This time of year we get a lot of requests from photography enthusiasts asking for advice on what camera they should buy. As you can imagine, everyone has different needs and objectives in buying a new camera, so this actually is one of the more difficult questions to answer in a direct, ‘buy this specific model’ way. We also have a ‘brand neutral’ policy at ViewFinder, so we do not like to promote one brand over another, everyone has different tastes and preferences, so it is really does come down to finding the camera that best fits your own personal style and logic. 

With this in mind, we put together some general guidelines to help those of you who may be looking to get a new camera this holiday season. Most of this is common sense, but we hope it will help you in deciding which camera is best for you.

1) What’s your Credit Limit Budget?

Your first consideration should be budget. How much are you willing to spend? Set a total price range, including the camera, lenses, camera bag, tripod, memory cards, extra batteries, etc. This alone will help you narrow some of your options. Need some pricing information? In Switzerland, try visiting www.digitec.ch or www.architronic.ch for discount pricing, or visit Media Markt or your local camera store for retail pricing. Beware that in Switzerland, retailers charge more for ‘service’, so you can often save considerably when buying from a discount supplier.

2) What’s in a brand?

You can find cameras from Canon, Sony, Leica, Nikon, Panasonic, Olympus, Pentax, Ricoh, and many other brands. There are a bewildering number of choices and it is often a total toss-up between one camera and a comparable model from another brand. Canon and Nikon have been selling top-quality digital cameras for a long time and have positioned themselves as the trend-setters in the industry. However, there are many new cameras from other brands that offer great quality, compact design and affordable prices. When you have narrowed your options down a bit, take a look at online reviews, sites such as www.dpreview.com. There you will find reviews on nearly all the major brands/models, and often there are comparisons between similar models. If you don’t find what you are looking for there, try using Google to find other reviews and comparisons.

3) How will you use the camera?

Probably the most obvious question to ask yourself is “how am I planning to use my camera?” Do you just need a camera for snapshots? Are you going on a safari or diving trip? Do you enjoy a specific type of photography like landscape, nature, macro photography or astro-photography? How you intend to use the camera will often be a critical factor in your purchase decision. Be sure to do a little research to make sure that the camera you intend to buy is suitable for the type of photography you want to do. This means looking at the lenses and accessories available for your camera as well.

4) Try it out.

Once you narrow your options, go to a shop and try out the cameras. Sometimes, it really comes down to which camera feels right in your hand and works best with your own mental logic. Play with different cameras, look through the menus, work the controls, snap some shots, etc. and see which one feels best to you. 

5) Don’t forget about the glass.

Finally, when buying a camera, most people make the mistake of not paying close attention to the lens. The fact is that the lens, more than anything else, will make the real difference in quality. With a DSLR camera, the “kit” lenses (lenses sold as a kit with a camera body) are often the lower-end lenses, so it often pays to consider the camera body and lens separately. As long as you stay with the same brand of camera, you can normally use any lens you buy with any new camera body you might purchase later. With this in mind, be sure to invest in a good-quality lens and get a camera body that you will be happy with at your current skill level. Later on, if you find that you’ve out-grown the camera body, you can always upgrade it with a newer model. Starting off with one or two quality lenses will give you flexibility in your photography and you can buy the right lens or lenses for the specific type of photography you want to do.

After all the questions and research, in the end, the best camera for you is the one you are the most likely to carry with you and use often.