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Question of the week: What five questions should you ask yourself when buying a new camera?

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I have advised people, so I know the questions. And having just bought a Q3 43, I don't need to ask myself anything.
  1. Why do you want a new camera?
  2. How much do you know about cameras (photog)?
  3. How much do you want to spend?
  4. What do you want to make pictures of?
  5. What are you going to do with them?
 
1) "Will the camera be for business or for pleasure?"

2) if for business use: "What will the usual financial analysis (re costs, estimated benefits, and alternatives) conclude about return on investment?"

3) if for pleasure: "Will I likely derive enough true benefits (tangibly-improved photographic results, satisfaction, happiness, whatever) to justify the costs, or am I mostly allowing today's powerful advertising to manipulate and dominate my desires and spending?"

4) if in the U.S.: "What is the imported cost and country-of-manufacture-dependent amount of tariff that'll be collected by the U.S. on that camera?" (I will, by that purchase, effectively be giving that much money to the gumint to fund actions that I very much object to. I might want to withold those dollars by witholding my spending).

5) "What alternative ways could I spend what that camera would cost?" It could range from lenses or a serious printer, to a donation to my local food bank, Doctors Without Borders, or the Committee to Protect Journalists, to give just a few examples.
 
ZilverHaylide said:
4) if in the U.S.: "What is the imported cost and country-of-manufacture-dependent amount of tariff that'll be collected by the U.S. on that camera?" (I will, by that purchase, effectively be giving that much money to the gumint to fund actions that I very much object to. I might want to withold those dollars by witholding my spending).
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Shouldn't you ask yourself this question before paying federal taxes as well?
 
When buying a new camera, the question I ask myself if where to buy it from. The question presumes that I made the decision already. It is one question only, I cannot list five. I avoid amazon because they are careless with the packaging. Canon refurbished, cpricewatch, BH and Adorama are the usual suspects.
 
J A C S said:
ZilverHaylide said:
4) if in the U.S.: "What is the imported cost and country-of-manufacture-dependent amount of tariff that'll be collected by the U.S. on that camera?" (I will, by that purchase, effectively be giving that much money to the gumint to fund actions that I very much object to. I might want to withold those dollars by witholding my spending).
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Shouldn't you ask yourself this question before paying federal taxes as well?
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Not an analogous situation. If I don't pay my income taxes, I'll be prosecuted. Whereas whether I buy something or not is still completely my choice -- though if the current gumint's economic policies tank the economy, they might yet try to compel spending, nothing would surprise me.
 
I’ll spin this a little if I may.

When friends ask me what to buy as a first camera, I ask them:

1) How much can you spend for body, lens, etc, including used gear?

2) What are use cases not already served adequately by your phone? (video, telephoto, macro, weddings, sports, lighting conditions, etc)

3) What is the biggest kit (body, lens, flash, support, batteries) you are willing to carry to get the shots you want?

4) Do you plan to post process or rely on JPGs SOC?

5) How will you display and size? (big prints, social media, etc.)

The answers should narrow the choices down to only a few options, possibly helped by looking at DPR and other buying guides.

Me? Give me all the Z8 goodness in a Z5ii-sized body and I’ll buy it right now.
 
1) How will this improve my photos... noticeably?

2) Will this make photography easier, more fun or solve some problem for me?

3) Am I satisfied with the available lenses for this body?

4) Do I actually need full frame (extra background blur) enough to spend substantially more and wield a larger, heavier camera?

5) Have I read the DPreview.com review?
 
  • How did you get interested in photography?
  • What types of photography do you enjoy?
  • What one piece of advice would you offer a new photographer?
  • What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you got into photography?
  • Other than DPReview, what online photography resources do you recommend to new enthusiasts?
  • Do you have a favorite focal length for [insert genre here] photography?
  • Are you more a shallow depth of field bokeh monster or an everything in focus detail monster?
  • Is your camera usually in burst or single exposure mode?
  • Do you usually process your photos in color or black & white?
  • Which exposure mode do you typically use?
  • Raw or JPEG?
  • If you could take a one-on-one workshop with any photographer in history, who would you choose?
  • If you could travel back in time with your camera, which historic moment would you choose to document?
  • Is a generative AI image a photo?
  • What's the difference between a photo and another kind of image?
  • What's the #1 tip you'd share with someone who's new to [insert genre name here] photography?
  • What's a great resource for a photographer who is seeking consructive criticism of their work?
  • How do you approach critiquing other photographers' work?
  • What one photo accessory can you not live without?
  • If someone peaked inside your camera bag, they'd be surprised to find...what?
  • Are there photographers whose work you admire and take inspiration from?
  • Is there a photograph you remember seeing as a child that inspired you to take up photography?
  • If you were starting over in photography, which camera would you choose today to get started in the hobby?
  • Which camera and lens got the most use on your last trip?
  • Your first photo was of what? Which camera & lens did you use?
  • Your most recent photo is of what? Which camera & lens did you use?
 
