The big player: compact camera

Albert Pedrosa
Photo Mania

SUMMER is here and it’s the time of the year when I get a lot of inquiries on photography tutorials. Some would call to ask advice on what camera brand and model to buy. Others would like to upgrade their lenses and other equipment.

If ever you plan to get into photography, the first comment you’re going to get is that it’s an expensive hobby. I totally disagree. An iPhone is even more expensive than a mid-range DSLR. It only becomes expensive if you use it like a point-and-shoot camera.

In the many school events of my son that I attended, I see a range of cameras in the hands of parents. There are those who are well-equipped and know their gear, and there are those who take photos from long distances with built-in flash popping up. I think that this is just a case of wrong camera choice.

Nowadays, we have a wide range of cameras to choose from, especially now that compact cameras are really getting better. Although it’s true that DSLR sensors are a lot better than those of a smaller camera because of the sensor size, this fact is no longer applicable, since compact camera sensors now carry the same sensor size and at some point, better quality.

We used to classify cameras as point-and-shoot, bridge camera and DSLR. Point-and-shoot, as the name suggests, is a very straightforward camera. The bridge camera was made for those who don’t want the complexity of a DSLR but would like to have the features of a DSLR. I’m not sure if this category of a camera really made its mark.

Half a decade ago, compact cameras came in, representing a combination of both point-and-shoot and bridge camera. It has a fully functional manual camera with all the benefits of a small and light camera. It is so popular nowadays that even prosumers using DSLR are shifting to this type of camera.

Before you decide to buy a DSLR, try considering compact cameras. Unless you plan to become a professional photographer, then compacts are not an option. Other than that, compact cameras can deliver the same vibrant images for landscape, portraits and street photography the way a DSLR camera can.

I think that in the next few years, compact cameras are going to replace the bridge camera as cellphone camera replaces the point-and-shoot. The market landscape of the digital camera consumer is still taking shape and no one really knows where this is going, as technologies are getting better every day.

You might want to check out Macy’s third year anniversary. They are organizing a weeklong free photography seminar as their way of thanking their patron. To register, visit them at APM mall beside SM City Cebu.