FAQ: What camera should I buy?

Buying your first dSLR? I recommend a starter camera from either Nikon or Canon, both are fantastic.

Check out their websites and do a little research. Here are a couple screen shots from today. The cameras at the bottom of the screen are your starter cameras. They are smaller, slightly less advanced, and far less expensive than the ones at the top.

Nikon:

Canon:

Find the one you want and go compare prices at B&H Photo (best), Amazon, or maybe your local camera store if you really trust it (although you will probably get a better deal online). Or, find a used one somewhere like ebay or Craigslist.

The most important piece of advice you could ever receive is this: Buy the camera body alone, and then purchase a nice lens separate. The lens is the most important piece of equipment you will own, far more important than the body itself. The lens is where the magic happens.

Do not buy a KIT lens. My first camera came as a kit from Costco and the lens was crap. I love Costco, and the camera body might have been more than sufficient, but if you buy a kit lens, you will wonder why your pictures aren't turning out the way you want them to, and it's totally because of the lens.

So buy the camera body and a decent lens separately. Good lenses are pricey, but you can totally find an affordable lens to start with. I like to recommend the 50mm 1.8 to start. Both Nikon's 50mm 1.8 and Canon's are only $120.

I love that lens because it's cheap, it has a super wide aperture (1.8), and it's fixed (no zoom), so you are forced to move your body instead (great practice). It's good for portraits and works well in low-light. (I use this lens in my apartment while taking pictures of my baby all the time.) It doesn't have a wide angle, so you will eventually want something wider, and maybe even sharper. When you're ready, do your research and get a new and improved lens. :)

Compact Cameras

If you are looking for a good point-and-shoot, I'm not much help! I don't own one (though I should, since I use my camera phone all the time)! However, almost all compact cameras are comparable these days. Most have HD, video, zoom, etc. Don't be fooled by a camera with more megapixels. It's a total marketing gimmick. . . anything above 6 megapixels is sufficient, and these days, all cameras have a bajillion. The size of your sensor and the quality of the lens is more important than megapixels (both of which aren't super advanced in point-and-shoots).

If you want something fancier in your point-and-shoot, you can now buy them with manual settings (the ability to change the shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and white balance) and even a setting to shoot in RAW. This gives you the ability to change exposure, and will teach you a few things about manual settings, things you would need to know on an SLR.

I have heard good things about the Sony Cybershot HX5V, the Canon Powershot G12, and the Nikon Coolpix P300. Do some research. Browse websites, read reviews on the products at Amazon.com, or buy a $6 membership fee to Consumer Reports online. We use our membership when making big purchases ALL the time!