Popular Camera Brands for Different Levels of Experience

When I first started taking pictures for photography, I started right at the middle and went straight to the top. But if you know little to nothing or absolutely nothing about cameras, a great start for you would be at the very beginning. This is a very good way to learn the ropes with out taking too much on at once. There are three different range levels to cameras in my opinion. There is the type of cameras you use for starting out, or for recreational use. Then there's the middle level, for people that know they want a really nice camera, and know they will be using it for a lot more than just get togethers or recreational use. These are the cameras your going to want to get into if you plan on being a photographer or plan on taking some really serious pictures, and you want a quality camera. The last level is for the real professional photographers. You want the best, and are willing to pay any price to have whatever it is you need.

The first level is pretty easy. You want a nice camera that's easy to understand and easy to use, but they still have a pretty high Pixel and Resolution count. These are usually "compact" type cameras. You can expect to pay $180 or less for these cameras. The best brands you could be looking at are Kodak, Sony, Panasonic, Canon & Nikon. Here are some cameras that got high reviews that you should be looking into, and some of the specs that come with them:

Kodak Z1285
Price - $181
Resolution - 4000 x 3000
Pixels - 12million
ISO rating - Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, (3200 at 3.1 MP)
Digital Zoom - 5x

Sony DSC-S780
Price - $169
Resolution - 3264 x 2448
Pixels - 8.1million
ISO rating - Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1250
Digital Zoom - 2x

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LZ8
Price - $157
Resolution - 3264 x 2448
Pixels - 8.1million
ISO rating - Auto, Hi Auto (1600-6400), 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
Digital Zoom - 4x

Canon Powershot A470
Price - $120
Resolution - 3072 x 2304
Pixels - 7.1million
ISO rating - Auto, Hi Auto (incorporating Motion Detection Technology), 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
Digital Zoom - 4x

Nikon Coolpix S210
Price - $161
Resolution - 3264 x 2448
Pixels - 8.0million
ISO rating - Auto, (64 - 800), 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 2000
Digital Zoom - 4x

The second or mid level shouldn't be considered as "compact" cameras anymore. These usually consist of SLR type cameras. You can put some really good use into these cameras if you buy the right ones. The photographs that CAN come from these cameras are absolutely spectacular. Again these are good cameras for a person that wants to be a photographer or wants to shoot on a more professional basis. Some camera brands you should be looking at are Pentax, Olympus, Nikon & Canon. Also depending on the camera, the brand, and what shooting capabilities it allows you, you can expect to spend well over $1500 for these. Its well worth it though. These mid cameras offer a lot more options for the semi pro. Your also going to want to look at fps, aperture and more on these cams.

Pentax K20D
Price - $1100
Resolution - 4672 x 3104
Pixels - 14.6million
ISO rating - Auto, 100 - 3200 in 1EV, 1/2 EV or 1/3 EV stops, ISO 6400

Olympus E-520
Price - $600
Resolution - 3648 x 2736
Pixels - 10.0million
ISO rating - Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600

Nikon D60
Price - $650
Resolution - 3872 x 2592
Pixels - 10.2million
ISO rating - Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, (plus 3200 with boost)

Canon EOS 450D
Price - $800
Resolution - 4272 x 2848
Pixels - 12.2million
ISO rating - Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600

And lastly, the big boys. In my opinion these aren't just any one's cameras, and not just anyone should own one. Before you go and spend thousands of dollars, do yourself a favor and at least start at the mid level before diving straight into this one. If you don't learn the basics there is no telling what will happen when you buy one of these.

Hasselblad 503CW $2,500
This is a really fantastic camera. Its has a film back and an SLR back. So this is a camera great for film or for digital photographs. And from what Ive seen, the photos are absolutely incredible. I would be happy just holding one of these, let alone actually taking pictures with it! Of course there are some newer Hasselblads so have a look and see what you like.

Canon EOS 1D Mark III $3,899
Nikon & Canon have always and will always be known as the greatest cameras. They will stand up to the wear and tear of daily life, and still shoot amazing pictures. And the price is really worth it. Some of the options this camera in particular offers; 10-mega-pixel continuous shooting; very low noise; highly customizable; well-designed body with weather sealing; 3-inch LCD!

Nikon D3 $4,499
This is a really Nikon for the price tag, believe me! It has tons of options including 12.1million Mega Pixels, Front curtain, Rear curtain, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow flash modes, 6 white balance positions, and the colors are just about perfect. Good camera, for a good price.

These are some of the top cams you will want to check out. I'm sure some people are wondering why I didn't add certain brands like Fuji, and that's only because Ive never used a Fuji and I didn't hear very many great reviews about it. But if you have and you really like Fuji's then stick with what you like. I only added one Sony, because I don't really like Sony's but they do usually get good reviews, so I added one in just for show, so you could see various types of cameras. Good luck with whatever you end up buying, and make sure you take a ton of pictures and are super patient with your new camera. The more you use it, the more you will understand it and be able to use it to its fullest.