Choosing your next camera can cause you as much excitement as stress. Although buying a camera isn’t cheap, if you’ve already made the decision to invest in a new computer, you’ll just need to do some research to find the one you need. to suit your needs.
In those moments, you can fall victim to both your own anxiety and brands and sellers who, in order to sell a camera, may not spend the time you deserve to vent all your doubts.
- But don’t worry.
- In today’s article I’m going to show you a powerful tool.
- Available for free on the Internet.
- So you can know everything a camera has to offer.
- And even compare them to each other.
- Others and thus be able to make the best decision regarding the purchase of your next SLR camera.
Once the decision is made to buy an SLR camera, the hardest part begins: which one to buy?
When evaluating the different proposals, you may find it difficult to choose between one model or another because of the large number and variety of cameras available on the market, so choosing between one or the other is almost a matter of faith: you are most likely leaning towards one or the other camera just because of your brand.
Imagine if you had to stick a nail in a wall, but when you go to the store to find the right tool, you end up buying a screwdriver, although the situation is a little exaggerated, it’s worth giving an example of what might happen to you. If you’re not sure what you want to do and you’re trying to get the tools to do it, never forget that the camera is just a medium and it’s the camera that has to fit in with you, not you.
Choosing an SLR camera is more than comparing labels. In order to successfully purchase your next SLR camera, which may well be the first, you need to know in depth what your pros and cons are, what features it offers you and how they can help you take better photos.
That’s why in today’s article I come to introduce you to a tool that will be of great help to you: Snapsort. com
Snapsort is a free site that will allow you, in a very simple and fast way, to make comparisons between the different cameras that you have in mind to buy and thus help you make the best decision. While there are more complete alternatives, none are as simple and easy to understand as Snapsort. com, so you’ll become a luxury ally in the search for your next camera.
When you compare only the technical data, it becomes really very objective and very useful for you to end up leaning towards one or the other camera to buy, or at least be able to throw away those that do not correspond to what you expect from your next SLR camera.
When comparing a particular camera, Snapsort becomes a very effective tool thanks to its simplicity. In a matter of minutes, you can get a good idea of the technical advantages of one camera over the other How?Pay attention:
How the page works is simple: a large database with data from thousands of cameras that you can easily compare with just a few clicks. All you have to do is go to www. snapsort. com/compare and report the brands and models of the cameras you want to compare:
Once you have completed the data of the cameras you want to compare and click the “Compare” button, you will see the result of that comparison:
(1) Score: Each of the specifications of the compared cameras carries a score that, in addition to its popularity (number of user requests), results in a final score, the better its features and features, the higher the score. the highest score will be the winner.
Keep in mind that some of the important Snapsort specs (they add a lot of points), like the rotating screen, may not be important to you. Don’t be left alone with this? Summary? Since the ratings are assigned according to the technical specifications (objective appearance) and not according to the use that you can give it (subjective aspect).
(2) Store: If you have been completely blinded by the score you just saw and just choose what your next camera will be, you can take advantage of Snapsort-sponsored links and go directly to the store to place your order Don’t be tempted!There’s still a lot to see.
(3) Reasons to buy one or the other: here you can quickly see these?Each camera relative to the other.
After the summary? Quick score and exceptional features, you will find a menu in which you can appreciate the different sections offered by the page regarding this comparison:
If you stop to analyze the differences between one camera and another or its similarities, you will notice that there are a lot of elements through which this comparison is made, each of them refers to functions and features that one camera has integrated and the other does not have them, or both have them or may not even have them , in which case Snapsort will recommend cameras of a similar segment (Professional, Advanced and Beginner) only if they have them so that you can evaluate them and why not, make a new comparison.
At first, you may feel a little lost among so many specs, numbers and scores, but after doing several tests, you’ll see that it’s much easier than it looks. Anyway, here’s a list of the main features you should have. Be careful if you want to make the most of this tool:
High ISO noise quantity: ISO is something of an indicator of the “amount of light needed to take a photograph”. The higher it is, the more noise will appear in your photos. Better the camera’s response to high sensitivity photographs, the better the sharpness you can get and the best quality of your photos.
Maximum ISO: This is the maximum value at which you can increase the ISO of your camera when you take your photos in low light situations. The higher the sensitivity of a camera, the more capable it will be to take pictures in low-light situations. where others may not. Anyway, the ISO limit is up to you: it’ll be the amount of noise you’re willing to endure in a photo. Making proper measurement and exposure will be critical to making the most of this value.
