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Choosing a digital camera used to be a simple process that was heavily dictated by the amount of money in your pocket. Now the same money can buy you different benefits and compromises, making the decision much more complex. Here's a look at your camera-buying options, the pros and cons of each, and some specific suggestions to help you pick the perfect camera for your needs.



This is a long guide and not every section is relevant to everyone. If you want to skip to the type of camera that interests you, just use these links:

•     Cellphone and Smartphone Cameras

•     Point and Shoot Cameras

•     EVIL Cameras

•     DSLR Cameras

If you're not sure what you want, however, do feel free to read the whole thing.

• ...people who only want to carry around one device.
• ...people who just want to take casual photos of friends and family.
• ...people who care more about the sharing a moment than the quality, composition, and technical aspects of the photo.
• ...people with smartphones who like using apps to edit their photos in post to apply fun effects and styles.
• ...people without the extra money to spend on a dedicated camera.

• Image quality is usually at least passable and good enough for a 4x6 or 5x7 print.
• It is the most social camera you can get. Even basic feature phones often offer some photo sharing features like MMS. Smartphones can upload your photos to practically anywhere via third-party apps.
• It's always with you.
• It can do a lot more than just take pictures.
• If your phone has GPS, you can geotag your photos.

• In most cases, it provides the poorest image quality of any camera.
• Not a dedicated camera, so the camera conforms to the use of the device. This means no dedicated buttons and often a lack of features you'd find in a proper camera.
• When your phone's out of battery, so is your camera.
• It's not made to handle accessories (although that doesn't necessarily stop companies from making them).

As the smartphone market continues to grow, the point and shoot camera market will shrink. Phones are becoming better and better photography tools because they're connected to the internet and have apps—things dedicated cameras will never be able to do as well. So why buy a point and shoot? Let's take a look at who this type of camera is made for.
This type of camera is for...

    ...people with crappy cellphone cameras who want better image quality but don't want to/can't upgrade their phone.
    ...people looking to buy a small camera that can take decent photos and video in easily-uploadable formats.
    ...people who want a dedicated camera but can't afford much.
    ...people who don't care about interchangeable lenses or accessories and just want a camera that takes pretty good photos all by itself.

Now let's weigh the pros and cons.

Pros:

    Easy to use. Geared towards novices.
    Largest range of size options, letting you pick from cameras as small as your cellphone, almost as large as a small DSLR, and everything in between.
    Packed with features you generally won't find in higher-end cameras for several years (if ever).
    Many—but not all—point and shoots offer a very large zoom range.
    Decent quality, often HD video modes that record to easily-uploadable formats.

Cons:

    Lack of/poor manual controls.
    Image quality generally isn't much better than a good smartphone camera.
    Generally tiny and unusable viewfinders, if they have viewfinders at all.
    Hard to use for people with large-ish hands.
    Poor audio quality in video recording mode.
    It's not made to handle accessories (although that doesn't necessarily stop companies from making them).
    New camera models are added all the time and so yours will become obsolete pretty quickly.

For more money, you can pick up the larger Canon G12. Canon's G series has always offered remarkably good image quality in a compact form.

What is an EVIL camera? EVIL stands for electronic viewfinder with interchangeable lenses. It describes a type of camera that exists between a point and shoot and a DSLR. Much like a DSLR, these cameras have larger sensors (sometimes they're even the same size), support interchangeable lenses, and provide better manual controls. Like a point and shoot, they're often easy to use and aim to be as compact as possible. You may have heard EVIL cameras described as micro-4/3rds, MILC (mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera), and CSCs (compact camera systems). Each type is a little different but they all attempt to serve the purpose of being more compact, consumer-friendly DSLR-like cameras.

Some people feel these cameras are the best of both worlds because they provide superior image quality in a very portable size. Others feel they compromise on everything, making them just a little too big to be portable and not provide enough image quality for their size. Personally, I think it depends on the model, but we'll talk about that more later. For now, let's take a look at who's best suited for this type of camera.
This type of camera is for...

    ...professionals who want a camera that's more portable than their DSLR but still provides excellent image quality and decent lens options.
    ...consumers who want the quality of a DSLR without the hassle and learning curve.
    ...consumers who want a high-end point and shoot with interchangeable lenses.
    ...consumers who want a DSLR-like camera with point and shoot-style features (e.g. sweep panorama, 3D images, etc.).