number 3 is good , i allow myself to be reeled in regularly , if not by promotional social media then by my own weak addiction to new cameras , my xpro2 has never let me down and it mp count has never felt insufficient , same for th xe2 feels great pretty fast for stuff , and when i need ibis i remount the speedboosted lenses on a pen f with greatt results .... but still im waiting on the xe5 cause i have a disease
 
--For me, the very first question is: do I need a new camera?

Currently, I have a Fuji X-S10 with a 18-135 zoom. I'd love to have a Nikon Z7II with a 24-120 zoom, or a Nikon D850 with a top 35 mm prime. BUT: do I need full frame? Do I need hi res? My only output now is Facebook. That's the answer.
Michel Savage
 
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Sometimes it is good to act, without asking too many questions. 😉
 
I'm generally pragmatic about camera purchases because I treat cameras primarily as tools. However, I'd be lying if I said I've never purchased a camera because I lusted after it. In most cases, though, is what my thought process usually looks like:
  1. Why do I want the camera? Is it a tool for a particular project? Is it because I'm hitting a limitation with my current gear? Do I just want it because it brings me joy? Any answer is fine, as long as I understand the motivation.
  2. Can I justify the expense? Sometimes the answer is no, in which case the decision tree stops here.
  3. What other expenses do I need to account for? There are always additional costs like extra batteries, insurance, etc., that have to go into the calculation.
  4. Can I buy it used? I'm a big fan of used gear. As far as I can remember, I've only bought one new camera in the past 15 years. Every other camera I've purchased used, either from a reputable dealer or someone local I could meet in person.
  5. Will I ever get a chance to use it? I appreciate that this question is unique to those working at publications like DPReview. There's always new gear rotating through the office that needs testing or sample galleries, so I often end up using review units to shoot my own projects because there's an impending deadline to send them back. Sometimes, my personal gear gets lonely.
Over a lifetime of camera purchases, #4 (buying used) is a strategy that I've really embraced in recent years. There aren't many cases when I need the absolute latest technology, and most cameras and lenses from the past decade are very capable.

That said, I've been very tempted to spring for the Sigma 14mm F1.4, which is only a couple of years old and isn't always easy to find used.
 
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Michel Savage said:
--For me, the very first question is: do I need a new camera?

Currently, I have a Fuji X-S10 with a 18-135 zoom. I'd love to have a Nikon Z7II with a 24-120 zoom, or a Nikon D850 with a top 35 mm prime. BUT: do I need full frame? Do I need hi res? My only output now is Facebook. That's the answer.
Michel Savage
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You've answered your own question, and done so correctly. But there are plenty of people posting at DPR, thinking about full-frame and asking for advice on camera selection, and when you try to pin down their needs, it turns out that all they are doing, and in many cases all that they intend, is social media use!
 
Does it involve new lenses?
New secondary batteries?
New carry case.
New filters?
When does the newer version come out?
 
Maoby said:
Sometimes it is good to act, without asking too many questions. 😉
Click to expand...
Well, as Mathew explained, it's a "Question of the Week" thread. It's a scenario in which there will never be too many good questions.
 
1. What will I primarily be photographing? Family & travel, portraits, sports, wildlife, landscapes, street? This will dictate the features you'll actually need. Be specific and honest with yourself. Your answer here can be the foundation for all other decisions.

2. What is my total budget, and NOT just for the camera body? You need to budget for the entire "kit." Lenses, memory cards, extra batteries/chargers, camera bag, filters, tripods, software, etc.