Boost Sensitivity: Does the maximum ISO that SLR cameras bring act as a limit that you can violate using it?Boost? Or? Forcer?This limit to be able to take pictures in situations where your worst enemy, the darkness, hides. Some cameras that allow you to increase the maximum ISO of your camera through its menu, but be careful that if you force it too hard, the quality of your photos will be greatly affected.
Video Quality: It goes without saying that the better the video quality and the more frames per second (fps) your chosen camera is capable of processing, the better the results you will get when recording your videos. to get the most out of this feature, but as the saying goes, “Better than finish and don’t get lost. ” If you want to know everything about video recording with your SLR camera, see the following article: “The truth about video recording on SLR cameras”.
Continuous video focus: Many SLR cameras currently on the market do not have the ability to automatically focus on video recording mode, which means you will need to adjust the focus manually during recording. If you’re a video enthusiast, maybe if the camera you’re comparing has this feature, lean toward it when you buy your long-awaited purchase.
External microphone: The ability to connect an external microphone to the camera will allow you to record the audio of your videos with much better quality than if you only used the built-in microphone. External microphones allow you to filter out ambient noise much more efficiently because they don’t capture the noise emitted by the camera itself, such as zooming or focusing.
Image Quality: You can evaluate the quality of the images resulting from a given camera by paying attention to that value, which is the result of the score obtained according to the three fundamental parameters to achieve quality in your photos: color depth, dynamic range and low light performance To support its metrics, Snapsort is based on another known tool: DxOMark, so its objectivity is almost guaranteed.
Color Depth: Color depth is your camera’s ability to distinguish different shades of the same color. Measured in bits, the better the color depth the camera can capture, the greater the shades of color you can distinguish in your photos. From the importance of capturing as many colors as possible in your photos, take a look at the “Coloring” challenge.
Touchscreen: The tendency to touch in the world of electronics is no stranger to photography, if you like touch screens on buttons and buttons, maybe this feature will make you say by any of the cameras, remember that only you know what you need to meet your needs.
HDR mode: High dynamic range or high dynamic range ?, as its acronym suggests, is a function that will allow you to get details both in the shadows and in the lights of the same photograph, something almost impossible to do with a conventional camera without going through a computer becomes simple when you activate this function. Of course, if your camera allows it. While it’s possible to take an HDR photo by taking multiple exposures and assembling them on your computer, having the ability to do so directly from your camera will save you a lot of time, anyway, I leave you with a simple guide so you can take an HDR photo, whether or not you have this feature on your camera: “The steps you need to take to get HDR photos”.
Rotating screen: This type of rotating screen not only allows you to take pictures with a very interesting frame, but also allows you to work your images in a much simpler and more comfortable way.
Focal points: Having many focal points will give you great flexibility when choosing where to direct the viewer’s attention to your photos. It will be easier to give visibility to your subjects because your camera has a lot of AF points.
Cross-focus points: The more focus points an SLR camera has, the more possibilities you have when creating your compositions. Autofocus modes do the same from the contrast they detect at each of these points. In many cases, DSLR cameras can only detect contrast in scenes in landscape or portrait mode, but with the use of cross-focus points, when working in the form of a “cross,” focus points become more sensitive and reliable when used. If you want to know all about focus on SLR cameras, take a few minutes to read the following article: “All about manual and automatic focus on SLR cameras”.
Screen resolution: The higher the screen resolution, the more details you can enjoy, so you can check the focus and sharpness of your photos when you view them directly from the camera.
Dynamic Range: As I told you in the article?Step-by-step guide: How to get the right measurement and exposure in your photos?Dynamic range is a measure of the number of lights and shadows your camera is able to capture in the same photo, that is, it is the camera’s ability to get details in both areas. of a photograph, lights and shadows. The higher the dynamic range of the camera you want to acquire, the more details you’ll get in your photos.
Sensor cleaning: SLR cameras, by using interchangeable lenses, can accumulate dust and particles between changes that can stick to the sensor, spoiling your photos, many camera manufacturers have incorporated dusting systems into their latest models to prevent this from happening. , if your camera does not have this feature, simply read the following article to clean it yourself: “The complete guide: Cleaning Tips for SLR Cameras”.
Sensor size: The sensor of your digital camera is responsible for converting the light that passes through the lenses of your lenses into a photo, the larger the size of it, the more light will be able to capture and therefore the quality of the resulting photograph Be better. If you want to understand the differences between the different types of sensors, pay attention to the following article: “Types and characteristics of camera sensors”.
