Lesson 1: Choosing Your Camera

Equipment

Before you can begin to take successful photographs, it is imperative that you have a full understanding of your equipment. You wouldn't go buy a sewing machine, bring it home, and expect to make an outfit fit for a Paris runway in one evening would you? Why then do people buy a camera, bring it home, and expect to take flawless pictures without reading the manual? At some point in our childhood we are handed a camera and allowed to "play," but we aren't usually taught the basics - even through adulthood.

If you are the type of person that stops off at the grocery store on the way to a birthday party for a cardboard "funsaver" camera, you should seriously consider investing in a grown-up camera. With the dawn of the digital era, the price of film cameras has plummeted. For the price of three or four cardboard cameras, you can buy a "real" film camera. You can find a good film camera on eBay, at Target, or just about anywhere else cameras are sold. Even digital cameras are affordable to most anyone these days with the cost of a decent camera at under $200.

When camera shopping, it's generally a good idea to stick with brands that specialize in photo equipment. These days, just about everyone excluding McDonald's has a digital camera on the market. Just like you wouldn't buy a computer from Kitchen Aid, you should but a digital camera from a company who didn't make their name in the photo business. I, of course, am bias from my own experience and feel like Canon cameras produce the sharpest pictures with the truest color saturation. Just as I swear by Canon, there are equally as many people that swear by Nikon. Those are the "big two," but there are other great brands - Olympus, Kodak, Pentax, Minolta, etc.. You shouldn't necessarily buy the cheapest brand unless the alternative is using the cardboard camera we discussed. If you can afford a camera that allows interchangeable lenses, go for it! This "SLR" camera (don't worry about what this means) will allow you the most versatility for years to come.

The Great Mega Pixel Dilemma!

If you plan to buy a digital camera, or if you have recently purchased one, then you know the huge mega-pixel dilemma. How many of these pixels can you afford, and how many do you need? I'll provide you with a brief, basic explanation. If you've ever looked at a computer screen or a television up close, then you'll notice that the complete picture is made up of tiny dots, or pixels. In a digital camera, the sensor (or the "film" equivalent) is also made up of these tiny dots, or pixels, that produce the final image. The number of pixels is measured in millions of pixels - mega pixels. The more of these pixels you can afford, the higher the resolution/quality your final image will be. There does come a point, however, that you can have pixel overkill. If you know that you're only going to take pictures of your dog and maybe of a bird or two in your backyard birdbath and email them to your one friend in Montana, you could easily get away with a 2 mega pixel camera. But, if you're the proud parent of a first-born son and you want poster-sized prints to wallpaper your cubicle, you'll need quite a few more. Only you can make a final decision as to what you're needs are and what you can afford, but here are a few guidelines:

2mp (two million mega pixels)- My cell phone has about this many pixels. This camera will most likely fit any price point you are considering with ease, but will not produce quality enlargements of any size above the standard 4x6 photo lab prints. This means that if you wish to print an 8x10 of dad's little girl slipping into her wedding dress - you're out of luck. You should have bought more pixels.

3mp - You'll be able to print great 4x6 prints and really good 5x7 prints, and acceptable 8x10 enlargements. This is probably the number of pixels you should set as your minimum and work from here.

4mp - At this size, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a film-produced photo and a digital image at the 4x6 or 5x7 size, and most people wouldn't be able to discern the difference between the 8x10 enlargements. If you can afford this, go for it! You won't be disappointed.

5mp - Now you can enlarge to your heart's desire. Even at the 11x14 size, the quality holds.

6mp - By now, you're also paying for other camera features that come hand-in-hand with this number of pixels, so the price is rising. Not only are you now able to make enlargements, but you may take pride in the fact that you've achieved a camera in the "professional amateur" level.

Canon makes a full line of great-quality digital cameras to fit any price range. You don't necessarily need to base your final decision on the camera with the most mega pixels as there are many other factors that produce the final "perfect" image. Don't pay for features, or pixels for that matter, that you'll never use. Do, however, make sure that you will be content with the capabilities of your camera.

Now that you've decided on your equipment, READ THE MANUAL!

Next up: How to use this great equipment to produce the photos you've always wanted but never had...