Finding the Perfect Type of Camera for You

Congratulations on your upcoming camera purchase! You've made it through the Is it Time for a New Camera? post and are ready to get serious about finding the perfect camera for you. Below are some questions that will help guide your decision.

Questions When Considering a New Camera

Biggest Question: what are your current photography needs? Where is your current camera lacking?

• If you tried the exercises in the Time for a New Camera? post, you should have a good sense of where your current camera is letting you down. Is it too slow? Poor quality? Too heavy? Lacking options for customization and control? Etc.

• I am a list person, so I found it very helpful to actually sit down and make list of some of my likes and dislikes about my current gear. The more specific you can get, the better you can determine the right camera for you, rather than just "a good camera." 

Price Point: how much are you looking to pay for your new camera?

• You can spend a LOT of money on any category of cameras, but broadly, prices break down in the following ways:

• Point-and-shoot or all-in-one cameras
• $100-300, such as the Canon PowerShot or Nikon CoolPix lines (click here for more examples)
• Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (includes micro 4/3rds)
• $500-1000, such as Sony A6000 series or Olympus OM-D EM10 (click here for more examples)
• Entry-level DSLR cameras
• $800-1200, such as the Canon Rebel or Nikon D3000 or D5000 lines (click here for examples)
• Intermediate or Professional-level DSLR cameras
• $1500 and up, up, up, such as Canon 70d or 60d or Nikon D500/600  (click here for intermediate examples)
• Pricey, such as Canon 5D or Nikon 5D  (click here for professional examples)

• Keep in mind the "hidden" costs of buying a new camera or new camera system: lenses, backup batteries, extra memory cards, a case, and any additional accessories like a tripod, filters, etc. (Read up on all Must-Have Camera Accessories here.)

Once you have a reasonable understanding of your price point and your needs, you are ready to start shopping and comparing options, so that you can make the best choice for you.

Camera Category Comparisons

The following chart gives you a visual guide to some of the big differences between the broad categories of types of cameras. This is a good starting place for narrowing down your search, based on your personal camera criteria.

Think back on your answers to the flowchart of questions from Time for a New Camera?

• Looking to upgrade from your phone or basic point-and-shoot for something with higher quality and more creative control? Consider a mirrorless or entry-level DSLR camera.

• Looking to print larger photographs for display and need more megapixels and quality? Consider a higher quality mirrorless or DSLR camera.

• Planning a trip or other major life event? For travel, consider a higher-end point-and-shoot or a mirrorless camera for portability. For backpacking or more rugged travel, consider a weather-sealed version. For new baby and child photography, consider an entry-level DSLR with a prime lens. For wedding photography, consider an intermediate to professional-level DSLR with high-quality lenses.

• Is your current camera reaching the end of its functional life? Consider whether you want to make a sideways move (i.e. buy a similar camera to what you had before) or an upgrade. 

• Looking to upgrade based on the limitations of your current camera? Consider moving up to an intermediate or professional-level DSLR, based on which specific limitations you want to overcome. Or consider investing in a high-quality lens for your current DSLR camera, if you are struggling with issues of zoom, sharpness, or other quality issues.

Narrowed down which type of camera you want? Stay tuned for the next post(s) in this series, which will help you figure out which specific camera is best for you!

Upcoming posts:

• Mirrorless vs. DSLR. Which choice fits you better?
• Mirrorless Camera Comparison Shopping
• DSLR Camera Comparison Shopping
• and more ... 

What additional questions do YOU have about camera buying?

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Time for a New Camera?

One of my most-read and most-discussed posts for Digital Photography School was the one where I asked the question, "Do You Need to Upgrade to the Latest Camera?" (Spoiler alert, my answer was no.)

But there's a big difference between upgrading to the latest camera simply because it is the latest camera and upgrading to a new camera because it fits a "need" or a gap in your photography arsenal. Since I am in the market for a new camera myself right now, I thought it might be interesting to revisit the question from the opposite angle: when is it actually time for a new camera?

