Sep 12, 2012, 07:39
1) Casual user You use the camera to photograph family events and vacations and occasionally something that happens to catch your attention on your way to work. You do not process photos much in software. Most of the time, you post your photos on social networks or send photos to your friends by E-mail. Some photos you print as 4"x5" (10 cm x 13 cm or similar).
Stay with cell phone. These days, cell phones can take great photos and there are many apps that allow you to process them quickly and easily and to send them to Facebook and other sites. The phone makes pretty smart decisions for you, it is light and you always have the camera with you - a great advantage. The compact cameras do not offer enough advantage for your use to justify the (admittedly low) cost. Remember that you use the camera relatively infrequently and the advances in the camera field are still quite fast. Your expense will need to be amortized over one or few years, as better cameras are just around the corner. Stay with the cell phone.
2) Hobbyist. You continue to take casual photos sometimes, but you also wish to take photos as a means of artistic self-expression. You know about aperture, shutter speed, ISO, depth of field and focal length. May be you use RAW file format and do some post-processing.
Consider getting a micro4/3 camera from Panasonic or Olympus. There is a large selection at all price points and new cameras are rolling in all the time. The micro 4/3 has become a de facto a standard format and virtually all independent lens makers support it (supporting companies: Olympus, Panasonic, Cosina/Voigtlander, Carl Zeiss AG, Jos. Schneider Optische Werke GmbH, Komamura Corporation, Sigma Corporation, Tamron, Astrodesign and Yasuhara). The lens list is comprehensive (including everything from shift lens and fisheyes to telephotos and zooms). The only thing I found missing is long telephoto primes. Many of the lenses are superb and much cheaper than comparable DSLR lenses and they way about a third of DSLR lenses). The most recent sensors from Olympus and Panasonic are very good and I do not think that there is enough advantage in a slightly larger APS-C sensor built into a much bulkier into level DSLRs with much bulkier and generally much more costly DSLR lenses. The other competition is primarily held back by high cost and paucity of lens choices. If you buy into micro 4/3, you can trade up to a more advanced body and add to, rather than replace the lenses - a saving. Pick a camera with a good electronic viewfinder and ideally with a bright adjustable LCD. Get a compact kit zoom with your camera and resist a temptation to buy additional lenses, until you KNOW what you need. Practice composition, get a feel for how the picture look different with different zoom settings and how the photos differ taking photos close to the ground and above your head. Consider processing your best photos in Lightroom.
I should state at this point, that I normally do not recommend one brand over another. I think all companies offer capable cameras. I therefore scoff at arguments like Nikon is better than Canon or vice versa. However, I consider the price of lenses, weight, selection and wide support for micro 4/3 so compelling that I am braking with my tradition.
3) Serious Hobbyist.
Both Panasonic and Olympus offer or plan to offer micro 4/3 cameras that offer excellent manual control, good EVF and a very good sensor quality. The selection of fast, high quality and relatively inexpensive lenses is impressive for such a young system and more lenses from many companies are rolling in (see above for further discussion). What more do you need to gain true control over how your photos look? Get a ladder of primes to get the best optical quality and the widest apertures (I use a focal distance of approximately 2. For example I would pick lenses with 12mm, 20mm, 45mm etc focal lengths). Get a handle on your exposure and depth of field. Continue to work on your composition and get a good handle on how to photograph with lenses of different focal lengths. Learn to "see what the lens will see". Time to unleash your creativity. Now you really must shoot RAW and learn how to post-process to get most out of your photos. You really need to learn how to color manage, especially if you plan to print.
4) Serious Hobbyist and beyond.
You have a pretty good control over the photos you take, you are fairly competent in post-processing. You know how to optimize the image quality with the equipment you have through careful selection of focal length, aperture, shutter speed. Your lenses and filters are spotless and you use adequate shutter speed or tripod at all times. You know how to improve image quality in software. You recognize that image quality is not everything, and yet you feel that your image quality is not quite up there. You yearn for less noise at high ISO, better dynamic range and perhaps better resolution. You have the big money it takes and a strong back to lug your equipment, including a rather substantive and bulky tripod around. Perhaps you are ready for a full frame DSLR. As you know, Nikon and Canon have the largest line of lenses and good bodies. Take your pick.
