Buying your first camera?
One of the first things you should consider before buying your first camera is; what are you going to use this for? Are you planning to use it on holiday or special occasions for snapshots or are you keen on photographing birds and wildlife, people, landscapes? Are considering taking up photography more seriously as a career or hobby or are you looking for a simple, easy to use, point and shoot? It is best to begin by doing some quick research first rather than rushing out to your local photographic outlet to make your purchase. You could save yourself some money and avoid getting disappointing results by knowing which product to buy upfront rather than be swayed by a salesman. In this article, we will give you some tips and pointers on making the right choice.
Basically there are two types of camera to consider; Digital SLR camera and a Compact Digital camera.

Digital Compact Camera
If you are looking for a point and shoot type of camera just for snapshots to carry around with you on holiday, and is small enough to fit in your pocket then you would need to look at a Compact Digital camera. There are several makes and models on the market to choose from so you have to do your homework first. A few things to consider would be:
1. Don’t get caught in the Mega Pixel hype. More pixels do not mean better pictures. While more pixels would enable you to print an image at a larger size, they do not necessarily mean better image quality. In fact, in some cases, the reverse is often true for technical reasons which are unfortunately beyond the scope of this article to provide a full explanation.
2. Buy a reputable make from a company that specializes in camera manufacture. This way you can be assured of superior products and good back-up service from a company that specializes in photography only. They’ve been around for a long time; they’re focused on one product line so they would know a thing or two about cameras.
3. When testing the camera at a store, take a few test pictures to check the quality. Most cameras have a function to zoom in closely into picture after it has been taken. This will allow you to see the detail in the picture. This is usually a good indication of the image quality.
4. Check to see if the images are clear. Are the colors vibrant? Does the image look sharply focused? Can you see details, textures, lines clearly?
5. Steer away if the image looks blurred or fuzzy or lacks detail
6. Having a longer lens like a 10X or 15X times zoom does not necessarily mean a better camera. The higher the number, the greater the zooming capability and magnification. While it does mean that you’re able to zoom in closer to your subject, you’d need to check the quality of the picture when fully zoomed into your subject. Having a longer zoom lens is handy for birding or wildlife. Longer zoom lenses do tend to make the camera bulkier. Most compact cameras are fitted with a 3X or 5X times zoom lens. This is fine for general photography but not suitable for birding or wildlife as you want to be able to zoom in really closely to your subject.
7. Some great features to look for in a camera are: D-Lighting that allows you to bring out the details in a shadowed or dark area of your picture, In-Camera Red-Eye fix eliminates the problem of Red-Eye at the touch of a button, High ISO capability enables you to use the camera under poor lighting conditions. A Vibration Reduction feature also helps to prevent blurred photographs caused by camera shake.

D-Lighting is a great feature that brings out shadow details and corrects under-exposed images
	Before D-Lighting	After D-Lighting

8. Don’t always buy on looks, features and gimmicks, its quality that counts! Most cell phone cameras deliver poor results so steer away unless you’re not too concerned about image quality and don’t want to print your photos in the future!

High ISO Capability Allows you to capture stunning images under natural light.	Face Priority Some cameras have a Face Priority feature that ensures crisp, stunning portraits every time.

 Cameras like Nikon have special features to help you, for example:

Smile Mode Always capture the smiling faces of your loved ones. This great feature releases the shutter automatically to take the photograph when the subject smiles.

Blink Warning Never take a photograph with the subject’s eyes half-closed again! Blur Warning displays a warning message that the person has blinked.

9. Do some research on the Internet. A very good source of information is www.dpreview.com You can also view www.stevesdigicams.com and www.nikonians.com. These sites offer very good product information, reviews and comparison tests. If you have some time, it is well worth the effort to do a bit of research and testing in store before making your final decision.

10. Some examples of where a compact might not be the best option is under difficult light conditions or for fast movement such as children playing. All compact cameras have some lag time when pushing the shutter release.

Digital SLR Cameras
This type of camera should be your choice if you like great photos in every type of condition or are considering taking up photography as a serious hobby or becoming a serious photographer. The term SLR means Single Lens Reflex and implies that the camera uses a viewfinder prism system and mirror arrangement to view the subject that you are photographing directly through the lens. Essentially this means that “what you see is what you get” when you compose your picture in the viewfinder. The major advantage of the system is that you can interchange your lenses to suit various applications for different types of photography. There is also a wide range of useful accessories that can be added as the need arises and as your skill level grows.
For the best quality in photography this type of camera should be your choice if size is not a consideration. Don’t be intimidated by the advanced features and controls as most modern SLR’s are easy to use and usually they will incorporate some quick, easy to use automatic functions to enable you to take stunning, hassle-free pictures at the touch of a button. Today, the SLR camera has become a lot more affordable and some models do not cost much more than some digital compact cameras so if you’re looking for quality photography then this would definitely be the one to consider.
The camera is usually supplied with at least one lens that can be used for general purpose photography. Some kits will be bundled together with a second lens which is usually a longer lens that will be suitable for nature or wildlife photography. Some of the more expensive SLR cameras are sold as a body only without a lens. The choice of lens is up to the individual depending on the purpose for which the camera is going to be used.
Basically, the same rules would apply as listed above when making your choice. Do your Internet research; test the camera at the retail store! Be sure that you know upfront what you plan to buy before making your purchase. After you have made your purchase, it is useful to consider getting some additional training to ensure that you understand your camera thoroughly so that you can get the most out of it. Some manufacturers do offer free training with the purchase so it might be a factor to take into consideration when buying the product. With a little imagination, the right camera, and very little skill needed, you will soon be taking some amazing award-winning shots!

Article by: Greg Matthee, Manager, NPS Division, Nikon South Africa