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When shopping for a camera, many beginner photographers make the mistake of trying to find “the best” camera. What they are really asking is, “What’s the perfect camera” — and we all know there’s no such thing. In their (often) exhaustive search, many end up discouraged and sometimes more confused than when they started.This is simply because cameras tend to get better and better with each new model introduction, and so finding the ideal/perfect/best camera is always a moving target. In the fiercely competitive camera market, one model will often leapfrog its competitors one year — and then be leapfrogged the next.
Each person has different needs and has different photographic knowledge and aptitude. For example, one person may simply want a Point-and-Shoot camera with the camera making all the decisions; another person may want a camera that will allow them to learn and grow as amateur photographers; and, a third person may want a camera with all the features that answer their specific photo or video needs. So, a camera that may be best for one person may not necessarily be the best for another person.
This Camera Buyer’s Guide will help you narrow down about a hundred of camera choices currently available down to a manageable handful that specifically meet your current needs.
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1. What Type of Photographer Am I?
The first thing to consider is to ask yourself what kind of photographer you are. In other words, HOW do you intend to use your camera? Select the type of photographer you are from the table (The Four Categories) below.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Beginner | You are starting out in photography and this is probably your first camera that is not your smartphone. You need something that is relatively easy to use to start out with. You may or may not want to get serious about photography later on, so you want a camera that will let you try a few things without getting overwhelmed. Your camera will have Auto mode, plus a few controls to allow some learning and experimentation. |
| Serious | Well, you’re hooked! Photography is fun and has opened up new horizons in seeing and artistic expressions. You want to learn about f/stop, depth of field, and freezing action; how to apply the rules of good composition; proper exposure in different situations; and faithful color reproduction. You do not want to be restricted as to who, when, where, what, and how. You want to learn, imagine, and create. Your camera will allow you to explore and experiment: You’re ready and not afraid to learn what all those controls are for, experiment with them to see the different images you obtain, and start to discover your own likes and dislikes, as well as your preferred photographic style. |
| Enthusiast | You’ve been at it for years now, and you know both your own personal strengths and limits, as well as the strengths and limitations of cameras and image editing software. You’ve learned to not only follow the composition rules, but also when to break them. You know the type of photography you like best. Your camera should give you total creative control as well as the best image quality possible. You want a camera that you can customize to work the way you like to work (and, in many cases, it does require you to customize its settings before you can obtain quality images from it). But, you can also work around the limitations of a camera; it is, after all, just a tool to you. |
| Professional | You are a pro. Only the best will do. Buy whatever you want from any of the categories — and why are you even reading this? |
Note that the Beginner and Serious categories tend to overlap each other to a great extent because cameras in these two categories basically have a similar feature set. However, cameras targeted to a serious amateur photographer usually have more accessible features, features have more range, and there is usually a larger and better image sensor, better lenses, and accessories.
Once you’ve found your category, read up on the cameras in your category to familiarize yourself with their features and capabilities. All the cameras we feature on this site has a category assigned to it, which might or might not necessarily match the manufacturer’s. Remember, these are our personal opinions and a camera may well straddle categories. Feel free to disagree and move one up or down a category if you so choose. Our categories are presented to help you — not to constrain you.
In the table below, each category is one column. The camera manufacturers are listed alphabetically. Select your category, and just go down to explore all the cameras for that category.
| Brand | Beginner (Entry-Level) |
Serious (Advanced) |
Enthusiast (Expert) |
Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon | R10 R50 RP R100 M50 II M50 M200 M100 |
R7 R8 Ra R M6 II |
R1 R3 |
|
| Fujifilm | X-E4 X-E3 X-T200 X-T100 X-M5 X-A7 X-A5 X100VI |
X-S20 X-S10 X-T50 X-T30 II / X-T30 X-T20 |
X-Pro3 X-Pro2 X-T5 X-T4 X-T3 X-T2 |
GFX100 II GFX100 GFX 100SII GFX100S GFX 50S II GFX 50R X-H2S X-H2 X-H1 |
| Hasselblad | X2D 100C X1D II 50C |
|||
| Leica | Q3 (43) Q3 (28) |
TL2 CL |
M12 M11-D M11-P M11 Monochrom M11 M10-R M10-P M10-D M10 |
S3 SL3 SL3-S SL2 SL2-S |
| Nikon | Z fc Z50II Z 50 Z 30 P1100 |
Z f Z 5 |
Z7III Z 7II Z 7 Z6III Z 6II Z 6 |
Z 9 Z 8 |
| OM System | OM-5 | OM-1 II OM-1 |
||
| Panasonic Lumix |
S9 GX9 GX850 G100 |
G95 G85 |
S5IIX / S5II S5 GH7 GH6 GH5S GH5 II GH5 G9II G9 |
S1H S1R II S1R S1IIX / S1II S1 |
| Sony | ZV-E10 II ZV-E10 a6100 a6000 |
ZV-E1 A7CR A7C II A7C a6900 a6700 a6600 a6500 a6400 |
A7R V A7R IV / A7R IVA A7R III / A7R IIIA A7S IV A7S III A7S II A7 V A7 IV A7 III |
A1 II A1 A9 III A9 II A9 |
Note that although we intend to keep this table as up-to-date as possible, it will from time to time get out of step with what is most current on the market. We also plan to retire old models. In determining which models are considered “current,” our guide remains the camera manufacturers’ web sites. We may leave an older popular model there, especially if it has not yet been replaced by a newer model or if it is still available for purchase (new or used).
