Choosing a DSLR camera

How to choose a DSLR ( Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera? This is a question most beginners will ask when they first needed a DSLR camera. Below are some things one should consider.

Budget
Unless you are very rich, most beginners will only be able to obtain a certain amount of money to start off when choosing a DSLR. Some will want to wait for a while to acquire enough cash to get a better DSLR body but if your budget is not going to grow for a while then the level of your camera is basically decided. Basically what you can choose is what brand and the choice between getting a good DSLR body with one lens or getting a cheaper DLSR body with more lens to cover the range.


Brand
The brand is actually not a big deal, but it is to me when I first started venturing into the realm of DSLR. Although I cannot say you get the same results from each brand but most brand have Professional Photographers using them and they are doing fine, so most brand should do fine when you just started your basic photography.

You will lean towards a certain brand when you start choosing a DSLR due to the fact that you might heard of one or two of those brand in the market. The leaders in DSLR camera are Nikon and Canon, with Sony, Pentax and Olympus following behind. There are other manufacturer like Fuji, Sigma, Samsung, Panasonic and lets not forget, Leica. Some of these manufacturer actually share almost the same camera design when they cooperate in a certain way.

Obviously Nikon and Canon have a lot of market share and you can find their camera and lenses pretty much everywhere in the world. Choosing a DSLR from these two brands will almost guaranty that you made the right choice. When most people do a certain thing or pick a certain choice it is usually consider the right decision. It does not hurt to consider a few other options when you are choosing a DSLR. Just remember not to invest so much in the beginning when you are not sure you have chosen the right brand because you might loose some money when you decided jump ship.

Lens
Choosing a DSLR means you are going to stick with a family of lens and accessories as well. Nikon and Canon no doubt have lots of lens in their arsenal. Canon is famous for their L lens while Nikon have their pro grade lens which is usually distinguished by a gold line on the lens. Since they are very popular, third party manufacturers like Tamron and Sigma will make a lot of cheaper alternative lens to cover the same focal range of lens Nikon and Canon have already made.They sometimes even cover focal length that Nikon and Canon do not even have. The thing is lens made by DSLR manufacturer themselves have a higher resale value in the secondhand market so you should consider that when you buy a lens. Sometimes lens made by Nikon and Canon themselves might not be as good in terms of sharpness but they generally excel in terms of other qualities and reliability.

There are always a lot of tests about sharpness, flare and all the other aspects about lens from other well established photography website but they should not get so much in the way of photography. Knowing what you shoot and what your style is will be more important.

Sometimes knowing what you like to shoot will not be immediately apparent. If money is not a problem for you do not get a cheap basic lens from your DLSR manufacturer or third party manufacturer. You might think they can cover your needs since your skill is not that good in the first place. Get the ones that is at least rated higher grade than kit lens since they have a higher resale value. When a lens does not suit you then you can always sell it on Ebay provided you keep the box and everything in good condition. You might loose some money but not as much as when you trade it to a camera shop. I am not sure camera shop in Malaysia allow trade in or not but usually shops tend to give you a very low price for your camera.

Different types of DSLR
Usually manufacturers will come up with cameras for beginners, enthusiasts and pros. There are also DSLR that is in between. For a beginner the best camera in the market will always be the one to look for and crave about. To be honest if you are just getting a camera for the sake of hobby the beginner level camera will cover almost all your needs. When you first started in photography and encounter some problems you will certainly think it is because your camera is inadequate for the task, making you want to get a hold of better gear or lens. Your passion in the beginning can be so strong that you might lose a bit of your mind thinking that choosing a DSLR of higher quality means better photos.

The thing is you do not know how long your passion will last. You also do not know how often you might need a certain lens. Unless you are a professional earning from your camera you don't even need camera higher than the enthusiast level. Sure sometimes a better camera might have the edge but it is not like you are loosing a job due to you not getting the shot. You can say you lost a moment, but careful planning and better understanding of your gear can mostly cover that up.

Conclusion
Basically you just need to get a decent DSLR and start shooting. You can even try using film SLR first to get all the basic technique. Some argue film SLR is basically dead and not a good way of learning, but in my opinion like traditional painting it is more rewarding that way if you try it out. Having a solid skill can go a long way than just having lots of great DSLR and not knowing how to use it.

Camera gear should not limit what you want to achieve. Use your camera to the fullest until it breaks down then get another, or maintain it well when you are using it so you might sell it early and get about 60 to 80% of your money back. If you live in Europe the return policy might be a good way to try a camera out for a few days or so to decide whether you like it or not.

Try out as much DSLR as you can from shops or from friends then decide. Ergonomics and design does play a role but photography should go beyond that. I never mention technical stuff like pixel and sensor size because I think it does not matter that much and we don't have to waste time getting so worked up by it and forget photography in its basic level. Pixel and other technology will always improve and you can't catch up with it unless you are pretty rich.

So what are you waiting for, stop wondering how to choose a DSLR, choosing a DSLR of any level adn start having fun with photography.