Questionnaire for buying digital camera (Please read before posting)

[nac]

Please fill the questionnaire, it will help us to suggest better and quick.

What's your budget?

Camera type?
DSLR or MILC or Point and Shoot

Body Style?
Compact or Bridge (bulky)

How much zoom do you want/expect?

Do you care for manual exposure controls?

What's the purpose?
Hobby/Home use...

What will you be shooting with this camera?
Indoors/low light/action/sports

Do you have any particular model(s) in your mind?

Any brand preference? Like/dislike

From where will you be buying?
Online/Local store

Any specific features you need?

Anything else you would like to tell us?

 

[m-jeri]

Good initiative.

 

[ssslayer]

You should also have a question: Do you know what you are getting into?

Most of the DSLR or MILC folks want it just for the bulky looks. (To look "pro")
They have no clue that a high end compact like Canon S series or Sony RX will easily beat the basic DSLR in each and every scenario of photography in convenience and equal it in photo quality. For a DSLR to reach the higher level you need to invest further, and you need to carry the luggage too. So do you really know what you are getting into?

I just saw a thread where the poster wants a DSLR but doesn't know about macro photography and stock lens limitations. Neither does he know about what causes/controls the "blur". I am sure the guy would be mighty disappointed if he buys the DSLRs expecting professional results.

 

[T42]

Interesting points made by ssslayer.

It seems to me that the questionnaire could better differentiate between the comparative/relative importance of portability/pocketability versus flexibility. A smaller P&S is better for "take me with you everywhere snapshooting," whereas a dSLR is a better fit for the devoted student. If one is serious about imagemaking, he is at some point going to have to learn about actual photography ... the fundamentals. A dSLR with full manual control capability and interchangeable lenses is a good place to start.

No doubt a lot of camera equipment is sold to people who are more interested in pride of ownership than in imagemaking (e.g. "Amlan has one and I want one too."). Expensive cameras prove to be a disappointment to many who buy them and then expect the camera to somehow make pictures like those made by famous photographers who use similar gear. It's the photographer's job to make the pictures. One needs to learn how to "see photographically" to become a good imagemaker.

Once the photographer can "see," he can do pretty well with a P&S pocketable class snapshot camera, even amazing friends and family. On the other hand, he probably could do even better with even the most basic dSLR, because it offers better manual control, more flexibility with specialized optics, and a larger recording surface. But there's that bulk thing. Does he really want to go to the inconvenience and expense of all that?

For several years now, the basic digital snapshot camera has been under siege, and it is in trouble. The cellphone has taken much of its market away. That's unfortunate because we need for the big players who make serious photographic gear to thrive... folks like Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Sony, etc... FWIW, I think that Sony's inroads with improvements with electronic viewfinders is the coming thing. If N,C,&P don't get into that game, it will be at their peril.

 

[ssslayer]

For several years now, the basic digital snapshot camera has been under siege, and it is in trouble. The cellphone has taken much of its market away. That's unfortunate because we need for the big players who make serious photographic gear to thrive... folks like Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Sony, etc... FWIW, I think that Sony's inroads with improvements with electronic viewfinders is the coming thing. If N,C,&P don't get into that game, it will be at their peril.

The biggest casualty of this is the 1/1.7" sensor compact cameras with superb tack sharp lenses (which may beat most DSLR stock lenses and will definitely beat the dirt laden mobile phone cam) and all the controls that a DSLR offers (actually better accessible controls unless we are talking about expensive DSLRs). Already I see that none of the manufacturers has come out with a new camera in this genre.

Of course there is the 1" sensor cameras, but then we need to wait for the prices to settle and come to the 20K levels previously seen in the "serious compact" segment.