Selecting the Best Camera for You
Deciding between a Point & Shoot, Compact System Camera or DSLR Camera
Figuring out the best camera for you requires sorting through many variables. DSLRs will give you the best image quality, especially with vastly improved high ISO capabilities that allow you to take low light shots without the use of small built-in flashes. However, to really tap into all of the advantages that a DSLR offers you will need to spend extra money on one or more high quality lenses, which will further increase the cost of your photography kit along with adding to the size and weight of your kit. Higher quality lenses are intended for specific uses and typically have reduced zoom ranges or have a fixed focal length, which means that you are likely to need more than one lens. So without the better quality, more expensive, larger and heavier lenses a DSLR will only offer marginal improvements compared to a relatively inexpensive, small and light Point & Shoot (P&S) camera. The new mirrorless Compact System Cameras (CSC) offer a compromise between the larger size/weight of DSLRs and the reduced image quality of a P&S cameras.
Keep in mind that even with the significant reduction in DSLR/CSC camera prices over the last few years, DSLR/CSCs don’t necessarily represent the best performance for the money compared to P&S cameras. Unless you plan on investing a lot of time into mastering the art/technique of photography and also a lot of money into building a collection of lenses to get the most out of a DSLR/CSC camera, then P&S cameras represent the best short term value. However, over the long term DSLR/CSC cameras offer better long term value because they allow for independent body and lens upgrades as you tailor your photography kit to meet your specific photographic interests.
Take note that nearly all camera's yield better performance when using advanced modes (Manual, Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority) that allow you to take control of aperture, shutter speeds, ISO, focus and exposure settings. Even the best DSLR/CSC cameras are designed to give you standard images in the “auto” modes. The ability to capture the scene’s atmosphere will require that you depart from these standard settings. In addition to learning how to use your gear's more advanced manual features, making the leap into RAW file format will unlock the camera's full image quality and allow you to more fully explore your creative potential. All of these features/settings are far easier to adjust and optimize with a DSLR/CSC cameras, although, high-end P&S cameras offer manual controls/features.
So if you are seriously interested in photography, think that you will get more than one lens and plan on using manual settings then the decision is easy, get a DSLR or high-end CSC camera! I usually do not recommend CSC cameras over DSLR cameras because of their limited range of lenses, especially when compared to Canon or Nikon's complete line of entry level to professional lenses. However, if you absolutely require changeable lenses in the most compact package then go with a CSC. If the higher costs, increased size and weight, and/or the idea of using manual settings sounds like too much of a hassle then go with a P&S camera.
Deciding On Sensor Size
Whether you have decided to go with a DSLR, CSC or P&S camera, it is the sensor size that will play the most significant role in determining the camera's overall image quality. A Full frame (FF) sensor is the same size as 35mm film. Other sensor sizes are smaller than a full frame sensor and are referred to as a crop or percentage size of the full frame sensor size. Crop sensor formats include the following, listed from largest to smallest with the crop factor in parentheses: DSLR Full frame (1.0x); DSLR APS-H Canon 1D series (1.3x); DSLR and CSC APS-C Standard (1.5x); DSLR APS-C Canon (1.6x); P&S Canon G1X (1.8x); CSC Micro Four Thirds (2.0x); CSC Nikon CX (2.7x); P&S 2/3" Fuji X10 (3.9x); P&S 1/1.7" Canon S100 (4.5x); P&S 1/2.3" (5.6x); iPhone 4s 1/3.2" (7.7x).
There are only a few disadvantages of a larger sensor: 1) increased costs, 2) increased weight from larger diameter glass used in lenses, 3) increased size of camera body and lenses, 4) increased lens vignetting/dark-corners at wide apertures. You unfortunately can’t do much about the cost, so you are either able and willing to spend the extra cash or you are not. While increased weight and size is usually considered a disadvantage, these attributes have the advantages of helping to reduce camera vibration and allowing for easier access to controls. Vignetting (dark corners) is simply the trade off of having shallower depth-of-field (DOF) and increased subject isolation. With top end professional glass you can shoot wide open and get very shallow DOF or stop down to where vignetting is reduced and you get DOF that is similar to what a crop sensor camera will produce at it's maximum wide open aperture. So vignetting isn’t really a problem with larger sensors but simply one of the trade offs of having access to shallower DOF for increased subject isolation.
