Choosing the right camera for the job

 I've been around quite a while.  I sold cameras in the 1970s, photographed sports, did graphic design, and made videos at skate parks.

How do you choose the best camera for you?

• Decide what you want to do with it.
• See if there are lenses within the system that will do what you want.
• Choose must-have features and decide what other features would be helpful, but not necessary.
• Decide how much you can pay for equipment and software to support the equipment.
• Find videos on equipment both positive and negative.
• Don't fall in love at first sight.
• Don't be swayed by brand fanatics. 
• Who needs the latest and greatest?

Decide what you want to do with it

  If you're not sure what you want to do with it, you'll be wandering in every direction.  If you mostly want to take video, you shouldn't buy a dSLR because a mirrorless body will be more flexible.  If you want a great dSLR for stills photography, there may be several bodies within a brand that will meet your needs.

See if there are lenses within the system that will do what you want

 You must check to see if the best lenses for the job are available.  If you want to do wide landscapes, you'll want lenses with lower numbered focal lengths and bigger format sensors.  If you're trying to photograph wildlife, smaller sensors will help you cut the effective distance.

Choose must-have features and decide what other features would be helpful, but not necessary

Do you really need 8K video?  Can you live without In-body Image Stabilization?  Do you need 50+ MP?  Do you need weather-resistance?

Decide how much you can pay for equipment and software to support the equipment

You always have to look at every part of your workflow, not just the camera body.

If you're concentrating on stills photography, you'll need a good raw developer.  My favorite is Capture One Pro.  I've been using it since version 3.0.  Some people swear by Lightroom, which I tried when it was new, but like most Adobe software, I swore at it.  If you need something less expensive Affinity Photo by Serif works both as a raw developer and a Photoshop alternative. 

For video, you'll need something that will accept your camera's files.  You can use Da Vinci Resolve, Hit Film Pro, Premiere Pro, Vegas Pro.  Remember to figure the cost of your plug-ins, also.

Great lenses aren't cheap, either.  You'll have your lenses longer than your camera bodies.  Also, if you need to capture video and stills, you might want to have two less expensive bodies that can handle each function separately.

Find videos on equipment both positive and negative

Since there are so many video reviews, it's best to see what can be done.  Don't automatically trust them, though.  View them from a variety of sources.  Don't be surprised if they differ quite a lot.  Be suspicious of overly positive or overly negative outcomes.  I used to see magazines compare technology whether computers or cameras and they would complain about several problems and the product with the most advertising in the magazine would always win. 

Don't fall in love at first sight

It's easy to go into a store and find a camera body or lens presented in such a way that you cannot deny how great it is, even if it doesn't fit your needs.  Six months later, you could be regretting spending the money.

If you already have equipment, try it with something you own.  Capture photos or video on your own card.  Think before rushing into buying.

 Don't be swayed by brand fanatics

 I used to hear something like "My dad's cousin's niece's college roommate's boyfriend's dad uses CaNikon, so you should, also."

I've been to a few stores where I got "Oh, we don't know anything about those.  We only use CaNikon."

When I was selling cameras, I always explained the system and why the bodies were best for certain functionality.  I've met a few sales people who didn't know what they were selling.

Who needs the latest and greatest?

Who hasn't seen the latest technology and wanted it, not because it was necessary, but because it was new?

You can save yourself headaches and money by using something that's been in use for a while and has all the firmware updates to make it reliable.  If you're making money with your equipment, reliability is so important.

Lightly used equipment is also a good idea.  You won't likely have the manufacturer's warranty but you'll have the satisfaction that someone else was using it successfully.  Buy from a reputable company.  In the U.S.A., I can recommend Adorama, B&H Photo, Roberts Camera (Indiana), Mike's Camera (California and Colorado).

Remember that your choice is correct for you

Find what is the best for you and make the most of it.  Try every setting and learn from failure.  Keep the equipment manuals on your phone.  I've seen a load of people who will sneer at you for not using their brand.  Wedding photographers are like that, but hobbyists are worse.  Those who are ignorant of all the choices tend to sneer.  Just keep going and outdo them with better photographs.

Instagram and something other than mobile phones

I saw a comment on a @getolympus post today.  The person was making a point about Olympus using Instagram to post photos relating to their users.

There are a huge number of iOS and Android users who have nothing else but mobile phones and some are quite good at capturing the moment.  Some even capture good photos that could be categorised as art.  I can envision the sneers at this time.  Great photographers can work with any equipment and produce good photos.  There are those who are too timid of stepping out on their own who must stay with a dSLR or rangefinder camera to produce their photos.  I count the majority of Canikon users among them.  After all, that's how they came to follow the followers.  However, I can imagine Ansel Adams picking up an iPhone and taking the time to make good photos.

It's not difficult to believe.  Digital technology has come a very long way since I first picked up a digital camera in 1997.  When I first decided to join the movement away from film in 2004, it still wasn't very good and the Canon 20D and Nikon D200 were not very good.  Now, they're really not good.  You say that I wouldn't want to make a poster with a photo from an iPhone 4S or Galaxy SIII?  You're right, but additionally, I wouldn't want to make a poster from 20D or D200 shots either.

The world doesn't care about huge shots and high resolution.  The world is more interested in sharing and that's where Instagram has made its mark.  Since it's been acquired by Facebook, who knows how its nature will change.

I've taken a number of my old shots and uploaded them to my phone and then, to Instagram.  They still look good but in such a smaller size.  At that size, you still notice a clarity from the lenses that my iPhone 4S just can't give.  I thought about adding the Schneider 2 lens and case kit, but at almost $200, that's a bit too dear, and could go toward dSLR equipment or a mirror-less system camera purchase.

The social implications of Instagram are as massive as they are with Twitter.  On the Popular page, you can see like-driven photos within a grid.  Perhaps unfortunately, One Direction and Justin Bieber seem to be getting most of the attention, just like on Twitter.  Providing something silly that people like can vault that image to the top and get you fans, even if it's not your image.

Yes, even if it's not your image--people tend to use images of others to catapult themselves upward.  Of course, you can report violations, but are they heard?  Does any social media service pay attention to violations?  I haven't seem much reaction.

While Instagram is important to a few, it could be gone in a few years, but it certainly signals a maturing of sharing media.