Summary: Top selling digital cameras offer many features. You may want to make your purchase after comparing those features that best suit your needs. Film and digital cameras are expensive propositions, so spend you money wisely. The best advice comes from a veteran portrait photographer with tips on choosing your new digital or film camera.

    Your expectations, your budget and your abilities are directly tied to your choice of a camera. With a wide variety of camera choices come a wide variety of pricing points. A basic understanding of how camera pricing is tied to camera function and performance will help you deicide how to get the most when you make a purchase.

    Remember, there is no connection between camera value and making a quality and treasured photographic portrait. The photographer is always in control of the content of a photograph.

Points of entry

    Five categories of pricing can be applied to cameras and that pricing structure reflects format, features, focus and function of the cameras.

    $50 and under...A definite point and shoot film camera with a fixed focus and a fixed focal length lens, somewhere between ad 35-50mm. So, no autofocus, no zoom lens.  Focus depends on a preset aperture of f5.6 to f8.  A shutter speed between 1/60-1/125th of a second will assure a flash synch with a built-in flash that will reach about 10 feet maximum.  The exposure latitude of negative film (ISO 400) will provide a printable negative in most  lighting situations for your photo finisher.


    $50-$150...These film cameras and a extremely limited number of digital cameras often include auto focus and a modest zoom lens, but do not include a powerful optical telephoto lens.  Flash reach/power may increase and there may be two-three alternative preset camera modes.  No manual operation is available.

    $150-$500...Both film and digital cameras, often referred to as "compact cameras" are available in this and higher price ranges.  Increased optical lens quality is noticeable and the auto focus is faster and more accurate. The optical telephoto lens is more powerful and with digital cameras the optical zoom lens and digital image magnification is markedly increased.  Use of the "digital zoom" feature offers promises that do not deliver quality.  The "digital zoom" simply enlarges pixels with a corresponding loss of image quality.   Features often include photographer's control over shooting modes that include variable ISO, exposure compensation and flash synch options.

    $500-$1500...Price increase is directly tied to quality of a camera's components.  At higher prices the lens optics, digital displays, CCD sensitivity (megapixels), shutter speed accuracy, viewfinder size and accuracy and dependability increase.  Options for the photographer can include manual operation, aperture control, adjustable ISO (200-1600 ISO), multiple shooting modes to allow creative use of flash (built-in and detachable) and shutter speeds.  Some models/kits include interchangeable lenses.

    $1500 and up...At this price point you have entered the realm of serious photographer, at least in budget.  Options and camera control is virtually unlimited.  Lens quality is superb and flash options multiply.  The chance of operator error increases exponentially with this increase in camera power.  Be certain of your ability to fully utilize what you buy.  Options, features and appearance can be intoxicating, so exercise budgetary caution.

`    Keys to success:

•  Price doesn't insure performance
•  Know your abilities
•  Research camera capabilities
•  Select a model suited to you needs
•  Spend wisely