"How to Buy a Camera"

By: Scott Bourne

Did you notice that the word “digital” is missing from that title? That’s right – I left the word “digital” out of the title on purpose. There’s no need for it. We’ve hit a milestone. With the advent of the latest digital single lens reflex cameras (DSLRs) and even some of the newer digicams, we can now start buying cameras like we used to in the old days. When film was the norm, good camera store salespeople asked us these questions:

1) How will you use the camera?

2) What subjects do you photograph most?

3) What features are most important to you – speed, weight handling?

4) How easy do you want the camera to be to use?

5) Do you need interchangeable lenses?

6) Do you want an automatic camera that also allows manual control?

7) What is your budget?

8) What kind of warranty does the camera have?

9) Do you have a brand preference? 10) Do you want a camera system that is expandable?

Now what’s remarkable about this list is the fact that there’s nothing here about megapixels. You see, megapixels just don’t matter much anymore.

Even cheap point and shoot digicams have enough megapixels to make reasonably-sized enlargements possible. Any DSLR you buy today will make a good to great print on today’s inkjet printers. In fact, at the $1500 price point, you can buy a DSLR that when paired with an Epson 2200 or an HP DesignJet 30, will make better prints than you could make in a lab five years ago.

So we’ve finally reached that point where we look for things like convenience, serviceability, ease of use, appropriateness for the task and ergonomics. In other words, we are thinking about the IMAGES we will make with our camera, not the gear.

There are lots of choices out there. Here are but a few examples.

If you want to make great portraits, shoot static landscapes, make basic product shots, or document a vacation, the Nikon D70 or the Canon Digital Rebel will be more than enough camera for you. Both cost less than $1000.00.

If you want to move into basic wildlife or sports photography, or want to try your hand at serious street photography or photojournalism, you might want to look at the Canon 20D or the Nikon D100.

Serious wedding photographers are flocking to the new Fuji S3 DSLR. Some landscape shooters, architectural photographers, product shooters, and nature photographers might consider the new Konica-Minolta DSLR or again, the Nikon D100 or the Canon 20D.

Professional photographers are opting for the new Nikon D2X, the Canon 1DMKII or Canon 1DSMKII, depending on their tastes, budgets and subjects.

But once again, it’s important to note the significance of how these decisions are now being made. Photographers are back to thinking about how many frames per second they need or flash sync speeds. Photographers are thinking more about battery life and viewfinder size than they are megapixels. This is only possible because the digital cameras have matured. Their feature sets are equal to or better than their film-based cousins. And their price points are starting to match up as well, especially on the lower end.

Let’s look at an example.

The Nikon D70 body can be purchased at a reputable dealer like B&H Photo in New York for $899. The Nikon F100 film body is available at the same price. The F100 has a faster motor drive and slightly better autofocus system. It also has a more sophisticated metering system. But the two cameras are in the same ballpark, even if they are on opposite sides of the field.

And most importantly, in 90% of the situations most serious amateur photographers would face, either camera would create a great image.

Even two years ago, this would have been an impossible comparison. The digital camera would have had to cost two to three times as much as the film camera to compete.

This is a huge moment. When we can buy digital cameras like we used to buy film cameras, we can think more about photography and less about DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY. Our craft can be more about the images and less about the equipment.

And we’ve been here before. There was a time when serious fine art photographers worked exclusively in black and white. People like Ansel Adams referred to photography and then separately, COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY. People shooting during this time in history made a distinction for color imaging. Eventually, COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY became simply, PHOTOGRAPHY.

It’s a big deal. It’s a sea change moment in our history as serious photographers. And in the next five years, we will see digital camera become even more powerful and they will cost even more money. In fact, we will see a complete inversion of the pricing. DSLRs of 2010 will cost far less than their film cousins. And then, it will REALLY be about the image and not the camera.

Article Copyright 2005, Scott Bourne - Photofocus Magazine

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Scott Bourne is the author of "88 Secrets to Selling & Publishing Your Photography" and "88 Secrets to Photoshop for Photographers." Both are available from Olympic Mountain School Press, http://www.mountainschoolpress.com. His work has also appeared in books, magazines, galleries, calendars, on greeting cards, web sites and on posters.

Scott is a professional photographer, author, teacher and pioneer in the digital imaging field. His career started in the early 70s as a stringer covering motor sports for Associated Press in Indiana. Since then, he has shot commercial, portrait, wedding, magazine and fine art assignments. His new passion is wildlife photography.

Scott regularly lectures on a variety of photo and media-related subjects. He's appeared on national television and radio programs and has written columns for several national magazines. He is the publisher of Photofocus.com, an online magazine for serious photographers and also serves as the executive director of the Olympic Mountain School of Photography in Gig Harbor, WA.

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