How to buy the Right Camera Part 2 – Needs and Wants talked about the things you may need and want in your new camera. In part 3 of this series we look at the types of cameras out there and what their differences are. If you new to this series, start with part one, How to Buy the Right Camera.
In the last article I talked about considering the different things you may or may not need and want your new camera to do, and where you will be using it. In this article I am going to go through several different types of cameras and go over their positive and negative points.
Before I go any further I am breaking down the groups of cameras more by the size of film or digital sensor they have, rather than by the actual style of the camera. Several medium format cameras actually are Single Lens Reflex cameras, or SLRS.
Point and Shoot Cameras
There are lot of point and shoot cameras out there. You find them in phones, digital planners, and other places as well as the traditional point and shoot camera. They come in both film and digital versions (I haven’t looked but I think you can still buy a film point and shoot). I have even seen a large format point and shoot camera that shoots 8×10 film. Most of these are rangefinder type cameras. This basically means that there are two openings, one for you to look through and see what will be in the picture and one for the picture to be taken through. Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras use one opening for taking the picture as well as previewing what will be taken.
Positives
- These cameras are cheap. They are in phones, or other electronic devises at little cost. Often they cost $100 or less and can produce amazing results. They come with a fixed lens, meaning they aren’t meant to change lenses like SLR and Large Format cameras can.
- These cameras are being produced with more and more functions available, a stark contrast from their beginning when they were nothing more than a small box that had a shutter and pretended to be light tight.
- The new digital point and shoot cameras often are very small and can be taken anywhere.
- They usually have the option to make videos, something that many cameras costing far more can’t do.
Negatives
- Have lots of functions, but few useful ones like all manual controls.
- The fixed lens can be versatile but can lack in quality, and limit what pictures you can take especially compared to wide angle, telephoto, and macro photography lenses available for cameras with interchangeable lenses.
- These cameras have a very small sensor (if it is digital) and the quality is often not great beyond screen viewing or small prints.
- The time delay from pressing the button to the actual picture being taking can feel like minutes. They also usually don’t have a high speed shooting rate.
- Some models are plagued by poor battery life, and require a special charger.
These cameras are very useful, and I hope to get one in the future to have as a second camera for self portraits and other things when shooting in the field. Overall they aren’t bad, and have a place that even professional value. Just be sure the one you get doesn’t have too many negative points for your own use.
Single Lens Reflex Cameras (SLRS)
This type of camera is very common and popular. There are both film and digital versions. This category of camera has some versions with fixed lenses, but generally they are designed to have interchangeable lenses allowing a large variety of different lenses to be used with the camera.
These cameras usually can shoot much faster than point and shoots. Film SLR cameras generally are made to shoot the format of 35mm film but there are a few out there that shoot film in the APS size. Digital SLR cameras are produced with a variety of sensor sizes, usually the APS size and the Full Frame size. These refer to sensors that are usually about 22.5mm x 15mm for the APS size and 36mm x 24mm for the full frame. In the case of film and digital cameras the larger the sensor or film size in most cases this leads to better quality. Several types of rangefinder cameras exist with these sizes of sensors or film used.
Positives
- These cameras are usually very portable and may offer the most flexibility and quality for the price.
- They often have a wide variety of lenses and accessories available.
- Some DSLR’s are now equipped with video making capabilities.
- They generally produce a higher quality image than point and shoot.
- Making large high quality prints is an option.
- They often can shoot at 3 frames per second or faster.
- DSLR’s usually have better batteries that are interchangeable.
Negative
- These cameras are more costly, especially the high quality lenses that are available.
- The quality isn’t usually as good as could be had from larger format cameras.
- Some of these cameras and lenses can be heavy, especially if you have several bodies and lenses.
Overall I am quite partial to this type of camera, so I am having a hard time coming up with the negatives! This type of camera is probably one of the most popular camera types available today. More point and shoot cameras may be sold but this style is very popular.
Medium Format Cameras
Medium Format cameras are called thus because they are a larger format than most cameras in the SLR category, but smaller than large format cameras. This smaller or larger format size is of course describing the film or the digital sensor not the actual size of the camera. There are a few medium format cameras that are smaller than some professional DSLRS or film SLRS. Also there are medium format cameras larger, bulkier and heavier than some large format cameras. Several types of rangefinder cameras exist with this size of film being used.
Medium format cameras make images one a piece of film that is several times larger than a 35mm cameras film. Medium format digital backs represent perhaps the largest digital camera sensor that is in common production. These cameras range from 16 to 60 or more megapixels in resolution.
Medium format cameras film and digital are larger and more ungainly to use. The reason to use these cameras is because you need the higher quality or some other feature these cameras have. For example there are some medium format camera lenses that are capable of ultra high speed flash sync shooting. Most DSLRS and SLRS aren’t capable of that.
Positives
- Amazing quality, especially from the digital backs available for medium format cameras
- The lenses are usually of much higher quality than those available to SLRS and DSLRS
- Some accessories are only available to these types of cameras
Negatives
- These cameras especially the digital versions are extremely expensive. Film versions are becoming less so. However the cost of shooting medium format film cameras is much higher than 35mm film cameras.
- They are often larger and heavier than most SLRS and DSLRS.
- Most medium format film cameras don’t produce results of as high quality as is possible with DSLRS.
- They don’t often have the option of shooting faster than 1 frame a second, and if they have auto focus it is often slower than SLRS and DSLRS.
- The higher quality is sensitive to proper use. Get sloppy and the results will be awful.
Large Format Cameras
These cameras are called large format because of the extremely large pieces of film used in the shooting process. Film sizes are often 4 inches x 5 inches, 5 inches x 7 inches, or 8 inches by 10 inches. There are even larger sizes, but these cameras are usually custom made and not widely available. This large piece of film generally produces the best results possible from a single image. Some medium format digital backs give this quality a run for its money, especially the 8×10 size. These formats are all shot at a very high cost per shot, though purchasing equipment isn’t prohibitively expensive.
These cameras are generally all manual, and have no metering system. You need an external light meter, and will have to set the shutter speed and aperture. They do allow the tilting and shifting of the film plane. What? If you know what it is it is cool. Basically this allows ultimate control of what is in focus, perspectives, and other things. These functions are nice to have, and available to a limited extent in the medium format and SLRS and DSLRS.
Positives
- The image quality possible is why many use these cameras.
- The size of these cameras can be large, but many models are available that are very light.
- You have total control of the image by tilting and shifting the film plane along with the all manual controls of the shutter and aperture.
- The quality of lenses is usually quite high, and not to costly.
- You will slow down and consider shots more carefully and often this will increase your overall quality.
- These cameras have a solid reputation for creating art of high quality.
Negatives
- The cost of shooting a piece of 8×10 film can easily reach $10, this doesn’t include printing or digitizing in any way.
- The equipment and required accessories can get bulky, heavy and expensive.
- You will end up shooting far fewer images.
- The entire shooting process can be quite labor intensive and for some this will decrease actual shots attempted or even considered.
This type of camera has a cult following. It is a labor of love that can produce amazing results. I am often tempted to go back and shoot it a bit more. This may or may not happen…
So those are the major types of cameras available. There are a few other types like twin lens reflex cameras, but they won’t be for sale on Amazon or other places new actually found that several varieties are for sale new on amazon, check out the link above to see them. If you want more information about them then go ahead and Google them!
What is your favorite? Which do you think would be your next purchase if you could have any of them?
If you new to this series, start with part one, How to Buy the Right Camera.
