Deciding which camera to buy: How defining your personal key factors informs your purchase

 

 

Landscape photographer and vlogger Nigel Danson has recently been considering changing his camera. Whether you are looking at buying a new camera as part of your existing camera system or switching brands or systems altogether, it's a big decision and it can be a tricky one to make. For Danson, he has narrowed his considerations down to two key factors.

His two key factors are capture efficiency and image quality. These considerations are within the context of Danson being a landscape and travel photographer. It's important to identify what type(s) of photography you want to do as this informs the aspects of a camera you will value the most. Danson doesn't want to be wasting time out in the field and he wants to ensure that he takes the best images he can home with him. For someone who does primarily events, weddings or portraits, they might care more about fast lenses, reliable autofocus, face and eye detect focus modes, etc. Someone who shoots sports might care about shooting speed and continuous autofocus capabilities.

Photography is about the photographer. We need to have the skills to best utilize our gear to capture the best images we can. With that said, it is absolutely the case that new cameras can make us more efficient at producing creative and high-quality work. Cameras and lenses are tools. You want to make sure you have the best tool for the job, whatever your photographic job, so to speak, may be. Danson breaks down how he goes through the camera purchasing decision in his video below. Even if you aren't a landscape and travel photographer, it can be helpful because he provides the framework in which anyone can consider buying a new camera.

You can see more of Nigel's photography by following him on Instagram.

(Via Nigel Danson)