As well as writing for this and other blogs, I also teach photojournalism classes and speak at events on relevant, associated topics. A frequently asked question is, "which camera should I buy?"


There is no single make and model that can be recommended. Why not?


It very much depends on a number of factors such as:


How serious are you about photography?
How serious are you really about photography?
What subject matter do you plan to shoot?
How will you use the photographs that you take?
What is your budget?
Why the first two questions? When starting out in photography, one of the most important things to learn is how to use your tools properly. You need to know how to control the light on and around your subject, using the camera's controls. You need to learn about composition, selective focusing and lens choice. In short, you need to be able to have the knowledge that you can make the camera do what you want it to do, that the photograph you envision as you look through the viewfinder, is the same one that gets stored on the memory card. You need to have control and the best way of learning this is with a fully manual camera, or one that can be switched to manual. This will allow you to make all the photo-taking decisions and you will be able to compare the results. Many cameras offer a lot of automation over the picture-taking process, but that takes the control away from you. If you are serious about being serious about photography, you might experiment with the automated functions but you will be spending more time using the manual controls.


You should be thinking about how your photography skills will progress. If you are planning a long-term commitment to photography then you will want to start to assemble a selection of good lenses. Many photographers carefully select a camera manufacturer, early in their photography career, and stick to that company. Canon and Nikon are the most common choices. Except for a few special lines, the lenses you buy for an entry-level camera should also work perfectly well with all other camera bodies from that manufacturer. It pays to invest in good glass as you upgrade your SLR bodies over time.


Now let's consider what you are going to photograph. This is an important factor because you will need a camera that is capable of shooting the subjects you want to shoot. In many cases, this gives you plenty of choices but if you want to photograph fast-moving action you will need a camera that can shoot at a high number of frames per second (fps), probably at least 5fps. If you are going to take photographs in conflict zones or rough conditions, then a camera built with a strong, metal body is advisable, magnesium being a common choice. The shoulder strap on one of my Canon EOS 1D mkII's unravelled some years ago, and the camera fell on a hard, unforgiving New York City sidewalk. It kinda bounced. Apart from a small scratch in the black paintwork, the camera sustained no damage whatsoever and went on to shoot 60,000 frames before I upgraded it.


Will you be photographing in a damp climate? Look for weather seals on camera bodies and lenses. Shooting fine art or advertising? You will need a high resolution sensor that can capture the quality of image, and image file size required by the fine art collector, magazine publisher, or advertising agency art director (at least 16Mb file size, probably double that). In other words, match your required camera specification with your photo-taking needs.


Keep in mind that digital cameras are being updated much more frequently than film cameras were. The digital SLR you buy today could be the "previous model" in a few months. Do not waste time waiting for the new model. Go out and get whatever is available today and concentrate on your lens collection to carry you forward as camera bodies get updated.


Which lenses should you buy? Again, this depends on your proposed subject matter. Fast-moving sports and action will demand longer lenses with a wide aperture (400mm f/2.8 for example). Portrait photography will demand something super sharp and mid-range like an 85mm or 135mm f/2.8. Close-ups of flowers or insects will require a 60mm or 100mm macro lens. Landscape photographers and street photographers often use a wide angle lens like a 24mm. As a photojournalist covering a wide range of subjects, I have a wide selection of lenses from 14mm - 400mm. But the three most used lenses in my bag are a 16-35mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8, and a 70-200mm f/2.8.


How will you use your photographs? Are they for web site use only? Are they going to be printed as 6"x4" glossies and given to family and friends? Or will they be printed in high profile magazines? The web uses 72dpi as a standard image resolution, so a camera that produces more than that will not help the photograph look much better on a computer screen, depending on the final file size. Although it is preferable for pictures of friends and family to be in focus and well composed, you do not need to spend a fortune on high-end camera gear to get good results. Glossy magazines, on the other hand, will require high resolution, perfectly focused photographs that can be blown up to double truck (double-page spread) size if necessary. If you are starting out and plan to be shooting for magazines, but are not there yet, you should not invest in the biggest and best straight away. Buy new lenses and low mileage, used camera bodies until your income can pay for all new gear.


Your budget, of course, is a big factor in what equipment you buy. If you are just starting out in the business, or are perhaps a student at art or photography school, then unless you have a very healthy bank balance, it is probable that you will need to make a compromise, not quite getting the gear you want but settling, at least for now, on the gear you need. I am most familiar with the Canon line of cameras and for those with a budget of $2000 I recommend looking at the Canon EOS40D. The 40D offers very good resolution and many of the same features as are found on the pro Canon EOS 1D mkIII. Apart from a few exceptions, the 40D uses the same lenses as the 1D as well, so you can see an upgrade path straight away. If $2000 is a still a bit pricey for you, look at the Canon Rebel XTi which also offers good resolution and many pro features in a small, light camera body which can also share several lenses with the rest of the Canon line. I do not recommend trying the New York sidewalk bounce test on the Rebel or 40D.


Note that there are two speeds to consider when looking at camera bodies. One is the maximum frames per second (fps) speed that the camera will shoot. The other is the write-to-buffer speed, or burst mode speed, which tells you for how long you can shoot at 5fps or 10fps or whatever the camera's maximum is, before the internal buffer fills up. Once that buffer is full of images, it may take several seconds to transfer them to the memory card before you can start photographing again. For fast action subjects, this can be a critical delay.


Moving up from the 40D, take a look at the Canon EOS 5D. This camera has a full-frame sensor but has been on the market for several years now, and is overdue for replacement. Having said that, the price for the 5D is very reasonable for what you get.


At the top of the Canon line is the EOS 1D mkIII and EOS 1Ds mkIII. The 1D, at about $4000, is a seriously fast, high resolution camera that can record to memory quickly enough to satisfy even the most fast-paced action. It is the standard for many photojournalists, sports photographers and news photographers. The 1Ds, with a full frame sensor, has pushed the resolution of a DSLR to new levels, 21 megapixels at 5 fps - quite remarkable. With the 1Ds, Canon has produced a digital SLR that can offer results similar to those formerly only found in medium format cameras. For documentary, editorial, lifestyle, studio, and fashion photography, $8000 per body is well worth the investment.


If you are thinking about buying camera equipment from eBay, I want to reiterate what I mentioned earlier - carefully buy low mileage camera bodies but always buy lenses new. There is just no way to be sure how well a lens was treated until you start using it, and by then it is often too late to do anything about any problems you come across.


Photography is an expensive pastime and career. As well as camera equipment, today's digital photographer needs flash lighting, memory cards, a camera bag, tripod, computer hardware, software and a web site. I always try to grow my stable of equipment "organically", which means that I buy new gear when I can afford it, and make sure that it pays for itself with new assignments.


Sources of equipment? Number one for me and many other professional photographers is B&amp;H Photovideo in New York. An amazing web site on which you will find pretty much everything you need AND want! They also have a range of used equipment that would be worth exploring if your budget is tight. I also purchase items from Calumet but as much as 90% comes from B&amp;H.


I do not rate very highly the reviews of camera equipment printed in various photo magazines. For a broad cross-section of opinions, that should give you the information you need to make a good choice, search on-line for reviews. Use a Google search with, for example, the words "Canon EOS 40D reviews".


Keep all your camera boxes!! There is a pretty good market for used equipment and I regularly get as much as 80% of the original purchase price back for gear when I want to upgrade to the latest models. Having all the original packaging and manuals helps maintain the camera's value.


Good luck!!
