*sigh* 🙂
Which camera brand do you prefer?
What brand do you recommend?
Which one is better?
Which do you think is the best?
I get asked these questions (and variations of them) a lot.
I actually anticipate these questions to come at the end of my lectures on Digital Cameras & Digital Photography. So I’ve started giving the answer during the lecture. And for you, my dear visitor, here is what I have to say…
First of all, if you’re asking me, then you are getting my opinion.
Secondly, like everyone else on planet Earth, I have my bias.
Thirdly, I do like gadgets but I also believe in living wisely. So don’t expect me to go gaga over the newest and the latest. I am happy and proud to not have a need to buy or upgrade every time something new comes along.
Now, the short answer to the above question is:
My predilection is for Nikon and Canon cameras — that is, Nikon for DSLR cameras and Canon for compact point-and-shoot cameras.
My first personal camera was a Canon Elph APS film camera.
Then, I decided to learn photography. Being already a fan of Canon products and with Canon having a strong presence in my locality, I decided to go for a Canon 300v film SLR camera (a.k.a. Rebel Ti).
Then I got hired to work as cruise ship photographer by a company whose brand of choice is Nikon — that is, all existing photo equipment onboard their ships are either Nikon or compatible with Nikon. So for my first DSLR camera, I got a Nikon D80. And I’ve been very happy with my D80, till my nieces started bugging me about cameras. So my niece inherited my D80 and I now have a D7000.
While working on ships, I got the chance to play with the different cameras that we sold onboard and cameras that people bring to me for help with using them. When it comes to compact point-and-shoot cameras, generally speaking, Canon cameras are fast and give very good results. Another point-and-shoot favorite is Pentax. When it comes to continuous or burst mode shooting, my vote goes to Sony.
I’ll stop right there, just to keep the answer to the above question simple.
For those who may be wondering…
APS = Advanced Photo System. 24mm wide film format.
SLR = Single-Lens Reflex (camera)
P.S. For very casual shooting, a smartphone with 8 or more megapixels will suffice. For that, my vote goes to Sony and Apple. And, no, I’m not an Apple person. Oh yeah, I heard/read that the Nokia Lumia does a good job with photos as well.