Digital Cameras~How to Choose Good Cameras and Avoid Bad Purchase

Digital Cameras~How to Choose Good Cameras and Avoid Bad Purchase

This section is to help those who buy digital cameras, and who find out later they are not satisfied with their purchase.Money is lost, as second hand sales results in a drop in the prices of pre-owned cameras.

Evidence? Sales of new cameras in the second hand market in many forums around the world, some of these cameras are even days old. Reason?

i)Previews
Many website previews write about the specifications and the launch profile of the new cameras. There are many good specifications, but performance is otherwise. For example, many were very eager to purchase the Canon 50D when it was announced. After the launch, many of those who bought were disappointed, because the image quality was inferior to the previous model Canon 40D. So do not be captivated by the launch specifications, look out for the actual review. However, the specifications of the Nikon D90 and the Canon 5D Mk II did not disappoint those who wanted to own either of these cameras. The two cameras performance and image quality matched the expectations.
Sometimes you get a lemon for a camera: my D300 camera went dead after a few months, as the circuitry was shorted. Luckily it was under warranty, so I got a new replacement camera from Nikon. For this reason, I now do not buy from those shops who sell the "grey products", i.e. self-imported camera products. You cannot imagine the difficulties you get into once you buy "grey products" and there is a problem with the product.
ii)Review: there are two types~those who have a short play with the camera, as the newly launched camera is available to the reviewer for only a few days. For instance, the popular Canon 5D MkII camera was in great demand by reviewers, and I had less than 4 days before I had to return. In such a case, we can only do a short review, and not an indepth review.
iii)Review, in-depth: this is one of the best method of knowing how good a camera is.However, it takes some time before reviewers can publish their findings, by then, impatient photography enthusiasts would have bought them.
iv)Late reviews: this review is done 4-6 months after the launch, when all the excitement has died down, and the true quality of the camera is known.
v)Buyers/Owners review: look at those who have posted their views a few months, and not a few days or weeks of owning the equipment. In the latter case, the owners are usually very ecstatic about their camera and might not give the true situation of the performance.

You should also look at the buy and sell forum to see how many of the cameras are being sold:
high offers for sales are usually made for new cameras that are not performing well. High offers for sales are also made for camera models that are going to be replaced by a new model. Many Canon 50D models are being put up for sale, as owners find the image quality inferior to Canon 40D (according to many reviewers). Many Nikon D60 and Canon 1000S cameras, although newly launched, are also being put up for sale, not because the cameras are no good, but because being an entry DSLR models, owners find there are limitations (speed, image quality, handling) to what it can do. These cameras on offer are good value for money, even the Canon 50D.

My experience stems from owning several bridge cameras and DSLRs which did not meet my needs, but may meet the needs of others:
e.g.1a:Olympus 750uz: my first ultra zoom, low megapixels [4mpixel], but produced very good images in good light. No image stabiliser, but through high usage, it broke down.

e.g.1b:Olympus SP550: good zoom camera for daylight use, but slow in image taking, and high image noise. Bought it cheap second hand, and sold it cheap too.

e.g.2:Panasonic FZ18: read so many good reviews about this bridge camera, but was also slow, and image noise was worse. Sold it.
e.g.3:Olympus e510: good image quality in good light, white balance colors were fantastic, but high image noise in low light, and hopelessly incapable of focusing in very low light. Sold it.
e.g.4:Olympus e520: read good reviews about this, higher megapixels. Thought this model would have resolved the problems of speed and low light performances. Also disappointed, so sold it. White balance was totally out, but good with flash.

e.g.5:Canon 450D: very popular mid-entry level DSLR. Sold it after a few weeks, when it failed and embarrassed me in a birth day party. Pictures taking were so slow as the processing [this camera used the SD card, so writing was slow] took some time.
e.g.6:Nikon D60: image quality was good, uses also SD card, slow. So traded in for Nikon D300.



I hope my experiences will help you prevent similar mistakes. All cameras can produce excellent images, with a good combination of lighting, and photoediting software. However, know that there are limitations as to what cameras, even the most expensive ones, can do.
After researching, my camera inventory now consist of Canon G9, a good bridge camera which is also used by many professionals as a stand by camera, D700, a good image and low light performer, very good for portraits and landscape,Canon 40D, well known for good images, even in low light, and an Olympus e30, fast and rapid shooter,