Buying a new camera can be quite tricky. Today you are inundated with a lot of options that will make it difficult deciding which digital camera to purchase. If you find yourself in this position worry not because this article will serve as your ‘how to’ guide when looking at cameras for sale.
Here are our top 10 tips to help you when buying a camera
1. Decide what you want
The first few questions you have to ask yourself when buying a digital camera are:
- What you want to use the camera for?
- What digital camera price are you willing to pay?
- What level of experience you have with cameras? If you are a professional photographer you will obviously have different expectations from your camera than someone simply taking pictures for their Instagram profile, and,
- The importance of size and portability to you. Are you looking for the best compact camera, or do you simply want a camera that can take the best pictures?
These questions will give you a better perspective on the type of camera that is likely to serve your needs with consideration to your current budget.
2. Are you looking for a DSLR camera or a point-and-shoot?
Often times, the decision to purchase a digital camera boils down to two choices; a DSLR camera or a point-and-shoot camera. When deciding between these two options there are a lot of things you have to consider.
Point-and-shoot cameras are generally more portable, have fixed lenses, and are cheaper than your DSLR camera options. They have great depth of field and generally come preloaded with a lot of features such as GPS, face and smile detection and a host of new technologies that make them easier to use.
Point-and-shoots are generally good for the non-professional photographer who takes occasional pictures. However, there are limitations to point-and-shoot cameras; if you have a good enough phone you probably do not need to buy a standalone point-and-shoot.
Secondly, point-and-shoot cameras offer smaller camera sensors and as a result of this you should not expect the same quality you would get from a DSLR.
If you are in the market for cameras for sale that will allow you to take high quality pictures and possibly do some night time photography, you may want to settle for the pricier DSLR camera option.
3. Megapixels and Resolution
One of the most important things to consider when buying a digital camera is the camera’s megapixels and resolution. Higher megapixels and higher resolution sensors will give you a camera that captures more details in pictures and allows you to produce a larger final image without losing too much quality.
Therefore when looking at megapixels and resolution you have to be purpose-driven. Keep in mind the reason you are buying the camera. Truth be told most people, save for professional photographers and hobbyist photographers, do not need very high resolution cameras.
If you are simply taking pictures occasionally to capture memories, an 8 megapixel camera with a 1.5 inch sensor should be enough for you. Anything more will push up camera prices and you probably would not need the added picture quality.
4. Read Review/ research brand you are buying
As with all things, it is always good to be prudent and research the camera you want to buy. Read about the camera’s brand, its reputation and its flaws and read reviews on the particular camera you would like to purchase.
Look out for photography forums where you can get insight from people who have used the camera you want to buy. People in forums will give you great insight on problems to expect with particular cameras. Use this information to make a more informed decision.
5. Test the camera out
You have to try out a digital camera before actually buying it. Pick up the camera, take pictures of the store, of your friends and yourself.
There is nothing better than trying out a camera, seeing how good the picture quality is, its weight and ease of use and how well it performs under certain lighting conditions.
6. Consider renting before buying
What better way to test a digital camera than to rent it out first. Camera prices, particularly DSLR cameras are relatively high. When you factor in the camera equipment you will have to buy after the initial purchase, the price you may pay might rise even further.
Given the cost involved in purchasing a camera you generally want to avoid buying the wrong camera. You can mitigate this risk by renting a camera to get hands on experience using the camera while deciding whether or not to purchase the camera.
7. Consider the price of camera equipment
While the digital camera price is important you also have to take into consideration the price of camera equipment. Each camera requires a different set of equipment, more so when opting for a DSLR camera.
Before purchasing a camera make sure you find out the price of equipment for the camera you would like to purchase. Do not get a scenario where you purchase a camera you cannot afford to maintain.
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8. Battery life
Do you need a long battery life, or enough to just take a few pictures? When buying a digital camera you may have to look at each camera’s battery life. You will typically want to buy a camera with a larger battery life if you expect to use your camera for longer hours. When looking at the battery life always remember to look at three things;
- Battery Capacity,
- the name of your battery and
- power draw.
As a rule of thumb you want to get a camera that has a high capacity battery but does not draw too much power from the battery. This will give you a camera with a higher run time.
9. Other Considerations
There are many other considerations you should factor in when buying a digital camera, these include: looking at lens quality, focus accuracy, the maximum range of the built in flash and whether or not it reduces red-eye, the accuracy of the colours and colour saturation and the camera’s general ease of use.
All these factors will help you greatly when deciding on the best camera to purchase. Upgrading to a better camera? Why not sell your used camera by placing your free ad on Junk Mail?
10. Look for good deals
You can always save by looking around for good deals. Sometimes it is actually wiser to purchase a used digital camera at a fraction of the price you would pay for a brand new camera.
Luckily, there are a lot of online resources that can help you find great deals on the digital camera you are looking for. You can find well priced new and second-hand cameras for sale on Junk Mail.