What Camera Should I buy?

What camera brand is better? What kind of camera should I buy? Which camera is best? 

These are common questions that we hear beginners ask a lot... and it makes sense! There are like a million different camera options out there and there's all sorts of acronyms and numbers attached to camera model names. It's no surprise that this part of the camera buying process can be the cause of many headaches and anxieties.  So no worries! We are here to help out - although maybe not in the way you think. 

First off - what are YOUR needs & desires? Are you wanting to develop this as a hobby (and possibly a future profession)? Or are you wanting something with more "ooomf" compared to your smart phone? Or maybe you just want a dedicated camera for family trips.  This stage of the camera buying process is important because being honest with yourself is what will help lead you to making the best purchase FOR YOU.   

Then after pondering your needs & desires, I also recommend asking what's at the core of those needs and desires. Be honest with yourself and then you'll have the confidence in making the best possible purchase FOR YOU. 

Often times at the core of someone's desire for a new camera is simply wanting to take better beautiful family photos that look great - but they make one crucial mistake.  They overlook the fact that it's the photographer that creates a beautiful photo... NOT THE EQUIPMENT.  Give any experienced photographer a smart phone and they will still take great photos. Give an inexperienced user a $1200 camera body with a $1500 lens and they still will take a sub par photo.  That's the reality.  It's not the equipment... it's the person using the equipment.  Cameras, lens, lights etc. are tools. Fundamentally, a $300 camera and a $5000 camera do the same exact thing.  Light enters the lens and interacts with the sensor which is then records the scene/image and that is saved onto a memory card.   This is really similar to how photography got it's start with film as well! Light entered through lens and gets imprinted onto the film. Cameras are more high tech now but the process is fundamentally the same. 

So back to the question, what are YOUR needs & desires? Be honest with yourself - it'll only help you out in the long run. 

After mulling over these questions, if the answer is "I want to take better photos", then be sure to check back as we continue our Camera Basics series. Maybe even consider checking out a class at your local community college. Use your time and energy in learning HOW to take better photos. Even if it's with your smart phone! 

Now let's actually decide to buy a camera. 
There are so many options out there but cameras you and I are probably talking about are broken up into 3 main categories. We won't get into them in this post, but they are:

Bridge cameras.
DSLR cameras.
Mirrorless cameras.  

Sure there are other kinds (disposable, Instax/Polaroid/instant print type cameras, SLR cameras, point & shoot cameras), but we are going to focus on the previous three we mentioned. If you are confused as to what the difference between those are, check out our Understanding Types of Cameras article here. 

Once you have chosen the type of camera you are wanting to buy, we have two main pieces of advice. 

Sticking to your budget.
Going out and holding each potential camera.

We are all about financial responsibility and we don't want to offer advice that we would not follow.  Key with any financial decision, is setting a budget.  Once you have your budget and you've saved up and you've decided on the type of camera to buy, know about how your budget breaks down. 

For bridge cameras, you can pretty much invest your budget entirely into the camera since the lens and camera body are attached as a single unit. Maybe also buy good case and/or strap.  You won't need to think about buying extra lens or upgrading lens. Bridge cameras are equipped with one single lens that is often great quality and incredibly versatile with immense zooming capabilities.  Bridge cameras are sometimes referred to as super zoom cameras. 

For DSLR cameras and mirrorless cameras, it gets more complex.
You must understand that these cameras have interchangeable lenses.  Overtime, the camera body is only a fraction of the total costs. Most of your future upgrade costs will go into better lens. As your skills, experience & creativity grows, you'll want to avoid the trap of upgrading your camera.  The camera lens is the most important part of the camera.  I'll take an amazing lens on an older camera body instead of a lower quality entry level lens on a newer camera body ANY day.  So when buying your camera - remember that. You are going to eventually want to expand or upgrade your lens collection, and that will cost additional money. Especially because DSLR/mirrorless camera lens do not often have a large range on any single given lens (unlike a bridge camera)  At the bare minimum, look to see if you can acquire a camera body, a "kit" lens (usually a 18mm-55mm lens or 28mm-70mm lens), and a 50mm lens aka the "Nifty Fifty" with your budget.  

We'd also strongly encourage checking out Facebook marketplace. You can often find great deals on used equipment as people upgrade.  

Just stick to your budget. 

All this is to say that the world of cameras can very quickly get out of control with purchases. There will ALWAYS be something else to buy. There will ALWAYS be new accessories, and new lenses, and new camera bodies and filters and lights and mounts and straps and tripods and skins and stands and gels and bags and cases and newer lenses and even newer camera bodies... There will always be something else. So set your budget and start there. Ultimately all cameras take photos. And while you are beginning your photography journey, you are not going to care, know how to use, nor benefit from the advancements of the most expensive cameras out there.  So set your budget and go on to the next step.