Guide that businessmen dare not tell you! Unbiased Camera purchase!!
Photography equipment ranges from a few thousand dollars to millions of dollars. Today, I will share some practical ways to choose the camera combination that suits you best. Don't listen to the salesmen who say that the auto focus is super fast! The continuous shooting is super strong! The low-light performance is super strong! The AI smart function! They will sell you some cameras that don't meet your needs. I hope this article can help you spend your money wisely. If you can't open source, at least save money!! Unbiased Camera purchase!!
Photography Equipment Buying Guide
What do you want to do?
First, check what photos are in your phone and what you take pictures of. Phones allow you to take pictures, cameras only allow you to take good quality pictures. So if your phone doesn't have any pictures, then I suggest you buy a phone and take more pictures!
If you just want to shoot for a project or your own small project, you can consider renting a camera to avoid buying a camera and then putting it in a moisture-proof box without using it. In the end, you have to sell it second-hand. You may find it very useful after renting it. You can buy a set to use continuously. I think it will save you from impulsive purchases of a bunch of things you don't need!
If you are really interested in becoming a photographer, I suggest you go to a physical store. For example, I always go to the Taipei Showroom. You can have all the equipment you want. You can find any lens you want on site, and there is no time limit for use. This allows you to get more familiar with the equipment you want to buy, because a good camera can accompany you for more than 10 years. I personally think that the technology of photosensitive components is already in a state of slowing down, and any camera can have 87% similar image quality and effects.
Camera shape
Don't underestimate the weight and size of the camera. This is directly related to your willingness to hold it to shoot. This will also change with the content and shooting time of your shooting. If the functions are the same, of course, the smaller the better.
*Weight. Consider the muscle development of your arms. If you hold it for 3-5 minutes and your arms are about to break, it will only become a burden for you when you take it out. I suggest you find a smaller camera like a pocket camera.
*Size: If you want to use an image stabilizer or shoot in a small space, the smaller the better. If you want to do street photography and don’t want to be chased by guards, the smaller the better. Large cameras only have more physical buttons, are faster to operate, and have better heat dissipation!! If you want to scare customers into buying a large camera, in my experience, it really doesn’t make any difference.
*Appearance I found that many people buy cameras simply because they look good. Just buy cameras as fashion items.
Camera peripherals
When choosing a brand, you should also take a look at its peripherals. For example, if you buy a camera and find that the lens you want cannot be used or adapted (flange distance), you should also pay attention to the battery part. The batteries of some old cameras have been discontinued. The batteries you buy may be several years old, and the usage experience will not be very good.
You can pay a little attention to the convenience of maintenance. For example, it will be troublesome to send the machine back to the head office for maintenance, or it will take several hours to drive there in person. It would be better to know the cost.
Budget considerations
You can decide how long you want to play with it. If you just want to try it out, you can rent or buy a second-hand camera. If you are already interested in photography or want to invest, I suggest you buy the latest, mid-to-high-end camera (40,000 to 60,000 for a single body). It will not be a problem to use it for more than 10 years. This is much better than buying an entry-level camera but many functions cannot be used. The good photos taken now will still be good photos 10 years later. The good photos taken today will not be ruined by technological breakthroughs!!
Second-hand cameras
I personally think that cameras are very durable, and you can save a lot of money by buying second-hand cameras, but you must meet in person or go to a physical store . Don't buy randomly on the Internet and then get scammed. You will lose more than you gain!!
You need to look at the lens. Many old mechanical lenses are great and are highly recommended for treasure hunting and exploration. However, for digital electronic contacts, unless they are rare or discontinued, you can't find them in the second-hand market, because the cable has a lifespan, or it will get stuck when it rotates at a certain temperature. If you like the look of it and it doesn't have dust or mold, then buy it. You can take a gamble to see if there are any problems. If there are problems, you will have to spend money to buy experience.
Upgrade existing camera
If you are impulsive and want to spend money, I suggest you take a look at the catalog or advertisement of the camera in your hand, and you will find out how amazing your camera is. The camera in your hand may really be almost the same as a new one. Check the photosensitive element and read the manual. You may even discover functions that you have never used before. Keep updating your photographic equipment unless you are really poor and want to increase the quality by 3% and expand the post-production space by 3%, or you really encounter hardware problems (continuous shooting is too slow or the camera is faulty), because I have seen too many people who bought cameras and ended up putting them in moisture-proof boxes without using them. I hope everyone can make their money the way they like it. I hope this guide to buying photographic equipment will help everyone.
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