoot offering zoom and telephoto features. It is a one-piece unit making it convenient to take with you while on the move.
- DSLR cameras: Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras use the same lens for focusing and taking photos. They are the most popular cameras for amateurs and professionals. Versatile in use and ergonomic, they are available in different models at different prices. They are bigger than the previous cameras making them heavy.
- Mirrorless cameras: They don’t have mirrors that DSLRs do. This makes it easier to use especially if you travel a lot. However, their battery life is an issue.
3) Look for image quality
Today’s mobile phones have good-quality cameras that allow you to take great photos. So, why invest in a camera? The answer is for the range of features offered, especially image quality. If you are a professional photographer, then you need a camera that gives you the ability to take high-resolution photos. You must know the quality of images depends on the lens used.
Most DSLR and mirrorless cameras have lens kits that are affordable. If you want the best quality, choose a prime lens with a better zoom facility. When you buy top-quality cameras, you will get the best quality images even in low light. This is the main reason why professionals spend a lot of money on cameras and lenses.
4) Size
The camera size depends on your need. If you don’t want a bulky camera, you can consider mirrorless cameras or even point-and-shoot. However, if the quality is your prime need you should be prepared to buy a heavier DSLR. Even among DSLRs look for a model that is lightweight. You can visit a camera store and hold different models to decide which is most convenient.
Apart from camera size, the sensor size also matters. If you get a camera with a bigger sensor you can capture better-quality images. An APS-C sensor camera is ideal as it is not too expensive and not too heavy.
5) Performance and speed
Two other criteria to look for are the performance of the camera and the speed. If a camera takes a lot of time to startup or lags, then you will find it difficult to use especially when you need speed. Test cameras for yourself or check reviews to know the speed of the camera. DSLRs are the fastest among different camera types.
Performance refers to factors like FPS or Frames per second. FPS refers to how many photos you can take in the burst or continuous mode by keeping the button pressed. This is useful to shoot fast-moving subjects. The Autofocus feature is important to ensure image quality.
6) Compare before buying
Compare the features of different camera models from different models. Look for reviews online by others. Check out recommendations from experts. Lastly, compare prices. This will help you shortlist the best cameras to buy. You can then decide based on your budget and keeping in mind the above criteria.
