In a market full of cameras, which one should you buy?

Consumers never had this good. Earlier, the market for cameras was simple: for professionals, the option was a big and bulky single-lens reflex camera, while for mainstream consumers the right choice was the point-and-shoot.

Now, it is a different world. There are different types of cameras in the market. If you go to a website like Flipkart or Amazon, you will see categories like point-and-shoot cameras, DSLR cameras, advanced point-and-shoot cameras, zoom cameras, bridge cameras, mirrorless cameras and so on and so forth.

So, which is the right camera for you? The answer to this depends on what you want from your camera. In a way, almost all cameras out in the market right now are good enough. If your aim is to just click good photos on a sunny noon, you can pick any camera and get desired results. But it gets little tricky when you start adding words like low-light photography and wildlife photography. Before you buy a camera, make sure you know why you are buying it. Once you have made up your mind, here is what you should buy:

CAMERA FOR DAILY SHOOTING

Buy a point-and-shoot or a compact mirrorless camera for the daily shooting. DSLR cameras are very powerful but you don't need it. In fact, you will use a smaller camera more because it is easier to carry and use. Just keep it on auto mode and snap the photograph when required. No need to change lenses or fiddle with metering modes. Decide your budget and then choose a camera that has the brightest lens (lowest F aka aperture value) and biggest image sensor.

Megapixels don't matter. Zoom doesn't matter. This means if you are getting a camera that has one-inch image sensor, 10-megapixel image size, and F2.0 lens but only 3X zoom, you should buy it over a similarly priced camera that has 20-megapixel image size, 1/3-inch image sensor 30X zoom and F3.5.

FOR TRAVEL PICS

For most of the travel photography, mirrorless cameras when paired with two lenses are fantastic. One of these lenses could be a general purpose lens, possibly the one that came with your camera, and the other one could be a zoom lens for occasions when you may go to wide open areas like beach or big valleys.

But if this is an expensive solution, then go for the best point-and-shoot camera you can get in your budget. Also, do take a look at the mirrorless cameras with fixed lenses and fixed focal length (no zoom).

These are slightly expensive but the fixed lens is usually of very high quality.

FOR LOW-LIGHT PICS

Either you should buy a mirrorless or DSLR camera and pair it with a sharp (F1.8) lens. Or you can buy a compact camera with at least one-inch image sensor and sharp lens (F2 or lower).

FOR WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY

There is no beating DSLR cameras here. These are the only cameras suitable for this kind of photography because only they offer the kind of focus system and controls that are required. Mirrorless cameras are getting better but are not there yet. And don't even think about superzoom cameras.

They are junk. Pair the DSLR camera with a zoom lens, something with at least 300mm reach, and you are good to go.

THE ALL-ROUNDER

For best results, you should buy a DSLR camera. Although it also means that you will have to spend money on lenses, and they are very expensive. Over the years, you may not realise but if you calculate you will find you spent Rs 3-4 lakh on your photo gear. A DSLR camera, as noted earlier, is also bulky and requires a learning curve. If you take out the wildlife shooting from the equation, cameras like the Sony RX100 IV or a mirrorless camera with a sharp F1.8 or F2.8 lens work well as all-purpose cameras.

(In association with Mail Today Bureau)

Source: In a market full of cameras, which one should you buy?