Professional photographer David Koonar offers some tips for selecting a new camera.
Looking for a new digital camera or want to make sure that your next smartphone has a great camera? Selecting the right camera can be difficult but with a bit of time and effort, you can find an excellent camera, often at a great price. Professional photographer David Koonar is going to share some insights.
“One of the most important decisions a photographer can make is their choice of a camera,” David Koonar said. “And the best camera often depends on your uses and situation. Some cameras are great for high-intensity events, like sports matches. Other cameras may perform better for nature shots.”
Indeed, the first thing someone should consider before buying a camera is what they want to use their camera for. Of course, if you don’t have a specific use-case in mind, there are all-around cameras that can perform well in a variety of situations. And if you’re looking for general use, starting with a smartphone is smart.
“There are reasons that photographers use stand-alone cameras,” David Koonar says. “Quite simply, they’re often of much higher quality than a smartphone camera. Still, if you’re not sure if photography is something you’re going to get into, it’s okay to start with a smartphone.”
So which smartphones have great cameras? Phone cameras have improved a lot in recent years, and now most smartphones offer at least a decent camera. Yet some are better than others.
“Any recent phone offered by Apple, high-end Samsung phones, and most Google Pixel phones offer good or great cameras,” David Koonar points out. “As for shoppers on a tight budget, the most recent Motorola G Power phones have been getting solid reviews for their cameras.”
You’ll often notice megapixels and other stats when researching cameras. While such numbers can be helpful, they can also be misleading. Megapixel, for example, correlates resolution. However, most users won’t need and won’t benefit from cameras with more than 20 megapixels. Often, 10 megapixels is plenty.
Rather than reading simple stats, it’s smart to read customer reviews and also reviews from professional photographers. Hands-on experience and real-world performance are what ultimately count.
“When I’m researching a new potential camera, I often ignore numbers like megapixels, especially in the early stage of my research,” David Koonar says. “Instead, I look for hands-on opinions and check out photos taken with said cameras.”
David Koonar Discusses the Three Pillars of Photography
Still, specific numbers can be helpful even if they can’t tell you everything. David Koonar notes that fast shutter speeds are often necessary if you’re shooting sports events, concerts, and the like. More advanced photographers must also consider aperture and ISO.
“A fast shutter speed will prove useful for many photographers. Along with aperture and ISO, shutter speed is considered one of the three pillars of photography," David Koonar explains. "Aperture and ISO are a bit more advanced, but as your skills improve, and you get into photography, you need to pay very close attention to these factors.”
David Koonar
David Koonar Photography