And, of course, let's weight the pros and cons of ownership.
Pros:

    Almost all the benefits of a low-end DSLR in a compact size.
    Far better image quality than even a high-end point and shoot. (The image quality is often on-par with or better than an entry-level DSLR.)
    Small enough to be truly portable.
    Interchangeable lenses.
    Good low-light performance.
    A great choice for beginners who want to step up to a better camera without making the leap to DSLR.
    A great choice for pros who want a smaller camera with little sacrifice in the quality of their images.
    Often offers good, high-quality HD video modes with proper automatic focus.
    Good audio recording quality in video mode—at least when compared to digital SLRs, point and shoots, and cellphones.
    Fairly high resale value.

Cons:

    Won't fit in your pocket.
    Paltry lens selection.
    Using adapters to add additional lenses means losing automatic focus capabilities (or at least rendering them practically useless).
    No proper viewfinder.
    Accessories like flashes and viewfinders almost always come at an added cost.
    In some cases you'll be paying as much or more than a DSLR and that added cost is primarily due to the camera's diminutive size.

I hated EVIL cameras when they first came to market. They were overpriced, not all that much smaller, came with a crappy lens selection, and just weren't as good as an entry-level DSLR. Then the second-generation came along and they got better. More manufacturers started creating these compact, mirrorless devices and prices went down. While lens selection is still pretty bad with virtually every EVIL camera on the market, they rival entry-level DSLRs in image quality while providing a smaller footprint and a lower cost.


The Sony ? NEX-3 is extremely simple to use without any lack of manual control (so it's great for beginners and pros alike), provides great image quality, has a really good video mode (with actually usable automatic focus), very good battery life, and does all of this in a very tiny package. It is also capable of creating panoramic images by sweeping the camera (neat!) and 3D images the same way (who cares).

While DSLRs may not always be the practical camera you want to have with you, they take amazing photographs. If quality is paramount to everything else, you want a DSLR. They offer so much control and customization that you have practically no limits on what you can accomplish—at least technically. Of course, there's a big learning curve and also a pretty big price jump when moving to the king of camera types. So what type of person should buy a DSLR? Let's take a look.
This type of camera is for...

    ...professionals.
    ...hobbyists who want to get the best image quality possible.
    ...people who need total control over the technical aspects of their photographs.
    ...people who need the option of exceptionally good low-light performance.
    ...filmmakers who want to take advantage of the excellent video modes in many newer models.
    ...people with money.

There are a lot of pros and cons when it comes to DSLR ownership, especially if you're not a professional. If you're not serious about photography, or serious about learning, it's probably not the type of camera for you. If you are, here are the pros and cons of ownership.
Pros:

    Superior image quality.
    Vast selection of interchangeable lenses.
    Complete control over all technical aspects of your image, while still providing both partial and full automatic options.
    Many models offer HD TV-quality video recording options.
    Low-light performance is generally very good on the low end and shockingly exceptional on the high end.
    Can be controlled by computer, and often a smartphone app.
    Highly programmable (especially with higher-end models).
    DSLR models are replaced infrequently, so your camera won't become obsolete as quickly.
    High resale value.
    You can purchase just the camera body without a lens.

Cons:

    Often big and bulky, or at least they're the largest type of camera you can buy.
    You'll find yourself carrying more than just the camera. You'll want your lenses, too. And while you're carrying such a large bag you might as well stuff it with additional accessories. Owning a DSLR usually means buying a nice camera bag and bringing everything with you.
    The vast number of settings and buttons make for a much steeper learning curve than any other camera type. Even if you've used a DSLR before, switching to a new model (even by the same manufacturer) doesn't mean you'll immediately know what you're doing.
    Generally lacks most or all of the fun features you'll find in a point and shoot camera, like special effects (e.g. color replacement) and modes (e.g. sweep panorama).
    Video recording has either poor or no automatic focus capabilities.
    Poor audio quality in video recording modes.


Canon 5D Mark II to be one of the best DSLRs ever made. It produces phenomenal images, offers video so good its been used in television productions and feature films, and can practically see in the dark. It is a full-frame camera, meaning its sensor is the digital equivalent of 35mm film, and that amounts to two relevant things: 1) it can't use any of Canon's EF-S lenses (which is bad, because it limits your lens selection), and 2) it doesn't magnify the focal length of a lens by 1.6x like APS-C-based DSLRs do (which is good, because a 50mm lens, for example, takes a 50mm photo and not an 80mm photo). Owning a full-frame camera is really only relevant if you're serious enough about photography to know why you want one, but the basic idea is that it comes about as close to film as you're going to get without needing to withdraw your life savings.


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