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What to look for when buying a camera
There is such a huge choice of equipment available today for any photographer, that it can be completely confusing. Especially when you're unfamiliar with all the technology that goes into today's high-tech offerings. Once you've read this quick guide have a look at the links page to find useful buyers guides for today's cameras. There is also a glossary of terms page which you may find useful, as the technology increases so do the number of terms used to describe it!! When you want to buy your first serious camera there are a few questions you should ask. What do you want to take pictures of? What will you do with the pictures? What is your budget? Will your picture taking change over time? My own equipment
Compact Digital If you want to take great pictures of friends and family at home, on the beach, at a party in fact anywhere, the best camera for the job is a small automatic compact camera you can slip it into a pocket carry it with you everywhere, never miss that opportunity to freeze the moment. Today the place to put your pictures has got to be the Web. The quickest and easiest way of getting your pictures on the Internet is by using a digital camera plugging it into your PC and uploading straight to your home page. Why not check out some of the thousands of sites designed for sharing pictures. You can e-mail your pictures to anyone anywhere. You can then print out your pictures using your PC and your home printer. Software for processing photographs on your computer is a whole different minefield but there is a lot of advice out there, so have a look on the links page for ideas.
35 mm SLR This is the standard "professional" camera. The 35mm SLR it's the one used by Sports photographers, photojournalists, Fashion photographers, Travel photographers, even underwater photographers use them. Most serious amateurs will own a 35mm SLR and a range of lenses and accessories. The 35mm SLR is a good choice as your first serious camera. The reason for this is very simple. It is the most versatile camera system available. You can change the lenses the flash system and accessories to suit the widest range of picture taking circumstances. If you want to take landscape pictures fit a wide-angle lens, mount it on a tripod, load high quality slow fine-grained film. Perfect for high quality large prints. If you want to take pictures of people use a medium speed film, stand at a comfortable distance with a longer lens for the most flattering effect. If its very dark you can plug in a flashgun to light up your model whether you use one small flash on the camera or plug into lots of studio sized professional studio strobes. If you want to picture sports action use faster more sensitive film, to be able to use a high shutter speed that will freeze any movement, a long telephoto lens will fill the viewfinder with the action. Use a motor-wind to take up to 5 pictures per second so you don't miss any of the action. If you wanted to take pictures underwater fit the camera into a waterproof housing and dive in. The 35mm SLR is the most versatile piece of kit available to the photographer.
Buying New
When buying a new camera a little research is required. Go along to a specialist camera shop, speak to the sale staff tell them what kind of pictures you want to take with the camera. Set yourself a budget; spend what you can afford. Be careful of spending more than you intended just because the model you like looks good and has lots of unnecessary features. Trying to save a few pounds by buying something cheaper that will not keep up as you develop your skills and need more control of the camera is a false economy. After a while you will out grow your camera, then have to spend more money buying a better more expensive model. Try before you buy, ask to hold the cameras you like while in the shop. Does it feel comfortable? Is it too heavy can you reach all the dials and buttons? Do your fingers get in the way? It may be impressive to have a large camera with lots of buttons and dials but if its too heavy to hold and you don't use or even know what the buttons do then it's a waste of time. But don't buy a camera that's to small if you can't hold the camera comfortably then it will useless to you. Don't fall for the glossy adverts Just because a camera is advertised as "Professional," don't think that you have to buy that one if you want to develop a career in photography. Great pictures can be taken with very modest equipment. Try to buy into a system. Look for a camera that is made by one of the major brands, they design their cameras to be used with lots of lenses and accessories so that as your photography develops you can change and adapt your camera to be able to take pictures the way you want to.
Consider secondhand Buying any used cameras is going to be a little risky you can't be sure what your getting or how it has been treated. This doesn't mean you should ignore secondhand. It could be a great place to pick up a bargain. Try Ebay for example where you get a huge selection of second hand digital cameras and as the technology moves on, so the older models come up for sale, so you can pick up a bargain here. Buyers guides Yahoo's listing of camera guides Which buyers guides and reports http://www.business-directory-uk.co.uk
My camera equipment Currently I have a superb Canon EOS 5D and with it I use a 24-105mm L series IS USM Canon lens. This is a fantastic lens for most situations, I can get large groups in shot as well as zooming in quite close for those intimate shots. The Auto Focus is fantastic with this lense and creates very sharp images. I also have a 70-300mm IS USM Canon lens for mainly candid shots where I don't want to be on top of people but catch them unawares. My camera equipment was bought from Park Cameras, an online retailer who were fantastic in their service and expertise, and also the Flash Centre, again who were extremely helpful and knowledgable. I would highly recommend both retailers.
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Website created by Susan Porter-Thomas Portraits - Parties - Other Ideas - Gallery - Corporate - Contact - Hints and tips - a photographer's opinion - buying a camera - links - glossary All images copyright Susan Porter-Thomas Photography | ||
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Website created by Susan Porter-Thomas children - Parties - Pregnancy - Gallery - Adults - Contact - Hints and tips - a photographer's opinion - buying a camera - links - glossary All images copyright Susan Porter-Thomas Photography | ||
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Susan Porter-Thomas Top UK Photographer, London. One of the finest London photographers or UK photographers. Corporate photographer, family photographer, children, baby, infant, toddler photographer, people photographer. who also does weddings, stock photos actors and singers publicity head shots and pregnancy shots...but above all a London photographer. Digital. Susan Porter-Thomas is a professional freelance photographer based in Ealing, West London England and is available for studio and location work around the area, Hounslow, Richmond, Chiswick, Ealing, Acton, Kew, Wimbledon, Cheam, Kingston, Greenford, Hammersmith This website also contains an on-line picture library of location and studio shots of families, children and actors and singers..This London picture library includes photographs taken in London's Richmond Park, Kew Gardens, and Syon House Gardens, Top London photographers do not usually come cheap but you will find that Susan Porter-Thomas is one of the more realistically priced London photographers. Susan's Photography is very experimental and uses a fully digital set up which allows her to create amazing effects on the computer. She has created stunning effects with black and white and colour prints as well as colour modification prints. Some more stylised and modern looks have been well received as families are looking for a more contemporary feel to their portraits. Susan's husband is professional singer and so there has also been a lot of work coming from professional singers and actors for publicity shots of which there are some great examples in the corporate section. Susan has also taken photographs for a company web site also looking for a more contemporary feel.
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