How to choose your first camera? A classic question both for those who want to start taking photographs with a camera and for those who want to make a gift for friends or relatives who are passionate about photography. In this guide we see how to choose your first camera, exploring models, brands and types
Very often you come across a moment when you have to choose your first camera for yourself or as a gift to friends or relatives who are photography enthusiasts. And the ever-looming question is: how to choose your first camera? For those who are not professional photographers, the choice of a camera e like embarking on a journey without beginning or end and above all when faced with the most disparate prices. It happens that when we buy our first camera, we also want to approach photography, perhaps following a course and therefore we still don't know what potential we want nor do we want to spend too much of a budget.
Reflex cameras, mirrorless, compact, with lens, without lens, so many choices to make and the only need to want a camera to start taking photographs, to explore with photography when travelling, at home or with friends. The possibilities we have are truly vast, Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Sony, Olympus are some of the brands that meet this need, but it is good to know how to choose.
In this guide we see how to choose the first camera for those who have no professional pretensions, but want to approach photographyexploring and with a limited budget available.
How to choose your first camera: the guide | April 2024
The choice, as we were saying, is very wide because we have SLR, mirrorless or even compact cameras available, which in many cases offer the same quality as an entry level SLR model. In the case of compact cameras, we have the Sony system which offers good possibilities with good image quality and the advantage of the lens already incorporated into the camera and the very small dimensions.
The compact camera, even when it offers high performance, can also be carried in your pocket and this is a huge advantage especially for those who love to travel. If, however, we want to have the pleasure of changing lenses according to our needs, then the choice falls on reflex or mirrorless. There is an important premise to make here: the reflex system, although still very popular, has in recent years been equalized by the mirrorless system and as a result he saw prices drop significantly and therefore the possibility of purchasing a good camera while saving his wallet. For the reflex system, we see some great classics from Canon and Nikon, entry level, perfect for starting photography.
On the mirrorless system we recommend cameras with a slightly higher budget than the others we offer, from €500 to €800, a necessary increase to have a small-sized camerawith interchangeable lens and very cutting-edge with its digital sensors.
How to choose your first camera: compact cameras
The first possibility to take into consideration is that of small, compact cameras, very often mainly with automatic mode, but be careful! Let's not underestimate “compact cameras” because they allow us to take them everywhere, even put them in our pockets, without having to change lenses and having no weight or bulk of any kind. In many cases, compact cameras offer image quality and performance on par with an entry level reflex. Here, we offer not only the reliability of Sony, but also Panasonic and a gem coming from OM System, formerly Olympus.
How to choose your first camera: reflex cameras
For those who are always fascinated by the reflex, even if the photography market is now pushing towards the mirrorless system, there are always good choices here and at very reasonable prices. First of all it is good to make a clarification, what does reflex mean? Reflex is the camera system with the mirror, tilted 45° upwards, placed in a dark room behind the lens. Unlike the compact cameras seen a few lines above, here we have interchangeable lenses and thanks to the rise of the mirrorless system we also have the possibility of purchasing reflex cameras at lower prices, without sacrificing quality.
The reflection it is the camera to choose for those who still have a passion for this type of camera, those who appreciate interchangeable lenses and the classicism that a reflex is still able to give: reliability, mechanics, shooting sensation.
Within Canon and Nikon reflex cameras remain the two classic and solid references especially to stay within the cost of around €500.
How to choose your first camera: mirrorless cameras
And now we have reached the mirrorless system, the most cutting-edge in recent years, without a mirror placed between the optics and the sensor. The digital sensor and the absence of a mirror allow for smaller dimensions than the reflex and still offer the possibility of interchangeable lenses.
Conclusions
Our guide comes to an end and we hope to have given you all the information you need to be able to buy your first camera and experiment while saving your wallet. Let us know in the comments what your choice will be and continue to follow techgameworld.com for all the advice on the world of photography.