When NOT to Upgrade

But first, some caveats. Upgrading to a better camera does not magically make you a better photographer. It's sad but true. New gear does not teach you composition, turn a snapshot into a memorable image, or help you better discover the "decisive moment." There are plenty of terrible images out there shot on expensive cameras.

Before you decide you "need" a new camera, spend some time thinking about the camera(s) that you already own. How well do you know how to use your current camera? How often have you referred back to the manual or investigated some of the bells and whistles that might already be at hand?

In what situations does your camera perform well? In what situations does your camera seem limited? Are these situations the result of a weakness in your camera or a weakness in your knowledge or experience? (Self-promotion moment: my book, Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is specifically geared towards DSLR owners who want to get the most out of the camera they have.)

If you are a casual, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of shooter (and we all are, on some days), then maybe what you need is a new commitment to pushing yourself and your current camera to the limits of its abilities. Go out late at night and shoot in low light. Crank the ISO up high and see how poorly (or not) your images turn out.

Find a speedy pup or cranky toddler and see how well your camera deals with moving subjects or the need to shoot rapidly. Test the limits of your zoom, the limits of your handholding without shake, or the limits of your burst mode. That should give you a much stronger idea about whether you might really "need" a new camera ... or not.

Once you've determined that your current camera doesn't meet your needs, then you are truly ready to move forward with researching and purchasing a new camera.

Signs It Might Actually Be Time for a New Camera

Think you're ready for a new camera? Try out handy-dandy flowchart to see for sure ...

Ready to make a decision? Check out the next post in this series, which will explain the different options in detail, to help you make the best choice for you: Finding the Perfect Camera Type for You.

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

5 Tips to Keep Your Gear & Photos Safe

It is critically important to maintain your camera and accessories in good working order. You also need a structured routine to backup your photos. Keep your gear and your images safe with these 5 tips From the Archives.

Keep Your Camera & Sensor Clean

It is essential to keep your camera clean both inside and out. This article on Keeping Your Camera and Sensor Clean provides preventative advice, tips for regular maintenance, as well as a case-study in what a dirty sensor means for your camera and for your images.

Avoid Memory Card Disaster

A broken or corrupt memory card will take all of your images with it when it goes. But you can generally avoid ever having this problem through basic care and maintenance of your cards. Find out how in the article on How to Avoid Memory Card Disaster: proper handling and care of memory cards.

But, if such a tragedy does strike, there are some actions you can take to try and recover your images. Get all the details in the article Memory Card Disaster: what to do about broken, corrupt, or damaged memory cards.

Backup Your Photos Regularly

In addition to taking care of your memory cards, you also need to take care of your memories! Frequent, redundant backups are critically important to making sure that you do not lose your photos if something should happen. Find out all the recommendations in Top Tips for Camera Memory and Storage.

Know How Long Your Battery Lasts

A final tip that will help you avoid all sorts of problems is to Know How Long Your Camera's Battery Lasts. Estimates and manufacturer's ranges are all well and good, but the best test is keeping track for yourself and your particular shooting style. This article provides a simple method for tracking battery life, ensuring that you'll never miss a shot again due to a dreaded dead battery!

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Stir Crazy? Try These Indoor Photography Ideas!

Need something new in your photography? Try these creative ideas From the Archives - all of which you can do in the warmth and comfort of the indoors!

Fun with Fizzy Fruit Photography

With a very basic setup, you can easily create these bright fun shots of bubbles on fruit. All the details are in the article on Fun with Fizzy Fruit Photography.

Water Droplet Refraction

Another fun idea with water is to create a repeated refraction effect. This super-easy technique creates amazing and mystifying photographs. All you need is a piece of glass or plastic, some water, and some colored paper ... Make the Shot: droplet refraction.

DIY Photography Light Tent

Take your indoor photography up another level by building your own light tent. Light tents are incredibly useful for all kinds of photography, especially if you are trying to feature small items or sell products on your blog. You probably have all the supplies you need lying around! Read on to create your own Foldable DIY Photography Light Tent.

