You have to choose the digital camera and you do not know where to start?
Reflex, Mirrorless and Bridge for you are simply cameras without any substantial difference, if not aesthetic? Then surely this article is for you! You like photography and you are almost determined or determined to take a course or workshop. Surely you will want to equip yourself with a suitable digital camera, without introducing yourself with your compact that now is tight. Nothing against the compact, it is clear, it is not the tool that makes photographers, but undoubtedly if your assumptions are not those of making souvenir photos, but are those to improve your photography from the artistic aspect you need a tool more versatile. With this article I do not want to give you a list of technical explanations on the various models of cameras that are on the market, for that there are specialized sites that I will list at the end of this article, but to avoid the mistake of buying a camera that does not it is suitable for your needs. Before starting, especially if it is the first time that you read my blog, I would suggest you subscribe to the newsletter. The reasons may seem trivial, but in fact by registering you will receive first of all, and free of charge, to learn some photographic techniques. Secondly, you will receive weekly photo tips and suggestions aimed exclusively at those who are registered. CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE " ALSO THE PROFESSIONALS HAVE MADE THE WRONG CHOICES Now I'm a professional photographer, but I remember how yesterday I bought my first digital camera. I can still remember the model: Panasonic FZ2. Do you realize that this camera had a sensor of only 2 megapixel !? But what a photo guys, and they're still stored in my hard-disks. There are many memories related to that digital camera. I took the first steps in photography with this camera and began to put into practice the first technical concepts exploring manual controls, but it is true that this camera had many limitations. And I realized this early enough. At the time there were already digital SLRs, think about it Canon had also launched its famous 300D, the first low-cost digital SLR camera sensor CMOS, however, the limits that I have found alone to make my subsequent errors were not enough ... Less than a year later, in fact, I bought a beautiful Minolta DiMAGE A1, as you can see of this, I remember very well the name and model even if more than 12 years have passed. Nothing to say about the camera, for its target Minolta (which still lives under the brand SONY that has acquired it) was extraordinary and with features that even today digital SLR cameras do not have, but it was also an error. It was not a digital camera suitable for me, I was not just looking for a souvenir photo, but I was looking for something that did not limit me from the creative point of view. Only later, thanks to many mistakes and lost time, I decided to choose the most important camera of my photographic career probably. I purchased my first Reflex Digiale, the Pentax * ist DS. The rest is history. I then switched to Canon with which I have been for several years until today with the Fuji X-T1. Every experience is useful, I believe this, but I wanted to tell you this story just because I have only one regret! That of not having found anyone who had told me from the beginning "leave the FZ2 and the A1 alone ... take a reflex immediately". I would have undoubtedly lost a lot less time, and maybe I would have saved a lot of money too. I do not want you to make this series of mistakes. In the next lines I will give you all the information to understand what are your types of cameras that you have to take into account, which ones to avoid (even if they cost less) so that you can make the most suitable purchase for your needs. Before continuing, I ask you a little favor. It costs you nothing, while I need to improve the visibility of this post by sharing this article. NOW I RECOGNIZE THE TYPES OF DIGITAL CAMERA ALSO You must recognize the types of camera, not models. This is what matters. Aesthetically, the cameras can be very similar to each other, the compact are easy to spot because they are "portable" and so small as to be in a pouch or pocket, even if now the Mirrorless can be confused with some compact evolved. But those that mislead the inexperienced or new fans of photography, are the cameras that resemble REFLEX (or more commonly "those that use professionals"). FIRST STEPS TO CHOOSE THE CAMERA One step at a time, I do not want to complicate things. The cameras differ from each other mainly in 2 aspects: camera sensor size the possibility to interchange lenses (lenses) If you pay attention to these two aspects, no one will ever be able to make up any model of camera that does not suit your needs (not always inferior, but could also be excessively superior, therefore expensive) or make a wrong choice unconsciously. DIMENSIONS OF THE CAMERA SENSOR Even if it is a statement that should be taken a bit 'with the pliers, you must assume that generally the camera sensor is the largest and the better the image quality you get, so: Compact cameras have a very small digital sensor (do not even take them into consideration). the SLRs and mirrorless have a bigger sensor instead - called APS always the SLRs and mirrorless can have an even bigger sensor, called FullFrame Panasonic and Olympus use a different sensor, called Micro 4/3 (comparable to APS format) Usually the truth is always in the middle and falls short even for this example; I advise you to pay attention to cameras that have an APS sensor, in order to have an image quality enormously superior to that of a compact but very close to the more expensive FullFrame. If you want to get yourself a FullFrame you certainly are not wrong, only that it will cost you more. CHANGE OBJECTIVES The other aspect that makes the difference, from the point of view of quality and yield, is the possibility to interchange the objectives (or lenses). The 12x zoom built into my Panasonic FZ2 was very comfortable, but now I could not do without the quality of interchangeable lenses. Choosing a camera that allows you to change the lens according to your needs is very useful because if you buy a very expensive but high-quality lens in the future, this will remain true even in 10 years. It does not suffer from obsolescence (ie loss of performance compared to the new models produced) as happens instead for the camera. On the other side you can also buy a specific goal, maybe for the report if that is your passion, or a specific one for macro photography. With the ability to interchange the objectives you have in practice to create the ideal