3. Will I feel comfortable with the size, weight and handling?

4. What "must-have" features do I need beyond taking photos? Video specs, connectivity, durability, weather sealing, low-light performance, stabilization, hotshoe, etc..

5. What lenses do I want to use with the camera? Research the lens lineup first. See if the system has the lenses you need to capture your vision. Choosing a camera is a short-term decision, choosing a lens mount is long-term.
 
1. Which of my current pains does this camera address and is the resulting value sufficiently clear?

2. Does it regress on any of the areas for which my current camera(s) have no issues?

3. How well does this camera fit in my existing set up (lenses, accessories,...)/what additional purchases would it trigger?

4. Would I need to sell something to be able to afford it?

5. When can I expect to deploy it in production for paid projects?
 
1 Do I really need a new camera?

2 What is the goal, which kind of photography?

3 When the goal is middle of the road, there is much choice. But for quite extreme macro, or extreme wide angle the choosing process starts with available lenses.

4 How many pixels are enough for the goal?

5 Extra questions are about price, weight and that kind of properties of a camera which are unvisible in your pictures.
 
1 : what kind of photography or videography do you want to do? That will heavily influence the two follwing questions. If you want to do some video work mostly, then you're not going to buy the same camera as if you wanted to do wildlife photography or street photography. The answer to this question could also be "I don't know", at which case, you'd need to search for a jack of all trades camera system, that wouldn't be the best in anything, but would allow to dip your toes in pretty much everything.

2 : What is the maximum budget that you're allowing yourself to spend on camera + lens(es) + eventual accessories.

3 : do you want to buy new or are you okay buying used? Lots of deals to be made if you buy used, and you're generally able to get much better value for your money with used gear, if you're okay with not having a store warranty. The answer to that questions has high chances of being influenced by the answer to question 2. If you have a budget of 1000€ but want to get involved with wildlife photography, going with used gear is almost exclusively the answer.

4 : are there any brand preferences that would sway you one way or another?

5 : I haveno 5th question.

I have helped people getting their first cameras for several years, I might have helpes maybe several hundreds of people, either online (mostly in discord servers) or in real life, through friends, friends of friends or directly at stores.

I was always able to get to what they needed with the previous 4 questions, and I haven't had a single bad feedback from someone that would get a camera and later find that it's not really fitting what they want to do.

Recommendatiosn have gone from the tiniest micro four thirds cameras costing barely more than a hundred bucks to Canon / Nikon DSLRs and even high end medium format cameras.

Now, if it was for someone that wanted to upgrade their cameras, the process is simpler : they already have experience with a camera, so they know what they want. It's only a matter of answering the one question : what is the most cost effective way to fill your needs?

Sometimes, the needs aren't far from what the person already have, so it's only a matter of staying in their current lens / camera system and upgrade the part that needs upgrading (lens, or camera, depending on the needs).

Sometimes, the most cost effective way to fit their needs is to change system, because the way to fill their needs while staying in their current system would be completely impractical budget-wise. For example : someone was shooting with a Fuji GFX50S camera and wanted to get into sports and wildlife. At first you think, well go get that GF 500mm lens, but then you realize that not only is that lens expensive as heck, the camera is also really slow for both shooting and autofocusing, so shooting wildlife or sports with such a setup, even if it is the right lens, would be a test of patience and frustration, to the point where the camera would need to be upgraded as well, with something like a GFX100II or 100SII. In other words, very expensive. That person ended up selling the GFX, and got a Sony A7RIII + a long lens and has been happy since.

When it comes to my own needs, I have a set of criteria that I want to have filled for a camera to get on my wishlist :

- needs to be weather sealed

- needs to have IBIS

- either double SD, or a more reliable storage format than SD cards (like CFXB cards)

- needs to shoot at least 8 frames per second (more is better)

- needs to have decent image quality (APS-C 24MP sensors are more than enough, it needs to be in the viccinity when it comes to performance. Better is always welcome).

- needs to have a decent lens ecosystem that allows 3rd party lenses, and it needs to be able to adapt Nikon F mount lenses (as I have a lot of glass in both of those mounts, so cameras like the Pentax K1 for example, are out)

If any of those points id not what the camera has, it does not become my main camera. The rest is a mix of cost / performance ratio, do I like the system subjectively, do I like shooting with the camera ergonomically, does it look nice (not hideous), that kind of things.
 
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