Blog 5 : Is bigger better?
Well is bigger always better? When it comes to cameras and sensor sizes, the answer is….. it all depends what you want to do with it!
When I was considering following Heather into the world of photography I was completely overwhelmed by the huge choice of cameras and sensor options - DSLR/ Mirrorless/ 4/3/ APS-C/ Full Frame/ Medium Format/ Smart Phone/
Smart Phone? Really? If you have any interest in photography the chances are that you already use your phone to take photos. So review your photos and think about what type of photography you are interested in - Street/ Landscape/ People/ Animals/ Sport/ Flowers/ Tiny things (macro)/ Buildings/ If you have a strong interest in one or two of these subjects then that could help shape your decisions. If, like me, you are more of a generalist and want to try everything, then that is more of a challenge and you will be faced with compromises (unless you have a large budget!). Heather is frequently asked ‘what camera do you use’? The harsh reality is that rushing out and buying the latest mega pixel monster camera will not suddenly make you a better photographer (and Heather doesn’t own a mega pixel monster by the way). Taking time to learn about composition and what makes a good image will improve your photography more than any new shiny bit of kit (sorry). Study other photographers whose work you like - why do you like their images? Where do they place the main subjects(s) in the frame? What do they include/exclude in the foreground/background?
But you want to progress from your Smart Phone and get a camera to learn about the exposure triangle, long exposures, f stops etc etc, whilst also learning about composition at the same time. I can understand that - that’s what I did. But be prepared for a steep learning curve and taking lots of ‘average’ photos - learning from your mistakes is a great way to progress. The more mistakes you make the quicker you will progress - even better if you have a photographer friend who is willing to give you feed-back. Learning to critically analyse your work is key to improving. If you struggle with composition (as I did, and still do!), look on social media for photos you like of a location you can easily visit. There is nothing wrong with trying to copy other peoples photos when you are learning. It will help you understand why it is important to shoot at a certain angle or focal length or time of day. Oh, and be prepared to learn photo editing with software such as Lightroom - a skill that can make (or break) a photo.
So which camera to buy? It is impossible for me to answer that question as we all have different requirements (and I don’t feel qualified to do so). But here are some observations from my own journey into the world of photography -
DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) or Mirrorless? (similar to DSLR - but without an internal mirror!) DSLR’s are bulky & heavy and one reason why many people ‘upgrade’ to a mirrorless camera - that and the better video on the more modern mirrorless (for you Vloggers out there). But DSLRs are just as good at taking photos and there are plenty of good used cameras and lenses on the market if you want to dip your toe in the Full Frame format without spending a fortune. Also, DSLRs can have other advantages such as better battery life.
Sensor size. Any reasonably modern camera will capture a good image and 20+ Mega pixels is more than enough for posting on Social media and prints for the wall easily up to A3+. Also, remember that the more MegaPixels the quicker you will chew through your camera memory cards and the hard drive on your computer! Where sensor size become important is at the more extremes of image capturing……..
i. If you plan on doing a lot of shooting in low light e.g. night sky, then Full frame (Nikon/Canon/Sony) will generally give better results. Full frame sensors have better dynamic range than cropped (4/3 or APS-C) sensors (but don’t go mad with the megapixels - less can be more when it comes to low light sensitivity).
ii. If you plan on doing a lot of wildlife or sport photography where zoom range is important then consider a 4/3 sensor camera. This used to be looked on as the poor relation in terms of quality, but many modern 4/3 cameras are very capable for most styles of photography (with the exception night sky shots) and they really excel when it comes to needing a zoom. A 4/3 sensor will double your zoom range (a 300mm becomes a 600mm !) in a smaller/lighter package and a much smaller price when compared to Full frame zooms - just compare the Canon 600mm with the Olympus 300mm (600mm full frame equivalent) in terms of size/weight/price.
iii. APS-C sensor size (Fuji & Sony have good options) is around half way between 4/3 and Full frame sensor sizes. As such it is often categorised as an ‘enthusiasts’ camera (rather than a ‘Pro’ camera. But you will find many Pros that use them). Lenses are generally smaller, lighter and less expensive than full frame equivalent. The sensor has a crop factor of 1.5 - meaning that a 300mm zoom will become 450mm. So not ‘as good’ as the 4/3 crop factor of 2 if wildlife shooting is important to you. But the 1.5 crop factor is better at the wider angle lenses - where a 10mm becomes 15mm (rather than becoming 20mm on a 4/3 camera) - which could matter if your thing is to do a lot of wide angle landscapes. I see the APS-C as a good ‘all rounder’ - more than good enough for 90% of shots - but not the best option if you want to specialise in wildlife/sport or night photography.
Lenses. If you think you are likely to favour a particular type of photography - especially in the more specialised area such as macro/Wildlife/Night, then look at the range of lenses available for the camera that you are interested in (and not just brands specific to you camera, but also 3rd party lenses from the likes of Tamron/Sigma/Viltrox etc). Consider size/weight/cost/quality.
Weight. How much gear are you happy to carry around? If you are into landscape photography then you may end up carrying a camera with a selection of 3 lenses (to cover wide angle to telephoto) plus a tripod (for those silky water shots). Do you plan to tramp to remote locations with your gear? Do you travel a lot? If you are into wildlife then the longer zoom lenses for Full frame cameras can be enormous and cost a fortune - is this realistic?
I could go on (and on), but this Blog is already longer than I first planned. So no simple answers I’m afraid. It all depends on what you want your camera for and any choice will have its compromises. My one piece of advice for people looking to get into photography, but don’t have a clear passion for a specific type of image, would be to start small and start cheap (consider used camera options). You are more likely to carry a smaller camera around with you and therefore use it. If you don’t spend too much on your first camera then it’s not too painful financially if your growing passion for a particular type of photography leads you to move to a different camera format. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that buying the latest and best camera will suddenly make your pictures better - it wont. That will only come with a willingness to learn and lots of practice.
In a future post I will talk about the cameras that Heather and I use. Why we came to choose them and my view on their pros/cons.
