I get asked this question at least twice a week: “What camera should I buy?”
In the past, I would take a lot of time to explain the nuances of various camera types and make polite inquiries about the type of photography that this person did. This would culminate in a rather lengthy discussion about the pros and cons of some camera models currently available, and a sidebar comment about the merits of used camera gear.
More often than not, this was wasted time. People were usually flattered to have someone take this much of an interest in their amateur hobby, but I would inevitably get sidetracked by a fast-talking camera salesman who convinced them that such-and-such-a-feature couldn’t be lived without.
And - not surprisingly - many of these camera purchases are languishing in drawers and in a camera bag under the bed. And their owners’ photos are as bad as they were with their last crappy camera.
My new response is shorter, more succinct and may actually help the person: “Before you invest in anything, take a basic photography course.”
Sometimes people heed this advice. Sometimes they get defensive, and the ones who simply want to “look” like a pro photographer will outright ignore it. But consider the reasons for offering this advice:
- Asking someone what kind of camera to buy reveals the person’s lack of knowledge about photography in general. If someone wants to ask about the specifics of a particular camera, then fine … but a broad question about what to buy tells me that the person hasn’t even thought through the basics about what they’re going to do with it, what their budget may be, and whether they have any understanding how broad the camera market really is. It’s a bit like asking “what kind of car should I buy” without giving the person a clue what you’ll be doing with it. At a minimum, set your budget and take a look at some online camera shops like Adorama and B&H Photo.
- If I give the thoughtful answer I’m normally inclined to give, then I assume partial responsibility for this person’s success if they actually take my advice. And I’d hate to have someone come back to me and complain about a bad recommendation that I made.
- Photography isn’t about the camera and film and megapixels and zoom factors and LCD screen sizes. It’s about creating a two dimensional representation of a three dimensional scene using certain tools and media. The most important word in this is *create* - the idea of “taking” a picture is one of my pet peeves, since nothing is actually “taken”. The most expensive camera in the world won’t do a thing for a novice - while a real pro can create works of art with some pretty junky cameras.
- Explain what an F-stop is and how a camera lens controls aperture.
- Explain depth of field, how it relates to F-stop, and why the aperture affects this.
- Explain what determines a camera’s flash sync speed.
- The battery in your camera’s light meter has died and you want to take a photograph outside on a clear sunny day. You’re shooting on Ilford PanF 50 film. What shutter speed do you select? (The shutter speeds and aperture on your camera are mechanically controlled, and not affected by the light meter’s dead battery … this isn’t a trick question)
- You want to increase the motion blur in a photograph of a ballet dancer. What do you do to the shutter speed? What do you do with the aperture?
- You’re finding the light from your studio flashes is making your portraiture subject appear a bit harsh, with very sharp shadow lines. What could you do to the flashes to soften the light?
- Explain what a polarizing filter is. What kind of polarizing filter would you use on an autofocus lens?
- Explain what “push” and “pull” is in developing film.
- Explain the significance of an 18% grey card.
- Explain what white balance is in digital photography.
And before you jump all over me for bring “old school” terms up like “push” and “pull”, remember that the concepts aren’t all that different in the post-processing of digital photographs.
These questions aren’t easy, and I’d venture to guess that there’s a lot of professional photographers who would struggle with these.
I come back to wondering how someone can make an educated camera purchase without at least a basic understanding of the science of photography, much less the art? Sure, we can all go out and buy a nice point-and-shoot for basic vacation photos … but wouldn’t it be nice to take shots to be proud of? Shots you would want to frame and hang in your home? Shots that others would look at and remark about how beautiful they are?
It doesn’t start with the camera, the lens, the flash or any other piece of gear. It starts - and ends - with the photographer.
Later addition to this article: I have already received some kudos and hate-mail from this post. To the latter, I’m not suggesting that understanding F-stops and the sunny-16 rule is the be-all-end-all of photography. But photography *is* a technical activity, and one needs some technical proficiency to use the equipment properly. And the question about which camera to buy *is* largely technical; one rooted, of course, in the artistic and practical needs of the individual. Picking a camera simply because it has more megapixels is far too simplistic to make a meaningful purchase that will help the photographer develop his or her skills. And taking a course will hopefully give a person a solid footing in the basics of composition; the rule of thirds, Hogarth’s curve, symmetry, etc. - all the things that need to be understood and practiced once a person has a solid understanding of the fundamentals.
