Foto Faq: What Camera Should I Buy?

Over the years I've gotten tons of questions about photography emailed to me and I always find myself typing out the same things over and over again. I've decided to start a regular series answering your photography questions. I have a few posts already lined up but I figured I'd start with one of the most basic, yet common question I am asked:Q: What Camera Should I Buy?A: This is a tough one. It all depends on what exactly you are looking for and what your needs are. I won't re-hash what many other great articles already cover but I will give the answer that I typically email to other people.Decide what your purpose in purchasing a new camera is.Buy a point and shoot if:

• you want something light and compact
• you don't care about getting artsy shots or "blurry backgrounds" you just want to take a picture of what you see
• you don't want to spend a ton on a camera
• you just want to press and button and be done with it
• you want something that's quiet (DSLR's have that classic "click" sound when taking a picture...point and shoots don't)
• you are ok with not being able to diversify your camera (with DSLR's you can buy new lenses that reach further distances. most point and shoots give you a range you are stuck with because of it's built in lens

Buy a DSLR if:

• you want that "blurry" background in your photos (let me just throw it out there that Depth of Field is the technical speak for this)
• you don't mind spending a bit more on a camera (and if you can't afford it, you don't mind being patient and saving up for better quality)
• you don't mind carrying around a bigger bag so it will hold extra lenses and equipment
• you are considering shooting professionally (more on this one later!)
• you want something that does well in low light situations (though, some new point and shoots seem to be working on this too)
• you're willing to take the time to learn about your camera and all it's complexities
• you don't mind looking through a viewfinder instead of using a live LCD screen to take the picture (like most point and shoots and cell phone cameras)
• you are willing to learn how to properly focus. (you can miss a shot because you accidentally focused on the wrong subject)

If you've decided that a DSLR may be for you, here are some other things to consider: There are semi-pro/entry-level DSLR's and then there are true professional DSLR's. Semi-pro's are similar to point and shoots in that they are more compact and they are more focused on automatic features. If you want pictures that have the "feel of a pro-photographer" but you don't want to think about a thing you are doing, this would be the way to go. This was the first DSLR I purchased several years ago but I quickly outgrew it when I realized I was so limited by the features. I wanted to dive deeper into photography. I wanted to control the amount of light that went into my camera (which is shooting manual...similar to driving a manual/stick shift vehicle versus and automatic.) So I always, always tell anyone that tells me they are looking to buy a DSLR that IF they have any tiny desire to charge money for photos or shoot professionally, they need to get a professional camera body and just skip the semi-pro stage all together. Most people don't want to hear this because they want a camera now, and buying a step up means saving up and having to wait longer. I totally understand the impatience but I've had some of the same people come back and message me telling me that they regretted not taking my advice and now they are trying to sell their camera so they can upgrade. I was fortunate enough to be able to sell my camera and upgrade immediately. Nowadays, it's harder because there are so many cameras floating around on Craigslist. Be smart. Think longterm and purchase accordingly.Sooooo...how do you tell the difference between a semi-pro DSLR versus a professional DSLR? Without going crazy into it, there's a huge difference in sensor size, frames shot per second, what kind of lenses it can take, etc. Here is a list of the latest entry level DSLR's and the latest pro-level DSLR's.Comment below and let me know if there is something you want me to cover!