Photograph Interiors

Finally, make the most of your time indoors by learning how to photograph interior locations better. All the details are in this article on Photographing Interiors. 

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Valentines Photography Fun

Valentines is just around the corner! Spice up your celebration with these fun photography ideas From the Archives.

Heart-Shaped Shadows

All you need is a light, a book (or other decorative surface), and a lens filter or other circular ring. Get all the details here for How to Master the Heart-Shaped Shadow.

Heart-Shaped Bokeh

You too can create fun heart-shaped bokeh. All you need is 5 minutes, a 50 mm lens, and some paper for 5-Minute Heart-Shaped Bokeh.

Flower Photography Tips

Wondering how best to capture your Valentine's bouquet? Look no further than these 5 Tips for Better Flower Photography.

Hearts On Fire (Literally)

For the adventurous, declare your love in matches and flame! (Or your angst, depending on how your day goes.) Either way, you can do so artistically - and safely - with these tips for How to Photograph Fire and Matches.

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

3 Great Winter Photography Ideas

A while back, I started a series called "A Year Ago on Boost Your Photography" that highlighted all the articles written during a given time period on the site (you can click the "A Year Ago" tag to see them all). Moving forward, however, I thought it might be more useful to revisit older posts in thematic groupings culled From the Archives. With that in mind, let me share 3 Great Winter Photography Ideas!

Take Better Snow Photographs

Winter photography really is all about the snow. But the bright whiteness can make snow difficult for your camera to interpret, and the constantly-changing conditions can make you wonder whether its worth the trouble of getting outside with your camera.

The article How to Take Better Snow Photographs has a huge list of useful tips and advice for capturing incredible, memorable winter and snow photographs - and how to keep yourself and your gear safe and dry! Read up, and you'll be ready to make the most of your next snow day.

Photograph Frozen Bubbles

When life gives you freezing temperatures ... make bubbles! (Save the lemonade for when you're back inside.) Frozen bubbles took the Internet by storm a few years ago (pardon the pun), and while they can be tricky, bubbles are a great way of making the most of the otherwise unpleasantness of extremely cold temperatures.

How to Freeze and Photograph Bubbles walks you through the whole process - the basic ingredients for making freeze-worthy bubbles, the techniques needed to capture them easily, and more.

Find a Winter Location for a Seasonal Shoot

Creating a seasonal collage is a wonderful photography exercise in patience and perseverance. The winter scene is often one of the hardest to capture, so now is a great time to start planning and scouting potential locations. If you can get there in the winter, it makes getting there in any other season a breeze!

Find out more useful tips and ideas for seasonal success in the article Capture the Seasons: Rephotography.

What are your favorite winter photography ideas?

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.

Behind the Shot: Thor's Well

This is a part of a new series that I am debuting on Boost Your Photography called "Behind the Shot." The internet has fostered the proliferation of incredible photography and highlighted many spectacular locales. This series serves to pull back the curtain just a little bit - to take a look at some of what goes into getting those print-worthy masterpieces, as well as to highlight the importance of what else is going on just outside of the shot.

Thor's Well, Oregon

Photo by Bill Young

Thor's Well is a geologic feature on the Pacific Coast in Oregon. It has become a highly-sought photographic spot for the deep sinkhole look that is created as water pours back into the ocean through the well. The well also creates a splashing geyser effect as the water rushes in and dashes against the sides.

The image above represents the idealized view of Thor's Well: the gorgeous sunset colors, the splashing ocean backdrop, and the sense of silence and serenity created by the long exposure time and the slowly falling water. Zoom back slightly, however, and the image below represents the reality: the crowds of other photographers hungry for the same shot, the unpredictable splashing of ocean water, and so on.

Tips for Photographing Thor's Well

Thor's Well is located on the coast of Oregon just south of Yachats (which has a great local brewery and many different hotels, if you are looking for a home base during your shoot). You can get a map of the area from the Cape Perpetua Visitor's Center. There is a very small parking lot for the well at the top of the hill, just off the road, otherwise you will need to hike in a little ways from other nearby parking lots, along one of several marked trails.