Resolution: Although manufacturers announce that their cameras operate at a certain resolution, in reality the actual resolution of these is usually a little lower, so Snapsort uses the effective resolution of the sensors to make their comparisons. It may seem that higher resolution doesn’t mean better quality, the only thing you can make sure by paying more megapixels is that the weight and size of your photos will increase, but their quality may not decrease, in fact, sometimes.
Shutter Speed: Having a faster shutter speed will allow you to take pictures of subjects or objects moving at high speed without risk of losing definition. Freezing the theft of a hummingbird, driving a sports car or performing on a football field will only be possible if your camera has enough speed to do so. Beginner cameras typically operate at maximum speeds of 1/4000 seconds, accelerating up to 1/8000 seconds on the most advanced and professional cameras.
Photos per second: The number of photos per second that a camera can capture in continuous or burst mode refers to the speed at which the camera can take one photo after another in quick succession. If you want to freeze movement, you should look for a camera that allows you as many FPS (photos per second) as possible.
Shutter time: This function refers to the time it takes for the camera to take one photo after another. The higher the speed, the lower the chances of a valuable photo being lost.
Battery life: Most manufacturers use a standard called CIPA that measures the amount of shots a camera can take before the battery runs out. If you have long photographic adventures in mind, this feature cannot be overlooked.
Size: The smaller the camera, the easier it will be to work with and the more you will go unnoticed when you move with it, here you will have to assess whether you prefer comfort or robustness, although something does not exclude the other.
Viewer size: This function specifies the percentage of the image to be viewed in the viewer that will actually be captured by the camera. Today’s SLR cameras work with two types of sights: the pentaprism or the mirror penta. The former are included in the most advanced and expensive models because they guarantee that the image you see in the viewfinder will be the same as that reflected in the sensor, unlike the penta mirror that usually has a somewhat lower percentage of vision (about 95%). I don’t want to lose any framing, try to get a camera that uses the penitism system.
Weight: If there is one thing that can make you doubt when buying a SLR camera is its weight, SLR cameras are usually heavy equipment not only because of the size of your body, but also because of the lenses used with them. If you plan to enter the world of SLR photography, you will have to learn to live with weight.
Available goals: While the brand itself shouldn’t influence you when purchasing your next SLR camera, you should be minded that not all brands offer the same variety or amount of compatible lenses that you can use with their cameras. many more compatible lenses than for others, manufactured by themselves or by third parties that produce lenses for them. Pay attention not only to the amount, but also to the variety and cost of lenses available for a given camera before making your purchase. check out the following article: “You’ll take your best photos with one of these goals. “
Image Stabilizer: Image stabilization prevents the photos you take from being blurred due to camera movement or shake. In low-light situations or if you have a telephoto lens in mind, having a stabilized camera will be critical. In my opinion, I prefer stabilized lenses to stabilized cameras In fact, the tendency is to stabilize the lens because it is more effective.
Internal focus engine: Some DSLR cameras do not have a built-in focus engine and therefore can only use the autofocus function with lenses that do. These lenses are generally more expensive than those that don’t have a built-in focus engine, so if you’re buying a camera without a focus engine, I recommend that you make sure the lenses have autofocus.
Memory cards – Some cameras offer the ability to work with two memory cards simultaneously, allowing them to increase their internal storage capacity or automatically back up photos stored on one card to the other. If you have made your profession as an amateur, you may find this feature more than interesting, after all, there is no worse publicity for a photographer than losing the photographs of his client. If unfortunately this happens to you, practice the following tips: Can I recover photos from a damaged memory card?
Weather protection: this is a typical feature of advanced or professional cameras as their use is usually carried out in much more extreme conditions than basic or “beginner” level equipment. Dust, water and moisture can be the worst enemies of your camera, so if you can get one with this feature, it will make sure it’s with you for many photos.
Price: The perfect camera doesn’t exist, remember that this is just a way to express yourself, so anyone who fits your budget will be ideal for you.
There are only two factors that I think should influence your decision when purchasing an SLR camera:
Before buying an SLR camera you need to project what you expect, what photos you would like to take and the uses you intend to give it; If you don’t, it’s very likely that in a short time the camera won’t respond to what you really need and will end up selling it or, if not, you may even have spent a lot of money on something that hasn’t reached its full potential.
Once you’re very clear about your needs, you can go looking for the camera that best suits your budget and needs.
Ideally, you’d consider all the options available, harnessing the potential of tools like Snapsort. com and deciding which camera is best for your needs and budget.
And most importantly, try not to stress yourself throughout the process, after all, photography is an art and as such, you must enjoy it. The camera doesn’t make the photographer, never forget it.
Did you like the article? If so, keep recommending it, thank you.