Go Humberto!
Free Member
People are very quick to recommend, based on the camera they own and love, a make and model of camera. Nothing wrong with suggesting a nice camera but it's hard to know if it's the right TYPE of camera based on someone saying, "the Nikon 235 XJ6 model 2 is what you need".
Don't get hung up on specific camera models and serial numbers initially, try to figure out what TYPE of camera you NEED.
There are just a few TYPES to consider:
1 - Phone Camera. If you have a good phone camera (let's say >10megapixel from Apple or Samsung) then that should be good enough for 75% of travel photos. Landscapes, groups of people, social gatherings, churches..etc. Most of all, nothing is as portable and that counts for a lot. Cons: Can be bloody expensive, more than a decent DSLR !!!!!! but, as the adage goes, the best camera is the one you have with you. (and the latest phones have incredible cameras...for certain types of photos).
2 - Compact camera. Same size as a packet of 20 ciggies, really cheap (£100-£200 or so). Very portable and with a smallish zoom range (typically 28-150mm) that covers landscapes to nicer portraits than a Phone camera can produce. The downsides are that they actually aren't much better than a good modern phone and you need to faff about in order to share images via your phone. Nice to have a small zoom though. I carried a £50 Canon A495 in my cycling jersey back pocket for years and captured some great memories, no award-winning photos but I felt much better about juggling with a £50 camera than a £500 phone.
3 - Compact Super-zooms. Probably the best all-round "travel camera" type. Typically have incredibly useful zoom range that would be expensive in a DSLR (many lenses required).
Slightly bigger than the true compact camera but will fit in a jacket pocket so you're likely to carry it.
These cover every type of shot, from wide landscapes to close-ups of that friendly Robin on the bird-table. They aren't that expensive if you weigh things up, £500 gets you a huge range of features but you can pay less, or more. The best ones can produce exhibition quality images.
4 - Bridge Camera. These look like a small DSLR but have a fixed zoom lens. They typically have impossibly big zoom ranges, the sort of range that you simply can't get with a DSLR at all.
Typically they are a bit awkward to carry and won't fit in a jacket pocket but, if you're prepared to sling it over your shoulder, they cover every base for a travel camera ... and more. £450 or so.
5 - Mirrorless, interchangeable lens camera. Think of these as a compact DSLR.
Because they typically have larger sensors than any of the previous types they tend to produce better image quality BUT....it may not be noticeable. The image is only better if you really understand what you're doing. They are more than capable of taking terrible pictures. The lenses will usually be sharper than a built-in lens, usually let more light in and, on the whole, take better pictures in lower light. There's absolutely no way they can compete on zoom-range with a superzoom or bridge camera but, if you want ultimate image quality, in the smallest package, but at a relatively large cost, then a mirrorless "system" is the way to go. Cost? Well it's a system so it starts around £500 for the camera and then add £150 - £200 per lens. It's easy to spend £1,000.
6 - DSLR. You REALLY need to know why you want a DSLR because they aren't an obvious choice for most people.
Pros - They are capable of taking the very best images (Though Mirrorless cameras have caught up)
Cons - The above Pro is only true if you throw money at it. A low-end DSLR system is no better than a good Mirrorless or a good Compact super-zoom and has several disadvantages:
Cons - Bulky and heavy camera. Bulky and heavy lenses. Expensive to cover a large zoom range. A cheap DLSR costs the same as a good Compact superzoom and it would be hard to spot the difference unless you've spent money on half-decent lenses. They are a bloody pain to lug around all day.
So 1-6 is in order of the likelihood there is of you being bothered to carry a camera. 4, 5 and 6 require a conscious decision to carry them, 1-3 really don't, you just slip them in a pocket.
I personally think that #2 has become almost redundant due to the advent of such good phone cameras.
Of course a new iphone can cost £1,000 so I certainly would never advocate buying one JUST as a camera, that's crazy. If you want a "cheap carry camera" and don't have a good phone camera then get a Compact camera.
SO, the question is really, what TYPE of camera do you want? Once you have established that the next question is "how big is your budget?"
Once you know what type and how much we can start discussing the various manufacturers and models.
Here are my credentials..... (I also have a very nice Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge phone which I took the photo with) - DSLR , Mirrorless camera and a Compact camera.
One last point, maybe the most important one. Cameras are like paintbrushes.
It's possible to take great photos on every one of the above camera types AND it's possible to take terrible photos on them all as well.
Great photos and terrible photos aren't about the camera I'm afraid, it's the photographer.
Buying Leonardo DaVinci's paintbrushes won't make you a good, or bad, painter.
FYI. If I had to buy just 1 camera, for my travels and everything else, then I'd throw some money at a Compact Superzoom with a big sensor and nice bright lens.
I know what manufacture and model that would be but there's no point recommending it because a better one will be released every 6 months by someone else.