You can see the well itself from the road. Not sure exactly where it is? Just look for a crowd of folks with cameras staring down at their feet ... presto! I recommend arriving early enough to scope it out before sunset, so you know where you'll be heading. Depending on the tides, daylight shots can also provide the same splashing or sinking effects.

As for can see in the wider shots, above, about the only place to stand is on the higher outcroppings of rock that surround the well. Depending on the tide (and the height of your footing), be prepared to get splashed or have water run up and over your feet.

There are limited spots to use a tripod, which is essential if you want the slow, silky water effect shown in the original image. (All the how-to details for silky water long exposure shots are the same as those for shooting waterfalls. Click here for more details.) You will also need either a polarizing filter or, even better, a neutral density filter, which will allow for the longer shutter times necessary to capture swirling water. (Details and recommendations for filters can be found here.)

If you are trying to capture the splashing geyser effect, prefocus and shoot in burst mode to capture a sequence of several shots. Once you've watched the waves come in a few times, you can get a sense of which waves are more likely to result in bigger splashes. (Get more details on arresting motion here.)

Timing is key if you want an idealized version of the shot, as in the opening image. Sunset puts the sun sinking down into the waves and has potential for incredible colors and hues. Sunrise is less certain, as the sun will be coming up over the land, but you'll avoid the crowds. You also want a time when sunset / sunrise coincidences with high tide. The higher the tide, the more water coming in, and the better the sinking down effect of the well. (Tide charts can be found online or at the Cape Perpetua Visitor's Center.)

Caveats

• Shooting near water is unpredictable. There are signs up and down the coast that warn about "sneaker waves" - unexpectedly large surges of water that can (and have) surprised people and dragged them out to sea. The closer to high tide, the more water will be flowing up, over, and around the area near Thor's Well. Keep a firm footing and prepare to be splashed if you attempt photographing near high tide.

• Protect your camera and your lens. The constant splash and spray of water can will coat your lens (and even your camera) and could eventually cause corrosion and other damage. Consider securing your camera inside a plastic bag and keep a filter on your lens. Otherwise your shots will quickly degenerate into this ...

• Finally, be respectful. This is a gorgeous natural area, and you should not do anything that might damage it. Be considerate of other photographers as well. Take your time, compose and capture your shot, and then let someone else try your vantage point. There are very limited places to safely stand and shoot.

If You Go:

Where: Thor's Well, Cape Perpetua, Oregon (part of the Siuslaw National Forest)

When: near sunset. Closer to high tide means more water (and more risk), closer to low tide means more dramatic splashes but less overall water.

What to bring: camera, wide lens, sturdy tripod, polarizing or neutral density filter, remote shutter release, and plenty of lens clothes and cleaning spray. Wear sturdy shoes and pants that you don't mind getting wet.

What else to see: just south of Thor's Well is a featured called the Spouting Horn that shoots off tall streams of water during high tide. A short hike to the north is The Devil's Churn, a narrow inlet that can throw water several hundred feet in the air as the tide comes in. It is also well worth the short drive up to the Cape Perpetua Overlook for distant views up and down the coast.

Final Thought

Remember that photography is not simply trying to replicate the same shot you saw online. Of course you want an iconic shot of an iconic location, but take the time and energy to devote to really adding your personal spin on it too. A shot that is truly "yours" is likely to be more memorable.

For me, I visited Thor's Well on a personal vacation, without a tripod or polarizing / neutral density filter. I enjoyed finding ways to tell the story of the well rather than simply capturing the well on its own.

Have you been to Thor's Well? What other places or images would you like to see featured in a future "Behind the Shot" style post?

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Boost Your Photography: Learn Your DSLR is available from Amazon. Get the most out of your camera with practical advice about the technical and creative aspects of DSLR photography that will have you taking beautiful pictures right away.