When it comes to purchasing a new camera, you want the best bang for your buck.
Cameras aren’t exactly cheap, so it’s important that it excels in the following areas: image quality, ease of use, and longevity.
Once you begin looking around, it will quickly become apparent how many different cameras are out there.
What’s a DSLR?
What are the pros and cons of mirrorless?
What’s a crop sensor?
If you’re a photography newbie, you might not even know what a lot of the terminology means.
Answering the question, “which camera is the best?” is highly debatable, and circumstantial. What works for one photographer might not be the “best” for another.
A better question to ask is…
What Will You Be Shooting?
You don’t need a high-end camera to take great photos.
However, stepping out of your smartphone and into a digital camera will give you better image quality, and more technical control over the photos you take.
Most camera shops stock a selection of the following brands:
You need to figure out what type of photography you’ll be shooting.
Do you want an easy-to-use camera for casual photography? Or do you want something high-end for professional quality photos?
Do you need a camera with a zoom lens or is a prime lens ok? What’s the focal length your photography requires?
The point is, different photography requires different solutions.
Once you figure out what you want to shoot, you can then learn what camera requirements you need to make your images a reality.
Types of Cameras
The two most versatile types of cameras are DSLR and mirrorless. They both provide exceptional image quality, but both have distinct advantages and disadvantages.
DSLR Cameras
Best For: Professional Photography
DSLR stands for Digital Single-Lens Reflex camera.
Without getting too technical, here’s a quick rundown of how a DSLR camera works.
Light enters through the lens and hits a mirror. This mirror reflects the light to a prism, which bounces the image into the viewfinder. The viewfinder, while positioned on top of the camera, allows you to compose your shot while “looking through” the lens.
When you press the shutter release button, two things happen:
First, the mirror flips up, which means your viewfinder will go dark.
With the mirror out of the way, light can travel through the lens and straight to the camera’s sensor where the image is captured. The camera’s shutter sits in front of this sensor and opens when you press the button, hence the term “shutter release button”.
DSLR Camera Pros & Cons
One of the most appealing aspects of DSLR cameras is their ability to be used with multiple lenses. This makes them ideal for shooting any type of photography, as you can customize your work by using multiple focal lengths.
A common complaint regarding DSLR cameras is that they tend to be bulky and heavy. If you’re a photographer that needs to hold your camera for extended periods of time, this might be an issue.
However, DSLR cameras are better for stability and “feel”, requiring larger and heavier lenses. As a result, these cameras have a large grip which is ideal for those with big hands.
DSLRs also tend to be the most expensive type of camera, although there are some entry-level models. This is because of the mirror and prism mechanics, the lens size and weight, as well as the full-frame sensor that many DSLR cameras contain.
Despite these drawbacks, DSLR cameras have the widest range of lenses to choose from.
You can purchase a DSLR camera body separate from the lens, or bundle it with the lens of your choice.
Mirrorless Cameras
Best For: Professional Photography
The rival to DSLR technology (and similarly offering lens interchangeability), are mirrorless cameras.
Unlike DSLR’s, mirrorless cameras do not use internal mirror and prism mechanics. Instead, they have an electronic viewfinder which displays the image that enters through the lens and hits the camera’s sensor.
So, what are the advantages of a mirrorless camera?
Mirrorless Camera Pros
The physical lack of both a mirror and prism means the camera is smaller, and more lightweight.
This is great if you’re holding your camera for long periods of time, or want something a little more compact. It also feels less intrusive for certain types of photography.
Like DSLR cameras, mirrorless cameras allow you to change out the lens to customize your shots. The lenses are also smaller (due to the smaller camera and sensor size), and as a result, are less expensive than DSLR lenses.
As always, there are a few downsides if you choose mirrorless over DSLR.
Mirrorless Camera Cons
First, you get less battery life. This is due to two issues: the physical size of the battery (smaller battery to fit a smaller camera), and because the electronic viewfinder needs power.
Depending on your use, this might be a minor issue for you, and you can purchase backup batteries to avoid running out of juice.
The mirrorless camera I use has a feature where the viewfinder only turns on when I look through it. This saves my battery from draining quickly.
The second downside with mirrorless is they tend to get nose-heavy if used with a large lens. This is more of a “feel” issue, but it can be a deal-breaker for some.
Finally, mirrorless cameras are are also limited in lens choice. This is due to the majority of them containing a crop sensor.
In many cases, camera brands produce lenses that are only physically compatible with their cameras. They do this to keep their image quality consistent, and for financial reasons as well.
However, you can still use 3rd party lenses on a mirrorless camera, but a special adapter will need to be purchased to fit the lens of your choice.