Bridge cameras are tempting but they are just too big to take out on a causal basis in my opinion and the VERY best Compact zooms and superzoom cameras actually have better sensors, despite their smaller bodies.
Don't get hung up on specific camera models and serial numbers initially, try to figure out what TYPE of camera you NEED.
There are just a few TYPES to consider:
1 - Phone Camera. If you have a good phone camera (let's say >10megapixel from Apple or Samsung) then that should be good enough for 75% of travel photos. Landscapes, groups of people, social gatherings, churches..etc. Most of all, nothing is as portable and that counts for a lot. Cons: Can be bloody expensive, more than a decent DSLR !!!!!! but, as the adage goes, the best camera is the one you have with you. (and the latest phones have incredible cameras...for certain types of photos).
2 - Compact camera. Same size as a packet of 20 ciggies, really cheap (£100-£200 or so). Very portable and with a smallish zoom range (typically 28-150mm) that covers landscapes to nicer portraits than a Phone camera can produce. The downsides are that they actually aren't much better than a good modern phone and you need to faff about in order to share images via your phone. Nice to have a small zoom though. I carried a £50 Canon A495 in my cycling jersey back pocket for years and captured some great memories, no award-winning photos but I felt much better about juggling with a £50 camera than a £500 phone.
3 - Compact Super-zooms. Probably the best all-round "travel camera" type. Typically have incredibly useful zoom range that would be expensive in a DSLR (many lenses required).
Slightly bigger than the true compact camera but will fit in a jacket pocket so you're likely to carry it.
These cover every type of shot, from wide landscapes to close-ups of that friendly Robin on the bird-table. They aren't that expensive if you weigh things up, £500 gets you a huge range of features but you can pay less, or more. The best ones can produce exhibition quality images.
4 - Bridge Camera. These look like a small DSLR but have a fixed zoom lens. They typically have impossibly big zoom ranges, the sort of range that you simply can't get with a DSLR at all.
Typically they are a bit awkward to carry and won't fit in a jacket pocket but, if you're prepared to sling it over your shoulder, they cover every base for a travel camera ... and more. £450 or so.
5 - Mirrorless, interchangeable lens camera. Think of these as a compact DSLR.
Because they typically have larger sensors than any of the previous types they tend to produce better image quality BUT....it may not be noticeable. The image is only better if you really understand what you're doing. They are more than capable of taking terrible pictures. The lenses will usually be sharper than a built-in lens, usually let more light in and, on the whole, take better pictures in lower light. There's absolutely no way they can compete on zoom-range with a superzoom or bridge camera but, if you want ultimate image quality, in the smallest package, but at a relatively large cost, then a mirrorless "system" is the way to go. Cost? Well it's a system so it starts around £500 for the camera and then add £150 - £200 per lens. It's easy to spend £1,000.
6 - DSLR. You REALLY need to know why you want a DSLR because they aren't an obvious choice for most people.
Pros - They are capable of taking the very best images (Though Mirrorless cameras have caught up)
Cons - The above Pro is only true if you throw money at it. A low-end DSLR system is no better than a good Mirrorless or a good Compact super-zoom and has several disadvantages:
Cons - Bulky and heavy camera. Bulky and heavy lenses. Expensive to cover a large zoom range. A cheap DLSR costs the same as a good Compact superzoom and it would be hard to spot the difference unless you've spent money on half-decent lenses. They are a bloody pain to lug around all day.
So 1-6 is in order of the likelihood there is of you being bothered to carry a camera. 4, 5 and 6 require a conscious decision to carry them, 1-3 really don't, you just slip them in a pocket.
I personally think that #2 has become almost redundant due to the advent of such good phone cameras.
Of course a new iphone can cost £1,000 so I certainly would never advocate buying one JUST as a camera, that's crazy. If you want a "cheap carry camera" and don't have a good phone camera then get a Compact camera.
SO, the question is really, what TYPE of camera do you want? Once you have established that the next question is "how big is your budget?"
Once you know what type and how much we can start discussing the various manufacturers and models.
Here are my credentials..... (I also have a very nice Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge phone which I took the photo with) - DSLR , Mirrorless camera and a Compact camera.
One last point, maybe the most important one. Cameras are like paintbrushes.
It's possible to take great photos on every one of the above camera types AND it's possible to take terrible photos on them all as well.
Great photos and terrible photos aren't about the camera I'm afraid, it's the photographer.
Buying Leonardo DaVinci's paintbrushes won't make you a good, or bad, painter.
FYI. If I had to buy just 1 camera, for my travels and everything else, then I'd throw some money at a Compact Superzoom with a big sensor and nice bright lens.
I know what manufacture and model that would be but there's no point recommending it because a better one will be released every 6 months by someone else.
Bridge cameras are tempting but they are just too big to take out on a causal basis in my opinion and the VERY best Compact zooms and superzoom cameras actually have better sensors, despite their smaller bodies.
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