Stay with cell phone. These days, cell phones can take great photos and there are many apps that allow you to process them quickly and easily and to send them to Facebook and other sites. The phone makes pretty smart decisions for you, it is light and you always have the camera with you - a great advantage. The compact cameras do not offer enough advantage for your use to justify the (admittedly low) cost. Remember that you use the camera relatively infrequently and the advances in the camera field are still quite fast. Your expense will need to be amortized over one or few years, as better cameras are just around the corner. Stay with the cell phone.
2) Hobbyist. You continue to take casual photos sometimes, but you also wish to take photos as a means of artistic self-expression. You know about aperture, shutter speed, ISO, depth of field and focal length. May be you use RAW file format and do some post-processing.
Consider getting a micro4/3 camera from Panasonic or Olympus. There is a large selection at all price points and new cameras are rolling in all the time. The micro 4/3 has become a de facto a standard format and virtually all independent lens makers support it (supporting companies: Olympus, Panasonic, Cosina/Voigtlander, Carl Zeiss AG, Jos. Schneider Optische Werke GmbH, Komamura Corporation, Sigma Corporation, Tamron, Astrodesign and Yasuhara). The lens list is comprehensive (including everything from shift lens and fisheyes to telephotos and zooms). The only thing I found missing is long telephoto primes. Many of the lenses are superb and much cheaper than comparable DSLR lenses and they way about a third of DSLR lenses). The most recent sensors from Olympus and Panasonic are very good and I do not think that there is enough advantage in a slightly larger APS-C sensor built into a much bulkier into level DSLRs with much bulkier and generally much more costly DSLR lenses. The other competition is primarily held back by high cost and paucity of lens choices. If you buy into micro 4/3, you can trade up to a more advanced body and add to, rather than replace the lenses - a saving. Pick a camera with a good electronic viewfinder and ideally with a bright adjustable LCD. Get a compact kit zoom with your camera and resist a temptation to buy additional lenses, until you KNOW what you need. Practice composition, get a feel for how the picture look different with different zoom settings and how the photos differ taking photos close to the ground and above your head. Consider processing your best photos in Lightroom.
I should state at this point, that I normally do not recommend one brand over another. I think all companies offer capable cameras. I therefore scoff at arguments like Nikon is better than Canon or vice versa. However, I consider the price of lenses, weight, selection and wide support for micro 4/3 so compelling that I am braking with my tradition.
3) Serious Hobbyist.
Both Panasonic and Olympus offer or plan to offer micro 4/3 cameras that offer excellent manual control, good EVF and a very good sensor quality. The selection of fast, high quality and relatively inexpensive lenses is impressive for such a young system and more lenses from many companies are rolling in (see above for further discussion). What more do you need to gain true control over how your photos look? Get a ladder of primes to get the best optical quality and the widest apertures (I use a focal distance of approximately 2. For example I would pick lenses with 12mm, 20mm, 45mm etc focal lengths). Get a handle on your exposure and depth of field. Continue to work on your composition and get a good handle on how to photograph with lenses of different focal lengths. Learn to "see what the lens will see". Time to unleash your creativity. Now you really must shoot RAW and learn how to post-process to get most out of your photos. You really need to learn how to color manage, especially if you plan to print.
4) Serious Hobbyist and beyond.
You have a pretty good control over the photos you take, you are fairly competent in post-processing. You know how to optimize the image quality with the equipment you have through careful selection of focal length, aperture, shutter speed. Your lenses and filters are spotless and you use adequate shutter speed or tripod at all times. You know how to improve image quality in software. You recognize that image quality is not everything, and yet you feel that your image quality is not quite up there. You yearn for less noise at high ISO, better dynamic range and perhaps better resolution. You have the big money it takes and a strong back to lug your equipment, including a rather substantive and bulky tripod around. Perhaps you are ready for a full frame DSLR. As you know, Nikon and Canon have the largest line of lenses and good bodies. Take your pick.
Please see my photos at http://mullerpavel.smugmug.com (fewer, better image quality, not updated lately)
or at http://www.flickr.com/photos/pavel_photophile2008/ (all photos)
