I would never venture on telling anyone what camera to buy, but it’s odd how many times I get that question… So here is a personal opinion aimed at the first camera buyers or at those thinking they are ready to leap to the world of the SLR.
I must first tell you that I often wish I had a small, light and versatile Point-and-Shoot, after all I own 2 SLRs. They are heavy, I mean after 4 hours they are like a ball and chain!!! See “Does the camera really makes a difference in the real world? Part 1 – Intro” post for more.
OK now that we have established that SLRs are not always the right way to go… So get one with a f/1.4 (or 1.8) 50mm lens… Ok, maybe not, but it would be a good start. Why SLRs do not get bundled with that lens is mystery to me. So, all one has to do is weigh the pros and cons.
| SLR | Point-and-Shoot | |
| Weight | Heavy | Relatively light |
| Versatility | None if you only have 1 lens Otherwise, a lot… |
Usually OK (assuming it has a good zoom range) |
| Price | Con | Pro |
| Shooting speed | Often 3 fps | 1 fps when you lucky |
| Convenience | Not so much, usually multiple lenses are required so a bag is too. | Hey it’s small ain’t it? Some even fit in your jeans pocket. |
| Upgradability | The sky is the limits or is it the wallet? | None |
| Usability | You are going to have to learn and read that manual. | Do they ship these with a manual? |
| Image quality | Depends on camera and lens | Fairly good |
| When to use | When not to? | Good for snap shots |
This is in short how I see it, if you are going to use your SLR at parties 3 times a year, get a point-and-shoot, if you go out photographing every weekend (or 2nd weekend) and are looking for a photographic challenge go for the SLR. But don’t come to me and complain latter about the weight and price.
By the way I purposefully omitted MPCs (Mobile Phone Cameras), that is just plainly not in the same league. But as a famous photographer, I forget his name, says “the best camera is the one you have with you”.
I’ll leave it there… For now… And please don’t ask me that question anymore…
And please don’t go down the Canon vs. Nikon vs. Sony vs. Panasonic vs. Fujifilm vs. Pentax vs. any one else, get what feels good to you.
PS: Is there anything else than Canon? And so the war begins 
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Tags: Photography Tips
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LOL, cheeky but good and love the comparisons. PS: Guarantees aren’t offered in life, I might complain later