Thoughts On Buying A dSLR

If you want really good digital photos, it's time to give up your point and shoot camera. There are many reasons for this, but to keep this article short let's skip those reasons and assume you've already decided to make a purchase and now are wondering where to go from here.

Which manufacturer you choose to go with should take into consideration what brand you like the best, what camera feels best in your hands, whether or not you have prior investment in equipment that you can use on your new camera, and what the long term investment cost is like.

The first mistake that many people make is in getting their priorities backwards. Digital cameras, even dSLRs, like all things electronic, will be outdated fast. Therefore, DON'T run out and buy the greatest body you can afford and slap any old lens on it afterward. Instead, buy the greatest lens you can afford, and put any old body on it afterwards. In addition, a bad lens will make even a great body perform terribly, and a great lens will make even a cheap-ass body perform great. Further, buying a great lens is an investment that will last you many, many years. Conversely, you'll be upgrading your body before you know it.

What makes a great lens? Most major manufacturers have some kind of designation that distinguishes their pro lenses from their standard lenses. For example, Canon uses the letter L to designate lenses that use their highest quality glass and construction. These lenses will provide the sharpest image and the longest life. They'll also typically be "faster" than standard lenses. They're also much more expensive than standard lenses, but remember this is a long term investment compared to the camera body. Does this mean you should get any lens with the L designation? No. Do your homework like anything else. Does this mean you have to get an L series lens? No. But be extra careful to do your homework on inexpensive lenses and ESPECIALLY on "kit" lenses -- lenses that come bundled with the body. Often they're a complete waste of money and you'll only be disappointed in your camera.

Most folks opt for a zoom lens. They're the most flexible and casual shooters can sometimes live with only having a single lens. The trade-off for a zoom vs. a "prime" lens (non-zoom) is sharpness. A prime lens of equal construction quality will always be sharper than it's zoom counterpart. That doesn't mean zooms can't be great lenses, but you need to know a little more about how a lens works in order to get a good zoom. I'll cover that in more detail later.

Personally, I have a Canon 20D. I like Canon's cameras, I like their controls, and I like that they aren't as expensive as Nikon where you are partially paying for a brand name. I've also read that Canon's images are less noisy and give better color than Nikon's, but that's open to speculation and personal preference. If choosing between the entry level Rebel and the next level 20/30D, one difference to keep in mind is the Rebel uses a lightweight body and frame, and the 20/30D series uses a stronger body on a magnesium frame and is more sturdy, but also heavier. There are a few other technical differences but if you're relying on an article as simple as mine, I promise they don't concern you. You'll need significant Photoshop skill and a very technical interest in color and light to give a shit. :)

My last piece of advice is to not get too hung up on the resolution war. You can get great 8x10 prints from a 4 mega pixel camera, so unless you plan to print at much larger sizes than that, whether the camera is 8 mega pixel or 10 mega pixel doesn't matter. Realize that while going from a 1mp camera to a 2mp camera doubles your potential print size, going from a 2mp camera to a 3mp camera only adds 50% to your print size, and from 10mp to 12mp, you only gain an additional 20%. Diminishing returns, baby.