Before continuing any further we need to discuss depth-of-field (DOF) and focal lengths as related to sensor size. A crop sensor is smaller than a FF senor, which has the effect of the crop sensor seeing/viewing only the inner portion of the image projected by the lens. This cropped view reduces the DOF effect and increases the apparent focal length. The exposure settings for all sensors are identical at the same aperture setting but the DOF is much deeper with crop sensors and shallower with FF at any given aperture setting. When you get into photography shallow DOF has a 3D look that makes the subject stand out from the background that has been softened/blurred. So a FF camera offers shallower DOF but it also offer deeper DOF because when comparing a crop sensor and FF sensor at the same resolution, diffraction has a reduced impact on a FF sensor at any given aperture. This means that an image taken with a FF camera at f/16 will show less diffraction blur than an image taken with a crop sensor at f/16, thus providing the FF camera with greater DOF range, both at the shallow and deep ends of the spectrum.
The other major distinction between a crop sensor and FF camera comes from a change in the view angle or apparent focal length. A crop sensor sees only a fraction or percentage of the lens’s stated focal length, which means that a standard full frame 50mm lens acts more like a 75 to 80mm portrait lens on a APS-C camera body. So a wide angle 30 or 35mm lens is needed to have the standard 50mm view on an APS-C crop sensor camera body. Crop sensor cameras sees only the inner portion of what a lens projects on a FF sensor. This cropping appears to increase focal length, however, this is not a true change in focal length as there is no additional telephoto compression. For that effect you still need to spend the big bucks on super telephoto lenses. Those who shoot sports or birds often prefer crop sensor cameras for the apparent focal length increase and the extra reach that it provides. In addition, crop sensor cameras use only the sharpest center portion of the lens. The main downside of this apparent focal length shift comes when you need to shoot at wider angles. Placing a very expensive and high quality ultra wide angle lens like Canon’s 17 TS-E or Nikon’s 14-24 gives you an unimpressive standard view on a crop sensor camera. In general, if you are interested in wide angle (architecture and landscapes) then a FF sensor is by far the best way to go.
That being said, one cannot deny that crop sensor cameras provide better bang for your buck than FF sensor cameras. Just keep in mind that the creative ceiling is reached quicker with crop sensors as compared to FF sensors. If a crop sensor set up provides all the image quality, DOF and lens flexibility that you need then you’ve done very well and will save a ton of money, weight and space by selecting a crop sensor over a FF sensor. Otherwise, you will eventually reach the ceiling with the crop sensor format and then you will have to take a financial hit when selling your older gear to help fund the upgrade to FF. In my experience, if you shoot subjects beyond sports/birding/wildlife, you shot RAW and finally if you have adequate funds then FF is the superior format.
Concluding Notes On Image Quality and Camera Selection
As explained above understanding your photography equipment, using advanced controls appropriately and shooting in RAW file format will have significant impacts on image quality. Beyond that image quality is primarily determined by the quality of photographic equipment. In general there are two factors that contribute the most to influencing image quality: 1) Sensor size and 2) Optical performance. As discussed above a full frame sensor delivers better image quality so the ultimate image quality comes from cameras such as Nikon's new D800 and Canon's new 5D Mark III full frame bodies. The higher quality the sensor the more the lens quality will influence overall image quality. Many manufacturers produce excellent lenses but Canon and Nikon currently have the best selection of high quality lenses (Canon Lenses).
Deciding How Much To Spend
When deciding how much to spend just keep in mind that you will need to purchase a camera body, lens or lenses (some camera bodies are sold with kit lenses), memory card, lens pen for lens cleaning and some kind of carrying case. In addition, you may want to purchase a more powerful external flash, tripod, remote shutter release, extra battery and additional memory cards.
As a general rule of thumb you will find that the following improve as you move up in camera body price/quality:
And you will find that the following improve as you move up in lens price/quality:
Links to Recommendations and Reviews
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