Jumping Category
OK, so you’ve found the one digital camera that appeals most to you in your category. However, you also notice that there is one in the category across which is priced about the same. Should you buy that one instead? It depends. It’s probably quite safe to do so up to the ‘Serious’ category. When you come to the ‘Advanced’ category, however, caution is ‘de rigeur’ (recommended). You may find that some digital cameras in this category require you to fiddle with more settings than you may want to — or know how to — before you can obtain quality images. When using such a digital camera in the Auto mode, you might be disappointed with the results compared to your point-and-shoot. But, if you know how to adjust the controls properly, the image quality you obtain far surpasses what you would obtain from your point-and-shoot. We’re not saying that you shouldn’t do it; we’re just saying to take this into consideration before you do it.
Most likely, though, you have identified a shortlist of candidates and you are wondering how to choose among them. Besides determining how you intend to use the camera, it helps to also know WHAT you intend to take with the camera.
2. What Kind of Photography Do I Like?
Give a group of photographers a digital camera each, take them to a particular location — say, at a farm in the countryside — and ask them to shoot what they see. One might shoot a landscape shot with the farm at mid distance and the mountains in the horizon; another may shoot the same scene but include the white undulating fence in the foreground; a third photographer may shoot close-ups of the wild flowers; a fourth photographer may use the telephoto on his camera to bring details on the mountains up close; yet, a fifth photographer may only shoot the animals on the farm.
Each one of us has a certain preference about the kind of photography we like. If you like to shoot close-ups of flowers and insects, a digital camera that does not allow you to shoot macro photography is not the best digital camera for you. The same digital camera may have a 10x optical zoom and would be the best camera for our friend who likes to shoot telephoto mostly. Similarly, one person may take most of his pictures outdoors; yet another takes most of her pictures indoors. One excellent way to figure out your photographic style preference is to look at a number of pictures that you really like, and ask yourself what they have in common.
One of the reason why there are so many different models, even from the same camera manufacturer, is because one camera cannot have all features equally at an excellent level. That is why it is a mistake to select digital cameras based on features on paper alone. Just because a camera has a feature on paper does not necessarily mean that the feature is practically usable. For example, the feature may be hidden so deep down into the menu structure that to use it requires an excessive amount of button presses, thus making it practically useless: Your subject may have moved and even disappeared by the time you reach the feature in the menu and turn it on. Another feature may just not work as well as advertised, and falls into the category of a “gimmick.” Educate yourself so that you do not fall for clever marketing claims, slick advertisements or false promises.
3. Is This Camera Right For Me?
One major step that many consumers skip over is to go into a store and actually handle the camera. Do not rely on features on paper alone. Often, when you cannot choose between two cameras, just handling them is enough to help you make up your mind. Usually one of them just feels ‘right’. Remember, choosing the digital camera that is right for you is a decision only you can make.
We’ve also found that, though there are sometimes clueless or deceitful sales persons, most are really very knowledgeable about the cameras they sell and are passionate about photography. So, finding a sales person you trust is a real benefit as she or he can smooth the way for you to make the right decisions: camera, lens(es) and accessories.
I remember that when I first started into photography, I was barely a teenager in high school, and I visited the camera stores in the city asking if I could handle the cameras. I was basically just a kid asking to handle these very expensive cameras. Some sales persons flatly refused. It was probably apparent that I could not afford these cameras and they would just be wasting their time and effort on me. After all, they had sales quotas to meet for the month. But a few just smiled, recognized the passion in my eyes and handed over the cameras, patiently answering all the questions I fielded toward them. When I left the store, they handed me stacks of slick brochures that I spent hours poring over at home (that was before the Internet). I will always be grateful to these knowledgeable sales persons. (Of course, today you can get all that information on the Internet.) A good sales person will never ignore you, make fun of you or your camera choice, refuse to answer your questions, or refuse to let you handle the camera(s) you are interested in. If you encounter such a sales person, just go to another one; if it is the store policy to treat their customers like this, just go to another store.
After you have purchased your camera, take time to learn its features. Read the manual, experiment, and practice, practice, practice.
Get out some photography books from your local library. Be inspired. Study the photographs that evoke a positive response from you. Why do you like them? Is it the composition, the colors, the content? Try to select a few that do not look too difficult to emulate. Then go out with your camera, and try to see if you can take a similar picture. It’s more difficult that you think: there’s composition, exposure and post-processing to consider. If, at first, you don’t succeed (and chances are you won’t), don’t get discouraged. Learn, Imagine, Create! Be patient with yourself, and enjoy the process.
It should only be when you have learned a whole lot about photography, and it is now the camera that is limiting your growth, that you should consider upgrading to the next category.
So once you’ve made your purchase decision, relax, and enjoy becoming a better photographer. Whether it is landscape, portraits, macro, action, abstract — discover your own unique style. If it brings pleasure to you, that is all that really matters. Have fun!
Whichever camera you end up buying, we hope you derive great joy from using it for many years.
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INTRODUCTION
I. ENTRY-LEVEL
II. SERIOUS (ADVANCED)
III. ENTHUSIAST (EXPERT)
IV. PRO