Page 4 - Learning How to Photograph with your DSLR Camera 2nd Edition Jan 2021

Lesson 1: The Basics Your Digital Camera

Often asked by beginners when deciding to buy a new camera is “what is the best
camera”? Everyone has their favorites or biases. With manufacturers like Nikon, Canon,
Sony, etc. it’s hard to choose. But if you are relatively new to photography, I would
suggest a Nikon or Canon DSLR. The reason is they have many lenses, body types and
formats available to choose from that will suit your needs.

My position is there is no best camera manufacturer, but the camera you choose should
have settings and features to be creative with your photography. Ideally, it should be a
Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR). Point and Shoot cameras can do a fine job, but a fixed
lens with digital zoom may not achieve the results you are expecting. Interchangeable
lens systems and learning to use Manual and other shooting modes will yield better
results. The following guide is not all inclusive of every feature and type of camera on
the market, but rather a general guide to help you choose the camera you want and how
to buy. I use Nikon and Canon as these are the most common and what I have used
most, but the principles still apply to all other brands.

Camera Body Types

Most of camera bodies on the market from consumer to professional are what we call
a full frame camera or a crop sensor camera. This is a good starting point when deciding
on a DSLR. Both formats have offerings from many manufacturers with a variety of
features, settings, and lenses that can be used.

Before we get into the specifics of these two cameras bodies, I would like to point out
something regarding the camera body and lens. When researching a camera body, look
at the availability of lenses for it. Nikon and Canon dominate the market in this area.
These manufacturers have many excellent lenses to go with your new camera body.
The great news is you may be able to dust off an older compatible film lens and use it
with your new camera. This should not outright dismiss other camera manufacturers, as
many of them are increasing the availability of lenses to go with their cameras.

Full Frame Camera Sensors

In the days of film cameras before the introduction of DSLR’s, the film is what received
the light through the lens (TTL) and made the negative image to be reproduced on
paper. The sensor on your DSLR is like how the film performed. The sensor receives
light TTL and an image is processed by the sensor and presented as a digital image.
The size of the camera sensor makes a difference in many ways. First, a larger sensor
has a wider field of view, meaning you can get more of the scene in your photograph.
The larger sensor also tends to increase the cost of the camera. The benefit is these
tends to produce better images when enlarged and they can reduce noise. Noise is the
grainy appearance you may see in a photograph, especially if shot in low light.

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