BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: New Answers

I would like the most bend for the buck

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July 19, 2005

Well, I would advise you to start out by actually handling the various offerings. Ergonomics is something that you cannot choose based on spec sheets and statistics - the way the camera feels in your hand, the ease with which you can focus and see important info in the viewfinder, and the logic of the menus are all important factors that often get overlooked in an attempt to get equipment to impress your friends and neighbors.

So go to a bona fide camera store and check out the latest models. Hold them, focus through them, get a feel for their heft in your hand, their balance, and whether the viewfinder is too tiny and dark or just right. Things like that matter infinitely more than some fraction of a percent of difference in lens resolution.

It seems that the photograhy you plan to do will be covered by some basic lenses - you don't need fancy fisheyes or uber-macros or super-telephotos to get the shots you describe (while the sports shots will eventually require some kind of fast telephoto lens, you won't require a 1200mm monster). So any of the brands (Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Olympus, Minolta) wil be fine - you can eventually get all the lenses you'd want for any of these brands.

If you get a model with about 6MP size chip, you'll do fine. Are more megapixels better? Not necessarily, it depends on a lot of other stuff. But then again it's unlikely that you'll be printing larger than 20x30 anyway, so that might not be an issue.

So go handle a few cameras, Alicia. Don't listen to people who tell you to buy (brand X) because that's what they use and like - that's like deciding on what car to buy based on what I tell you. I mean, we both drive places, right? How different can it be? I think you know that cars, even in the same style and price range, can vary widely - likewise with cameras. People who blindly advise you to buy a given brand don't understand what they're doing - unless of course they're marketing shills for one of the camera manufacturers. But seriously, the importance of how the camera feels in your hands cannot be overstated.

Oh, and when you do spend time at the camera store, you should plan to buy the camera there (or at some local store) rather than on the Internet - while you may save a few bucks with the latter approach you will lose the opportunity to build a relationship with a local knowledgeable expert who can help in the future far better than any of us can with verbal descriptions and only a vague idea of what you really want anyway.

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July 19, 2005

First I assume that you mean you want the best BANG (not BAND) for the buck, I doubt if you are asking about bands! :)

You are right; this question has been asked again and again on this forum. I think the reason for the repetition is that there really is no one right answer. If you ask 5 different photographers of equal experience and expertise which is the best camera for the money I suspect you will get 5 different answers. Nikon, Canon, Konica-Minolta, Pentex all make great cameras and great lenses. So do half a dozen or more manufacturers. I think that the question should be what features do you want in a camera and what fits your hand and your experience the best. A camera is simply a tool – true, it can be a very expensive tool – the person behind the lens is more important than the piece of equipment she is holding. A case in point: I use a Konica-Minolta 7D D-SLR. I selected this camera because I was familiar with Minolta and owned several lenses and other accessories that would fit the new camera. My older neighbor’s son is a photographer with National Geographic. When he comes to visit we sometimes get together and talk photography. Earlier this year I made the move to digital but was having some problems figuring out some of the complexities of digital. He took time to go out shooting with me and let me use his Canon Mark II – a very good, very expensive camera. The results were predictable – I made no better images with this high end camera than I make with my D7. Would I like to own a Mark II ? Sure, and the next time I have about $15,000 sitting around (about $8000 for the body and another $4-5000 for lenses)I will go out and buy one. Main point is that the camera did not magically make me a great photographer.

You said that you have been using a Nikon. Do you like the way that this camera feels in your hands? Go to a good camera store and pick up the various cameras you might consider and see how they feel in your hands. Read the reviews that others have posted on this site about these cameras and the lenses you might want to purchase. But, don’t get fooled into believing that by buying a high end camera that you will produce better images. Everyone on this site has their own opinions about who makes the best camera for the money; but, these are just that – OPINIONS! You have to feel comfortable with your decision based on what feels best for you alone.

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July 19, 2005

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July 19, 2005

If you're that far from a decent retailer, then it's up to you, I guess. remember that the local guy (well, semi-local) pays his rent and staff and for someone to waltz in and take an hour or more of that staff's time and then say "gee, thanks gotta go" costs him (or her) money. So it becomes a moral question - do you feel good about using that time for nothing?

Naturally, some genius will point out that "gosh, what if there are two stores and you visit both buy only buy from one of them, what about the other guy?" Well, that's business, and the store owners kow they compete with each other. But it serves none of them well (and doesn't seem fair) to take advantage of their service (i.e. - being there) and then not giving any of them business.

But again, it's a personal moral call. Either way, take the trip and handle the gear - buying blind based on pictures and spec sheets is a disservice to yourself.

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July 19, 2005

I would like to echo some of what Bob said: B&H in NYC is, IMHO, the best store anywhere. I have never actually visited the store, but I purchase most of my gear from them via the Internet. Like you, I am quite a ways from a decent camera store - not 2 hours, but close. Anyway, B&H has really come through for me on a number of occasions. They are extremely reliable about backing up the gear that they sell. After making a fairly major purchase from them a couple of years ago, I experienced a problem with one of my lenses. I called them and they ended up paying for the cost involved in my shipping the lens back and then saw to the repairs - all at no cost to me! I had my lens back in less than a week. Bob's point about taking up the time of a person in a local (ish) store without purchasing anything is valid; however, this does not mean that you are locked into buying everything from this store. I do, on occasion, go to the city to look at equipment. Sometimes I buy there and sometimes I buy from B&H. Whatever my decision, I try not to take advantage of someone elses good nature and help. I hope that all of this has been of some help to you! I realize that, so far, no one has told you that one camera would better meet your needs from another - but, maybe we have given you so food for thought. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

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July 20, 2005

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July 20, 2005