kit for your specific interests, and eventually adjust if over time change. This aspect, however, goes into the background, because there are cameras with APS sensor (therefore good and valid) that have a fixed lens not interchangeable, but that offer a high image quality. HOW TO LOOK AT THE WINDOWS WITH THE PRODUCTS ON SHOW Now you have well or badly understood the two basic things to consider when choosing the camera, but the windows of the shopping centers are really complicated! How many models are there? Too many in my opinion! Here are the things you have to keep in mind when you are in front of the window and you want to understand what kind of cameras you have in front of you, or know what to ask the clerk of the department who wants to give you a hand in the purchase. Compact digital camera (pictured above): small, portable and in a shirt pocket. Most of these do not have manual controls, at most some settings. I do not recommend them because, while on one hand they are definitely portable, on the other they do not give you a creative edge as well as having a sensor and small optics that compromise the quality. Advanced compact digital camera (pictured above): these cameras are a little bigger than the compact ones, but have manual controls equal to a SLR. They usually have a very strong zoom. I do not recommend them because, while they all have manual controls, on the other hand they are still cameras with a sensor of a compact. They can give you some satisfaction, but you will soon find the limits. Bridge camera (pictured above): these are cameras that look like REFLEX like those used by professionals. You can recognize them by the fact that, although they seem to be SLR cameras, they do not allow you to interchange the lens and have very high zoom (10x, 12x, 26x). When in doubt you can ask the clerk / clerk or research in the technical features if it is equipped with APS or 4/3 sensor (four thirds, always a format similar to the APS). If they do not have this sensor or are equipped with a 2/3 sensor, which is probable, you are in front of a Bridge, that is a camera that looks like a DSLR but has the sensor of the compact. They are therefore to be avoided because you will soon find the limits as for a compact evolute. SLR camera (pictured above): there are several types that can be cheap or extremely expensive (like those used by professionals), but the principle of operation and the image quality is roughly the same. You recognize them because they allow you to change the lens and have an APS sensor or FullFrame. In both cases, these two pieces of information are clearly indicated in the package (or just that you ask the employee of the department). If they are called "reflex" it can not be otherwise. This is one of the cameras that I recommend you take. The brand or model at your discretion, although I always recommend to stay on the most popular brands (Canon / Nikon). Mirrorless camera with fixed lens (picture above): these cameras can be misleading. They are cameras that look like big compact aesthetic, or small cameras without the possibility to interchange the objectives. You can distinguish them mainly due to the fact that they have an APS sensor, therefore like the one used in SLR cameras, (you can find it indicated in the data sheet) and for the fact that they cost a lot of money (often as a reflex). They can be a wise choice if it is not your interest to invest in the purchase of interchangeable lenses but look for a camera of the highest quality. Currently among the best there is the Fujifilm 100T (pictured). Mirrorless camera with interchangeable lens (picture above): these cameras, like the previous ones, look like big compact cameras or small SLR cameras, but they have an APS sensor or 4/3 like the one in photo and they also allow to interchange the optics. These are cameras that in all respects have a yield and versatility identical to that of a SLR, and more and more often they are used by professionals. Obviously I recommend it and among the producers there are Fujifilm, Olympus, Sony and Panasonic and many others that maybe escape me. WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE A little depends on your goals and use you want to make. Taking for granted the fact that you will turn to a camera with APS sensor or 4/3, I personally recommend you to adopt a camera with interchangeable lenses in order to have the possibility - in the future - to buy a different lens and maybe more suitable for your photographic genre. So I'm talking about a Reflex or Mirrorless. On the other hand, however, a system that plans to interchange the optics is more cumbersome and heavy. How many times have you left your camera at home for its excessive weight and size? For this reason it also makes sense to buy a mirrorless camera with fixed optics, such as the Fuji X100 for example, which is very compact and portable, while still guaranteeing an amazing image quality. I also take into consideration that generally 90% of people who buy a digital SLR, because maybe they are passionate about photography, do not invest in the following years in the purchase of more performing optics. So we are all in front of the same type of use. Earlier I mentioned that I recommend referring to known brands, such as Canon or Nikon. If you make a request in a forum you probably get opinions that favor one brand or another, without mentioning those who will also suggest you Sony, Pentax, Samsung etc ... And this creates even more confusion. If we talk about REFLEX, I always recommend CANON or NIKON simply because they have an optical park and cameras that can satisfy both the enthusiast and the professional. This is to be taken into consideration because if in the future you want to move on to a next step, in terms of technical equipment, these two brands will not give you limits. Other brands, such as Pentax, for example, undoubtedly produces good SLRs, but if in the future you need some product range aimed at the professional field you might find yourself a bit 'in difficulty or even be forced to sell everything to buy a new Canon or Nikon. Evaluate this aspect well, I absolutely do not want to criticize PENTAX or other brands not mentioned, they make great products, but think about the future. If we talk about MIRRORLESS, the leading brands in the sector are FUJIFILM, OLYMPUS, PANASONIC and SONY. As you can see there are not the two leading brands in the REFLEX field, an anomaly of the market according to many photographers. Personally I have adopted the MIRRORLESS system because I like the reduced dimensions while maintaining a high photographic quality. Best Digital Cameras
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