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Sorry I haven’t been posting more of these, but I’ve been collecting my thoughts on what else to post in this series. One question that I often am asked is the “What type of camera should I get?” so hopefully if you’re asking this question and stumble across this post I’ll be able to answer them for you!

Today there are several different types of cameras available to users, both in the film and digital range.

First off, there’s the Point and Shoot (P&S) cameras.

The Canon A460 is an excellent example of the lower end of the P&S spectrum, often these cameras have a simple zoom lens, or a fixed focus lens very little in the way of manual overrides, designed mostly for quick snap shots on the family vacation. Of course, there are higher end point and shoots, like Contax (in the Film world) and even Canon’s G-Series. Higher end cameras often have better lenses, more manual control, and better image quality.

The Canon G7

Prosumer cameras, are exclusively digital, these cameras, often have the look and feel of a Single Lens Relflex camera, often with a powerful zoom lens, manual control, and excellent image quality.

The Panasonic Lumix FZ-7 is an example of a Prosumer camera.

Direct view cameras, or Range Finders are often associated with the brand Leica, who has legendary cameras and lenses. These cameras, especially in the film world were unique in the fact that the view finder was offset from the lens itself. In the digital world, the viewfinder has been replaced for the most part with a LCD screen. These cameras feature interchangeable lenses, and have recently been making a comeback with the Micro Four Thirds system being used in the Olympus E-P1 (pictured above) and the new Panasonic GF1. Leica also has it’s M8 and M9 digital rangefinders.

The SLR, or Single Lens Reflex camera, has been one of the most popular and well known cameras in the photography world, the design hasn’t really changed since they were first invented and released. The name itself comes from the way you operate the camera. Single Lens, easy, when you look in the viewfinder you’re looking through the lens itself, the Reflex is the mirror traveling up, blocking the viewfinder and sending the light onto the film through the shutter curtain. These cameras offer a wide range of modes of operations, making it very versatile.

So, now that we’ve covered the basic cameras that are readily available, you can work on making a choice on what sort of camera to get. The first step is to of course figure out what sort of things you’ll be needing your camera for.

If you just want a camera to carry around in your pocket to capture family stuff, events with friends, you’re going to want to go with a Point and Shoot. The type you go with all depends on how comfortable you are with photography. Have big hands, but just need a basic camera a Prosumer one would be the way to go.

When it comes to Rangefinders and SLRs, most people who go for them already are well versed in the area of photography, but even now these days most companies are building SLRs aimed at the entry level market (Canon XS and Nikon D5000/D3000). If you are considering to really ramp up your photography, or want to do most photojournalism, in addition to capturing family moments, go with an SLR.

Another type of camera that is making a come back is medium format. Again both are available in film and digital varieties, although I only have major experience with the film type, but I have used the digital ones and they are amazing to use. The film used in Medium format cameras comes in various sizes, but all share the same basic characteristics, it comes in rolls, usually with some form of backing paper, it is rolled off one spool and onto another one. The two main types of Medium format that are still readily available these days is 120 and 220, the difference between them is that 220 has twice the length of 120, and lacks backing paper.

The size of the negative on the film depends on the type of camera you shoot with, it ranges from 6cm x 4.5cm up to 6cm x 24cm. Most cameras use 6×4.5, 6×6, or 6×9 these days. Like the cameras mentioned previously, you can get range finders, SLR, and one other type, Twin Lens Reflex (or TLR). With TLRs look different from most cameras you see, for the most part you look through the top of the camera to compose the shot using the top lens. But it is the bottom lens that actually lets the light in to expose the film. TLRs are very uncommon to find new these days, but there are a few “toy” or cheap plastic ones that are still produced today.

An Agfa Box camera, produced in the 1930s, uses 120 film and produces a 6×9 negative.

A Yashica-12 Twin Lens Camera, produces a 6×6 negative.

A Mamiya 645, a SLR type medium format camera, it can use both 120 and 220 film, and produces a 6×4.5 negative. This type of camera you replace the film magazine with a digital back, another major brand of this type of camera is Hasselblad, which also has digital backs for their cameras.

Hasselblad also produces a strictly digital medium format camera, which are very expensive, yet fun to use.

Medium Format cameras were at one time used for portrait work, because with a larger negative could produce cleaner enlargements, but modern digital technology has taken over these, because of two reasons, you can get more shots on a card, and you won’t have to carry around tonnes of film. Digital Medium Format cameras are uses almost exclusivly by the fashion industry (Melissa Rodwell is known to shoot with a Hasselblad Digital Medium Format.), and commercial photography that requires huge billboard sized enlargements. TLRs and toy cameras are aimed these days at the art students, often producing strange effects on the resulting shots.

The Final type of camera is large format, these are exclusively film cameras, and use what’s called Sheet Film, one shot per sheet. Ranging in size from 4 inches by 5 inches, and upwards to 11 inches by 14 inches. Commonly you still see 4×5 and 8×10 cameras around these days.

A Crown Graphic, a common 4×5 type camera.

You would use a large format camera if you want amazing details, and no need for enlarging your shots from a smaller format, as you can easily shoot in the format you want to print. LF produces the least amount of grain in an image, with the highest definition of detail, it blows the lid off any smaller format and any digital camera commercially available. Of course You only get one shot per sheet, and 8×10 negatives are running upwards of 110.00 for a pack of 25 (4.50 per sheet), so if you mess up, you’re out almost five dollars. It is also very hard to find places that actually develop LF these days, unless you can do them yourself.

Tags: Camera, choosing camera, tutorial, types

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