Making Sense of Camera Sensors
In the old days, photos where shot on film. The standard size of this film was 35mm.
In today’s digital cameras, film has been replaced with a digital sensor. This sensor is made up of tiny pixels which capture your image.
A hotly debated issue between DSLR and mirrorless cameras is the size of their sensors.
You’ll find two types of sensors in these cameras: full-frame, and crop.
Full-frame is more commonly found in DSLR cameras, whereas mirrorless tend to use crop sensors.
So what’s the difference?
Full-frame sensors are the same size as a piece of 35mm film (24mm x 36mm), and are physically larger than crop sensors. This allows you to capture a large field of view, which is why many landscape photographers swear by full-frame cameras.
The benefits of going full-frame are superior high ISO and low light performance (due to larger pixels), deeper colours, and excellent dynamic range. They’re also slightly better for shallow depth of field photography (background blur/bokeh).
The downside to full-frame sensors is one of size and cost.
As they’re larger sensors, the camera body has to be larger to accommodate them. Additionally, they’re more expensive to produce, a cost which gets passed on the consumer.
Finally, full-framer sensors requires larger lenses, which are heavier (more glass) and more expensive than lenses produced for crop sensor cameras.
Crop Sensors In-Depth
Now let’s look at crop sensors.
Crop sensors come in various sizes. If the camera you’re using isn’t full-frame, it’s a crop sensor.
The most common crop sensor in DSLR and mirrorless cameras is the APS-C sensor, which measures 23.6mm x 15.6mm.
Crop sensors are more narrowly focused, and basically trim the edges of their full-frame counterparts.
So why choose a camera with a crop sensor?
For starters, they’re a lot cheaper than full-frame sensors, and deliver near identical high-res image quality.
Obviously they’re smaller sensors, which means the camera is smaller and more lightweight. This is perfect for travellers that want to get high-quality shots but still have a somewhat compact camera.
You can also get a greater depth of field in your photos, and if you have a telephoto lens, you’ll get closer to the action than on a full-frame camera.
The drawbacks of going with a crop sensor are that you won’t capture as much of the scene as you would with a full-frame. They also don’t perform as well as full-frame sensors in low-light situations, and will generate more image noise when the ISO is bumped up.
The Crop Factor
Crop sensor cameras have a spec called the crop factor.
The crop factor is the ratio between the physical size of the sensor when compared to 35mm film (aka a full-frame sensor).
In crop sensor cameras, you’ll see this expressed as something like 1.6x or 1.5x.
By using a mathematical formula, you can find out your lens’ 35mm equivalent focal length.
It works like this….
Say you have a 50mm lens, and the crop sensor in your camera has a crop factor of 1.6x.
50mm x 1.6 = 80mm
When you’re shooting with a 50mm lens on a 1.6x crop sensor camera, you’re actually shooting at an 80mm focal length in relation to a full-frame (35mm) camera.
This is why if you take the same photo, in the same spot, with the same focal length, on a full-frame camera and a crop sensor camera, they won’t look the same.
The crop factor is the difference!
From this example, to get similar photos, your 1.6x crop sensor camera would need to have a 50mm lens, and your full-frame camera would need an 80mm lens.
Comparison: Full-Frame Sensor vs. Crop Sensor
Using this beach photo, you can see what a full-frame sensor sees in relation to a crop sensor.
Keep in mind, this photo was captured on a mirrorless crop sensor camera using a wide angle lens. It’s NOT a full-frame photo.
But if we think of it as a full-frame photo, and overlay the dimensions you’d get with a crop sensor, you can see how much more of the scene a full-frame camera captures.
Further separating the two for a side-by-side comparison, we can see how different these photos end up looking.
The original photo on the left extends the sky and beach. It’s a more encompassing scene that adds some blue into the mix, and it has more light and dark contrast compared to the “crop sensor” photo on the right.
And therein lies the debate.
How much do you need to capture?
Is it worth the extra size, weight, and cost for a full-frame camera?
As a travel photographer, I’m perfectly happy pairing a mirrorless crop sensor camera with a wide angle lens. I still get really beautiful shots, my camera is compact, and it didn’t cost me an arm and a leg.
Bridge Cameras
Best For: Casual Photography
One of the very first cameras I owned was a bridge camera.
Bridge cameras are positioned between DSLR/mirrorless cameras and your standard point-and-shoot.
Due to their smaller design (and therefore smaller lens and sensor), image quality isn’t as good as a DSLR or mirrorless. The lens on these cameras is also fixed, so you can’t swap them out.
