Is the camera you have the right one for you?

Which type of camera for which job: Do you have the right camera?

By Katriel

Sometimes people ask me what’s the difference between a point-and-shoot and a SLR camera. Recently, someone wanted to know whether the zoom lens reflex camera they were considering for purchase could be used in a studio setting.

Well, let’s break down cameras as to class, best use; and what does it really mean when a particular type of camera receives a “5 star” review.

Point and Shoots.  Compact, very portable, they often come with a wrist strap.  These lightweight cameras are some of the least expensive cameras on the market.  The lens that comes with this type of camera is permanently attached to the camera’s body, and many of these cameras do not offer the user too many options in terms of manual control.

One of the reasons point-and-shoots are inexpensive is the quality of their lenses in comparison to other types of cameras. Because of the lower quality, these cameras are best for personal use and small prints up to 4” x 6”.

Zoom Lens Cameras.  They are fancier versions of point-and-shoots; their camera body size and architecture resemble SLR cameras, except for the permanently attached lens.  The reach of the lens in terms of zoom is often deeper than the compact version.  Most zoom lens cameras allow the user manual control over aperture, shutter speed, and focus unlike some compact point-and-shoots. What keeps zoom lens cameras from more professional consideration is the fact that the lens that comes with that type of camera is permanently attached to the camera body. Therefore, the camera is limited as to what it can shoot.  Having the ability to swap lenses on a camera makes it easier to shoot the image you want. Also, though you can find expensive zoom lens cameras whose optics can rival the cheaper lenses of beginner-level SLR cameras, in general, most lenses of SLR cameras are constructed of a higher quality.  A high-end zoom lens camera should be able to produce a sharp 11” x 17” print assuming the original image was of excellent quality to begin with.

SLR Cameras.  SLR stands for single lens reflex which is a technical term. For the purposes of this article what you need to know is a SLR or DSLR (the d is for digital) camera is a camera with a detachable lens which makes it very versatile and a favorite with professional photographers. 

SLR camera lenses comes in a variety of sizes from short to long, with different ranges as to field of view.  The shorter the lens the wider is its field of view.  Professional photographers who shoot architecture will have wide angle lenses as part of their camera kit in order to cover the expanse of a tall or broad building.  Wildlife photographers often use long telephoto lenses that have narrower fields of view in order to focus on the subject while maintaining a distance that won’t spook the animal.

The lens focal length, measured in millimeters, is an indication of how wide the angle of view is.  Focal lengths 28 mm and shorter are preferred for architecture, 35 mm and shorter for landscape photography. 35 mm to 70 mm lengths are considered normal or standard and are used for documentary and street photography. 70 mm to 135 is medium telephoto and is used in portraiture.  135 mm and longer is considered telephoto and is used in nature and wildlife photography. The above information is based on a 35 mm film camera or digital camera with a full frame sensor.  Some digital cameras use a smaller sensor which will affect the field of view recorded.  Look up information on your particular camera to know how your camera’s sensor may affect your lens purchasing decisions.

Medium Format Cameras.  The original image size of a medium format camera is larger than point-and-shoots, zoom lens cameras, and SLRs. Most contemporary medium format cameras use film with a digital back as an option.  The film used is larger than what you would find on a 35 mm camera and is recorded in centimeters. The proportions of the film are different as well.  Many magazine photographers use medium format cameras for that reason.  The proportions translate well to an 8 x10 magazine cover without too much enlarging or cropping.  Medium format cameras can also be found in a portrait photographer’s camera bag due their ability to record detail at very high resolutions, but they are expensive, bulky, sometimes heavy, and do not have as many lens options as SLR cameras.

Large Format Cameras.  As the name implies, these cameras were created to produce clean large size prints. Their film size is recorded in inches instead of mm for the 35 mm camera, and centimeters for medium formats.  They are very heavy, do not offer great depth of field, are not good at macro photography, and you will have to use the camera in manual mode. Photographers who work with large format cameras say the primary benefit in comparison to medium formats is the quality of the large size prints. It outperforms medium formats when it comes to large size black and white photography. 

So what does it mean when a point-and-shoot camera receives a 5 star rating?  It means that it’s a good camera compared to others in its same class.  The more expensive the camera the more money went into the quality of the optics. A top of the line point-and-shoot camera cannot compare to a top of the line single lens camera.  When choosing a camera decide what you need the camera to do, and what is the largest print size you think you would want to print.

If you can’t afford what you want right now it doesn’t mean that a camera that is less expensive cannot do the job. Read in-depth reviews on a particular camera and pay attention the limitations stated.  If the limitations do not affect the type of photography you want to do then go for it or try and figure out a work-around.