Simply amazing weddings…
Probably the most frequent question I get asked at weddings is: “I’m thinking of buying a new camera, which is the best one?” I have to refrain myself from saying: “It’s probably the new EOS 1Ds at around £4k!”
You see, the unspoken words that follow “What’s the best camera” are “FOR ME?” and that dear reader is an entirely different kettle of fish entirely!
I think, if I’m honest people approach the whole photography thing from the wrong end. (Actually, I think this can be said of most hobbies!) Rushing out and buying the most expensive camera you can afford, with lenses a flash, tripods, filters, additional lenses, macro rings etc. etc. etc will not instantly guarantee better pictures.
The problem with having ‘a camera’ be it a multi faceted SLR, or a simple point and shoot, you have to TAKE IT WITH YOU. And there is the problem that most people suffer.
If you have a huge system camera, you are unlikely to pick it up before you take the dog for a walk, or when you pop down the pub. Most people will leave their cameras at home 99.9% of the time, generally thinking that they are going ‘out’ and not going to ‘take pictures’
In the words of Bilbo Baggins ”You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no telling where you might be swept off to.” Quite simply, The second you walk out of your door, you will be presented with amazing photo opportunities. The key to being a photographer is training your eye to see these opportunities, what comes after that is learning how to capture them best…
So… you may be asking at this point “What the bloody hell are you waffling on about Bilbo Baggins for, I want to know which is the best camera for me!” Which in honesty, is a fair point.
My personal opinion, is that the best camera is the camera that you will always have with you, and on this basis, I thoroughly recommend a decent phone, with the best camera built in.
Let’s be honest, do you ever leave your phone at home? It’s probably with you 24 hours a day, on the bedside at night and in your pocket during the day. Instantly available for when the amazing opportunities come knocking at your door!
The quality of phone cameras have come on in huge leaps and bounds in the last few years and frankly the best are currently sitting on a par with most compact cameras. While it will be some years before they’re a good as an SLR, they do take a very, very reasonable picture at quite large image sizes…
So, here are a few of the best:
Nokia N8
A Carl Zeiss lens with f2.8 aperture makes this a great quality camera phone. Sadly, only a tiny zoom, so probably best for the purists photography buff…
Samsung Pixon 12
Exposure controls, ISO from 50-1600 and a reasonable lens means you’ll get some good photographs out of this little phone /camera.
Apple Iphone
Let’s face it, the one we’ll all buy… and with good reason, they’re, very, very good! Not the most featured camera, but the results are very respectable indeed!
Motorola Milestone XT720
Lots of manual control on this little phone camera, a sure sign of things to come.
The most important thing is to REMEMBER that you have a camera with you and if you see something beautiful think to your self I’m going to capture that, forever.
So, in essence, the best camera is the one you are always going to have with you. Personally, I’d rather have a mediocre picture of a great sunset, than no picture at all… Actually, that’s not entirely true, I’d rather have an amazing picture of an amazing sunset, but frankly everyone else gets fed up of me lugging cameras, tripods, filters, lenses etc. around, then waiting for me for the light to be ‘just right’ Sometimes you’ve just got to go with the flow…
PK