What bridge cameras do offer is powerful zooming capability. This is good for far away subjects like wildlife and sports photography.
The downside of these cameras is they tend to be slower when it comes to autofocus, which kind of defeats the purpose if you’re shooting fast-moving subjects.
Bridge cameras are in a grey-area when it comes to photography. You get a lot of flexibility in what the camera can do, but a slight upgrade to a DSLR or mirrorless will allow you to do so much more.
Point-And-Shoot Cameras
Best For: Casual Photography
Possibly the best camera for photography beginners is a point-and-shoot.
These cameras are designed for ease of use and portability. They come in a wide range of sizes, provide the user with a fixed lens, and various operational modes.
But not all point-and-shoot cameras are on the same level.
For example, the Canon ELPH series is a pocket-sized, entry-level model. It comes equipped with a small zoom lens, has auto scene modes, and only shoots in JPG format.
Contrast that with a high-end point-and-shoot like the Fuji X100V. This camera is closer to the size of a mirrorless, has a high-quality 35mm equivalent prime lens, and is capable of shooting in RAW format.
These two cameras are on opposite ends of the point-and-shoot market, with several features, and hundreds of dollars separating them.
If you’re looking for a camera to give you above average image quality, but still affording you a casual photography experience, a point-and-shoot is a good way to go.
Smartphone Cameras
Best For: Casual Photography
If you lean to the purist side when it comes to photography, I hesitate to recommend going all in on a high-end smartphone for crafting your images.
While mobile photography is very popular these days (Instagram’s a a perfect example), the quality that a phone camera offers is limited when compared to a digital camera.
But this isn’t to say the don’t have their place.
There are photographers that only shoot on iPhones.
Is it gimmicky?
Yep.
But it works for what they are looking to accomplish.
Compact and powerful, you can take some great photos on a smartphone, and they can also be a helpful tool to practice things like composition.
Smartphones come with dual front and rear-facing cameras, along with features that cater to interactivity rather than image quality.
Things like voice control, image stabilization, on-screen shot suggestions, beauty filters, and selfie automation are included on current models.
What you won’t get is a large sensor, high-quality interchangeable lenses, RAW file output, and full control over your shooting.
They’re fun to play around with, but not the greatest if you’re looking to take professional grade photos.
Medium Format Cameras
Best For: Professional Photography
If you thought DSLR systems could get expensive, I present to you the medium format camera.
Ranging anywhere from $5,000 – $50,000, these cameras use a larger sensor than full-frame cameras. They also offer superior image quality – better dynamic range, decreased noise, and more vibrant colours.
They are known for a certain “look” – one with a wide field of view and a shallow depth of field.
Back when photos were shot on film, medium format cameras had a distinct image quality advantage over standard cameras that shot with 35mm film.
But as we’ve moved into the digital age, with advancements in sensors and lenses, you’d be hard-pressed to find many who could distinguish between medium format and full-frame photos.
Film Cameras
Best For: Professional & Casual Photography
With digital all the rage these days, you would think film cameras have been rendered obsolete.
Not so.
In fact, film photography has become its own niche now – kind of like how vinyl records made a comeback for their nostalgic analog quality.
You’ll often hear photographers say they love the look of film compared to digital. This is a valid argument, as digital can sometimes come across a bit too “clean” looking.
However, you can always shoot on digital and edit with a film preset to emulate a film look.
Film cameras require a bit more manual operation, and less customization for each photo. Additionally, the price of film rolls add up quickly. Unless you have an unlimited bank account, you’ll want to get your shot in one or two takes.
Also, keep in mind that your photos will need to be scanned in if you want digital copies.
While film photography is a bit more involved and old school, that’s a big part of the appeal.
If you don’t have a generational hand-me-down, you can still buy 35mm film cameras brand new, as well as Polaroid and medium format film cameras.
Bargains can also be found on sites that sell used goods, and your local thrift store could even have an old film camera waiting to be claimed.
So back to our question – which camera is the best?
The answer: there is no specific camera that will do it all.
What I highly recommend is doing the necessary research before you invest in a camera.
Just because a model is hailed as the “best camera for professional photography” doesn’t necessarily make it true. It might be overkill for you. Or maybe it doesn’t have a specific feature you require.
There’s a camera out there for everyone.
Go to your local shop and see what’s available. Pick them up and play around with them.
If it feels right, that’s a big step in knowing what you want.
Read reviews. Watch YouTube tutorials. Learn as much as you need to know to make an informed decision.
Figure out what cameras and lenses produce the photos you aspire to create, and you’ll be well on your way to your next purchase.
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