Taking photos has never been as easy as today. Thanks to technical progress in this field, photos can be taken as much as you want, and – most importantly – the photos don’t cost anything. We can almost immediately place them in computer memory or USB and then watch them on TV. Send it to family, and friends, to the newspaper, and post it, e.g. on Facebook. They can be improved, corrected, or deleted – unwanted ones – on the computer.
Let’s remember photography a dozen or so years ago when we loaded a 12-, 24- or 32-frame film into a Zenit, Smena, or Druh camera. You had to think long and hard before pressing the shutter button. The processing of the film itself, making negatives and prints, was not cheap either, which discouraged many people – including me – from taking photos. It’s a pity, because as the old saying goes, “practice makes perfect” and this also applies to photography.
In the 1960s I had an excellent photography teacher – Marek Karewicz (SP+), who taught me a lot. After many years of break in the world of photography, when I received my first digital camera for digital photography, I knew it was time to recall the knowledge from my time studying in the photography studio at the Youth Palace (Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw).
So when I picked up a professional camera weighing over 2 kilograms, I was reminded of my achievements from my youth. Having extensive theoretical and practical experience, I found out that the difference in holding the camera, framing, and pressing the shutter button is practically minimal. Photography is not only about technical skills or mastering the knowledge of composition. To take the most beautiful photos, you have to feel it and be sensitive to the beauty that you want to capture. It cannot be denied that to be successful in this field, you need a good (but not necessarily expensive) camera.
What prompted me to write this article? More and more of my friends want to try archiving memories using photography. Take photos of trips, holidays, children, grandchildren, or nature – whatever you like. It has become much easier today. But..
Which camera should I choose?
I will not mention various well-known manufacturer names, because it is a very individual choice. We are considering amateur photography, in which there is no point in spending many thousands on an SLR camera, which we will not use many functions of, and the difficulty in understanding all the functions will only cause reluctance. I remember how my former photography teacher, at the opening of his works, was asked by the lady serving the buffet: “You take such beautiful photos, you must have a good camera.” Marek Karewicz, a famous joker, replied: “You cook great, you must have excellent pots.”
Generally, today’s digital cameras can be divided into three groups. The first are SLR cameras, and the second is probably the most liked, popular, and very convenient compact cameras, which often think for us when taking photos and practically our participation is pressing the trigger. The third group is quite expensive mirrorless cameras. Let’s not forget about the whole range of mobile phones and iPads, which work great in action. So maybe it’s worth asking yourself: what can you afford? The photos taken with each of these cameras are… almost the same. These cameras differ in price, speed, resolution, and ease of use, but the result will be similar.
Compact cameras do not have interchangeable lenses, which in the future – if any of you love this hobby – will be a big lack and difficulty in developing your skills. If someone decides to buy a SLR camera, they will have a camera in which we can freely replace the lenses (but only those adapted to the same manufacturer). Choosing a lens, on the other hand, is very complicated. Each SLR camera purchased in a so-called package has an 18-55 F4.5 lens. You always have to have a lens, but it is usually very weak and doesn’t give you many options. To start with, I would suggest only one lens with a fixed focal length, type 50 mm F1.8. It is characterized by a blurrier background and is called a “bright” lens. What’s important about lenses? Among other things, it’s “F” – the smaller it is, the better the light. It allows you to take photos in darker rooms. For example, at church ceremonies or concerts without the need to use a flash.
For me, choosing a SLR camera was a good alternative, giving me opportunities to develop in the field of photography. If someone wants to be a “tourist” photographer and take a few hundred photos while on vacation or at family gatherings, I would recommend a compact digital camera. Much depends on expectations. Maybe this is the camera that will work best for you. Its greatest advantage is “mobility”. Here’s some good advice: when buying this type of camera, it should have a large optical zoom, a large matrix, and image stabilization are also important. It should have the lens as bright as possible (i.e. the smallest F possible). You can carry this camera anywhere. In your backpack or even in your pocket. Another advantage is the ability to choose ready-made photo-taking modes, i.e. automatic. As an amateur, you may not know how to set individual parameters (aperture, shutter speed, or ISO). Once you master these tricks over time, you can always switch to manual mode.
