#camera dial

What do you need to know when buying a new camera or camera accessories??

Well there is no rule of thump when purchasing a new camera, you cannot just go to the store and be like "get me the 'best-est' camera you have"! Because different cameras have different features, and it really depends on what you are exactly looking for.

  So how do you buy the best camera you can get? 

First thing you will need to do is to decide on the type of photography you want to do (macro, landscapes, portraits, etc.). How often are you going to take photos? And possibly where are you going to take photo? (Indoor, or outdoors). You might as well ask yourself why are you photographing? How much experience do you have? Would you like to spend some time adjusting the settings before you shoot, or instead just point and shoot? (DSLR or not). And lastly putting that into constraints, how much money are you willing to spend?

Finding the answers to all of these questions would really narrow the search down and would make it much easier choosing a new camera to buy.

  Accessories require more money!!

One thing to remember when buying a new camera, there are some accessories you will need, which will push the total price up. Stuff like memory cards, camera bags, stands, batteries, external flashes, lenses, remotes, and warranties. I would advise, if you have a camera, and you are getting a new one, try to buy something that would use the same accessories. It is easier and cheaper to have the same external flash for all the cameras you own, or the same kind of memory card, so you can exchange between them when you need to.  That will save you lots.

  Some other features:

Zoom: Don't be fooled by it. Well if the camera is a DSLR one, then you will need to depend on the lens. Otherwise, usually there is a digital and optical zoom. Personally I say, IGNORE the digital zoom (I think its a mistake) unless you don't really care about the quality of the photo. The main difference between them is that the optical zoom actually moves the lens of the camera to create the zoom. While the digital one, just expands the photo (which makes it contain more noise). Most cameras now come with 3x optical zoom, the more the better (if you are going to zoom).

  Megapixels: how much do you need? Most people tend to buy cameras with the highest megapixels they can afford. The only problem is that they end up using half or even less megapixels than their camera is actually capable of. I think shooting with 3-5 megapixels is good enough, and memory saver as well. You do not really need to go further more than 5 megapixels unless you are displaying your photos in a very large size, but you will need to spend more money on memory cards and storage.

  Video: some cameras come with the ability to record videos. Two things to put in mind, videos consume lots of memory space, which means you will need larger memory cards. The second thing, watch out for the resolution, different videos have different resolutions (varies from not recognizing the person's face in the video to seeing their wrinkles). Even though, when viewing the video on the camera's LCD screen they all will look good because the screen is small. Aim for HD quality if you want to go into video photography.

Camera modes: Some cameras give you more options than others, depending on how many modes you have including video. The more modes you have on the camera dial, the more options and settings you will have to play with your photos. If you are buying your first camera and you are into photography, make sure you get to have those. You can always set to Auto if got stuck or not in the mood to adjust the settings.

New interesting features: A relatively new features in the market now are the water and/or shock proof cameras. You might want to check that out when buying your new camera. The waterproof one is FUN to have. 

Lastly: After making the decision and before you actually buy the camera, 3 more things you will be advised to do.

- Go online: read the reviews, view photo samples of the camera, find what other users think of that camera. It is too easy to find reviews online, and it might save you a fortune.

- Compare prices: you would be amazed how different the prices can be from one store to another. Spend some time going around shops and find their prices and offers. I usually check www.pricespy.co.nz to compare the prices, and then I go check the stores.