What Camera Should I Buy?

I'd recommend one that you understand. Most any camera will take a good picture -- it's controlling the camera that is the problem.

There are so many features these days that the controls can be overwhelming and put you off taking photos. So visit a camera store, play with different models, and see which ones feel right and easy to understand.

Introduction
Fundamentally, all cameras are the same and, given the same settings, a cheap camera will take the same photograph as an expensive camera. The extra money gets you improved image quality and more control over how the picture will look.

A camera is a box with a hole in it. You can make one -- called a "pinhole camera" -- using a shoe box with a window of transparent paper on one side and a small hole in the opposite side. Adding more controls, mainly to do with the lens, produces different types of cameras.


Types
Disposable Camera. These one-time use cameras are easy to carry and take surprisingly good shots. They are great for people shots at parties. You can even get "underwater" cameras, for scuba diving or at a sandy beach.

Compact "Point-and-Shoot" Camera. Perfect for snapshots. I use one for most of my personal shots and a few professional shots. I like a small, pocket-sized camera with a flash (for people's faces), a self-timer (to include myself in the shot), a wide-angle lens (28mm-equivalent for impact), and a panoramic mode (looks cool!). Most people seem to like a big, zoom lens, but I don't as I prefer "wide" shots over "tight" shots, and a bigger lens increases the size and weight of the camera.

SLR. This is the choice of semi-pro and professional travel photographers. The Single Lens Reflex feature -- which allows the viewfinder to look through the main lens instead of its own fixed lens -- allows you to remove and replace the lens. Interchangeable lenses give you more creative control of your shot. You can make a super-wide shot with a 'short' lens, or enlarge a very distant object with a 'long' lens. My favorite lens sizes are 28, 35, 50, 135, and 300mm. You can also control the aperture (the size of the hole) which allows you to decide what is, and what is not, in focus. The downside to the SLR is that you now have more equipment to buy and carry.

Medium- and Large-Format. These are big film cameras -- their size allows you to use larger film, producing a higher quality/resolution image. The equipment is large and heavy and, therefore, inconvenient for basic travel purposes.

Look for a camera with the simplest layout of the features you need and, as with the stock market, only invest in what you understand.


Cameras
Below are my two favorites for each category of digital camera: