Beginner’s DSLR 101: Tips for the (would be) First Time owner

I’ve a number of friends who know that I own a DSLR and think I’m good with using it, which I’m not.  Even so, I get a lot of questions from these friends (who are moving up from P & S cameras) for tips on how to purchase their first DSLR. Like my friend, David Tong, I find myself giving the same answers all the time so I thought that it might be good to put my one-and-a-half cent worth of knowledge inside this here blog of mine.

Let me get this out first: I’ve no brand bias. I don’t care which brand it is as long as the product suits the requirements. Some of my friends think that, because I use gear from a well known brand, my recommendation tend to suit that brand but that’s just pure hogwash. Anyway, enough about me and let’s get this thing started.

Tip #1: Answer the Perennial Questions

I always ask these three questions to would-be 1^st time DSLR owners:

• Why do you need one?
• What can a DSLR do for you that your P & S can can’t?
• How often would you use it?

I think that, for the would-be 1^st time owner, it is important to answer these three questions. Allow me to explain a bit (based on experience with friends).

When I ask the first question, a lot of my friends don’t have any solid answer. Some of them even haven’t thought of this idea. My analogy for this is buying a shoe. Suppose that you’re a not so athletic type but has a pair of good sneaks. One day, you decide to want to get a pair of high-end basketball shoes. Thing is, you don’t play basketball. So, what do you need it for? Sure, it might look good on you but is that it? Just for looks? Let’s apply this logic (however flawed it may be) to a DSLR. If you’re just buying a DSLR for looks then you’d miss out on the chance to learn what the DSLR can offer you. I’ve several friends who have upgraded to DSLRs but either doesn’t use them (just wanted to own one – nothing bad with this though) or just acts as an over-sized bling around the neck. Sure it looks good but looking good with one will not translate to better pictures.

When I ask the 2^nd question, the answer that I often get is this: “I need a DSLR to take better pictures”. For me, this is like saying that high-end Air Jordan’s will make one a better ball player. It doesn’t equate. I even get the answer “Because DSLRs now offer HD movie mode”. Good point but the follow-up questions that I usually throw are “How often do you shoot movies?” “How often do you need HD for your movie?” and “Do you even have a TV that is fully HD?” I think you know where I’m getting at so, for this question, I’ll stop right here.

Finally, there’s the 3^rd question. This is a good question to ask I think because when I ask it, I never could get a straight answer.  Some would answer “only during special occasions” or “only when my family and/or I travel”. Let’s take on the 1^st one: only during special occasions. My usual follow-up questions are “How often do these occasions occur?” and “When you shoot during these special occasions, where do you often place yourself to take a photo?” If the answer to the 1^st follow-up Q is “once or twice a year” then maybe you don’t need a DSLR as it would be just gathering dust somewhere. Now, of the answer is “more than 5x a year” then maybe you need one. Then again, there’s that question “why do you need one?” I think you get my point.

If you find yourself shooting at short distances (10ft or less), then I think the “lowly” P & S cam might be more than suffice – provided that your P & S cam has more than 4x zoom. Now, if it’s greater than 10ft, then maybe there is a need for a DSLR but there are P & S cameras in the market today that have 10-15x optical zoom yet cost half than a DSLR but can produce the same image quality that a DSLR can.

Now for the question “only when my family and/or I travel”. Here’s another set of questions: “how often would you go on travel and if you do travel, do you prefer to travel light or would you not mind carrying an extra bag for the DSLR?” If you always prefer to travel light with only a small suitcase and a small carry-on bag, then lugging around an extra bag with camera stuff might not be for you. If you’re planning to bring a camera with you on every travel you make, then it might be practical to bring a smaller, lighter camera. Depending on where you travel, a DSLR can be a magnet for thieves.

Bottom line for this first tip: define and quantify your need.

Tip #2: Do Your Homework

The DSLR market is large so there are many DSLRs that are available for the 1^st time owner – from the “budget DSLR” to the very high end.  One of the things I recommend any 1^st time DSLR buyer would do is read-up on what is available on the market. Reading up will provide answers to all of the following questions:

• Which system suits my (identified) needs best?
• Which system I am familiar or comfortable working with?
• Which system or camera line fits my budget?
• Which system or line has the right availability of lenses and accessories that I would want/need?
• What do my friends or family members use?
• Which vendor offers the best overall deal for me?
• (Since looks always come into play) Which camera model will look good around my neck?

Not doing your homework prior to any purchase of a gadget as “expensive” as a DSLR is tantamount to not being properly informed of what you’re getting into. There are people who just buy on gut feel, right out of the bat. Nothing wrong with this though but often than not, this is a hit-and-miss kind of deal i.e. you might not get what you really needed and wanted. It’s best to get familiarized on what is out there for you, how much it costs, who are the reliable vendors out there and what do your friends and/or family commonly have in use. Information like these would be invaluable as it will give you the information you need to make an intelligent and practical purchase. If there is a piece of information that either gets you stumped or totally don’t know, then don’t be afraid to ask questions from people who you know can provide answers to your questions.

Get as much information as you can and get well rounded on your research. Don’t be swayed by “brand loyalists” or fan-boys that have not used the brand they swear their lives to extensively. If there are users or photographers preferring a specific brand, it is because these folks have used that brand extensively and are experienced enough to have a particular “bias” towards that brand based on their usage – not yours. So don’t get caught up in the brand war.

Bottom line for this second tip: it is best to be well informed that to be sorry later.

 Tip # 3: Buy and Forget

As my buddy, David Tong, would say “buy it then forget”. I know a couple of people who, after buying their 1^st DSLR, immediately regret the purchase because of any or all of the following reasons:

• Saw a person somewhere that has a “better looking camera”
• Met a person that says his/her (the new owner) camera sucks and he/she should have bought this or that
• Read somewhere that a newer model is coming soon so it would have been better to wait
• Isn’t exactly what I wanted or imagined it to be

Here’s the thing: there would always be people with better and/or more expensive gear. You needs are different from that persons needs. Your reason for buying the camera is different from the reason why that person bought his/her camera. Your budget was different from his/hers. My advice: stop comparing because if you do, you’ll never stop comparing and will always end-up dissatisfied with what you purchased.

Here’s another thing: there would always be a newer model coming out.  If you regret your 1^st DSLR purchase because a new model is coming out, then you’ll probably regret purchasing those undies of yours because there would be a “new and better, more comfortable” model” that would be out soon.  If you will have the mentality “I’ll wait for the new one before I purchase”, then you’d wind up not getting anything because you’ll always keep waiting. If you have done your homework and did it properly, go make that purchase then move on forward. If you’re not happy with the purchase, then why did you purchase it in the first place? So stop regretting and stop comparing.

Bottom line for this tip: the best camera for you is the camera you are best happy with.

At the end of the day, the DSLR is just a tool – and you’re only good as much as how you know how to properly use the tool and know its capacities and limitations. Getting that 1^st DSLR should not be a pain in the arse as others would think. It’s actually quite simple just as long as you’ve done your homework and you are properly informed. David has an excellent article on the same topic so I recommend that you check it out as well.

Learn how to use what your DSLR can offer, learn how photography works, learn the art of composition and learn all about light (photography is, after all, about light).  If you learn all of these and use what you learn properly, then you’ll produce brilliant photos that would make people go “Wow!” and think that you probably own an expensive DSLR with all the bells and whistles. And I think this is what you want to achieve in the end.

Good luck and happy hunting.

Related post: Beginner’s DSLR 101 – Accessorizing your New DSLR – What to (possibly) Buy Next 

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