However, for amateur photographers for whom taking photos has become a hobby, I would recommend a digital SLR camera. Many users believe that they are too complicated. But it is easy to find simple SLR cameras on the market that are perfect for beginner amateur photographers. A new SLR camera is quite expensive.
What budget is needed?
As a rule, it does not end with purchasing the camera itself, i.e. the so-called body. Costs increase significantly when you have to invest in lenses, a bag, a tripod, and a flash. Amateur SLR cameras have a built-in flash, but you will quickly conclude that it does not meet expectations. You can choose used, but higher-end equipment. It is quite easy to find a camera in very good condition with a 3-month warranty in the classifieds on Blocket.
When choosing a body, it is worth paying attention to the number of autofocus points. The bigger, the better. A similar principle to ISO (but this is a higher education). Thanks to these points, the camera will easily “find” and focus on the selected object. When purchasing, you should also “feel” the camera and whether it fits well in your hand. We can try several of them in the store, and usually, the advanced construction of the bodysuit gives us such confidence. We must know that despite the stabilizers, the hand may get tired and the photos will be blurred.
When purchasing in a store, we will get a full warranty, but in amateur photography, we will not be able to test all the expensive functions even for a year. So maybe it’s a waste of money on expensive equipment that will turn out to be a failure after a short time and will not meet our expectations or you will lose interest in photography.
It is worth remembering that when purchasing new equipment, you immediately lose at least 50% of its value. When you buy on Blocket for half the price and, for example, resell it after some time, you will get almost the same price. On Blocket, you can buy an additional warranty against hidden defects for a few dozen crowns. In case of a conflict during the purchase, Blocket helps with the complaint.
I have semi-professional cameras that I bought second-hand and they have never let me down. Recently I bought a several-year-old camera along with a box, receipt, and additional accessories for… CZK 700. It turned out that this camera only took 2000 photos. (The manufacturer guarantees reliability up to 180,000 mirror revolutions). Additionally, this camera can also record in HD resolution, which is very useful during concerts or spending time with children.
I wouldn’t recommend changing cameras frequently. In particular, switching to a product from another company. This will cause some chaos in our photography education. The lenses will not fit and you will have to learn everything again. And yet the most important thing in all of this is the joy of photography.
What’s more important: the camera or the photographer?
The power of photos lies mainly in ourselves, not in changing equipment, especially when we notice that the same mistakes are repeated while shooting. We often ask ourselves whether the photos are bad because we have a bad camera or a weak lens. Or maybe the photos are poor because we lack skills?
Just buying a new camera won’t solve this problem. There can be many reasons for not-so-successful photos. There may be workshop deficiencies. The more you take photos, the more interesting and better the photos will be. The camera is just a tool that needs to be learned and mastered. And it is almost impossible to know and use its full power in practice.
I would recommend that ambitious amateurs of photography adventures spend the money they save on buying used equipment for a photography course. One of the most important moments of education in photography is learning composition and knowing how to support the camera when taking a photo to get better and better shots. There may be a great opportunity and the possibility of taking photos with new framing, with different light, and the photos will be as if they were “alive”. I. Maybe, amateur photography will turn into semi-professional. Or it will become our profession.
There are great photographers among the Polish community in Sweden. Their photos are of a high standard. Maybe they could show you the right way in this fascinating hobby and organize a photography course for amateurs. There will be a place, and even though I think I know a lot about photography, I will gladly take part in such a course as a student. Maybe we amateurs will be able to create our amateur Facebook page, where we will be able to boast about our progress, and our photo will be appreciated by a wider group of photo enthusiasts.
And finally, my amateur advice: do not read specialist opinions about “noise”, “formats”, etc. In the era of digital photography, bad cameras are rare – mostly good or very good ones. Of course, in different price ranges. They have similar capabilities.
If you are interested, I suggest you start by creating a Facebook profile. Please send your suggestions and comments to the editorial office: polonica@polonica.se
PHOTOs: MAREK LEWANDOWSKI
Marek Lewandowski
11.02.2024 Stockholm
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