Getting technical: Gathering camera info.

Ok, future self.  This is wordy.  But I needed a place to put all my research notes!...

The first entry-level camera that this site recommends:  Canon EOS Rebel T3i (online body only: $536)
The second is: Canon EOS Rebel T2i (online, body only: $470)
(The third is $1200, the fourth is another Canon, same price as #2).


dSLR buying guide from Cnet

DSLR vs. Mirrorless.

What I gathered...  Mirrorless gets rid of a mirror system that makes it possible for you to see the image in the viewfinder.  And so, without this, the camera can be smaller.  And then you can get "pancake" lenses that are super thin.  This is best for travel photographers who don't want people to see their big, expensive cameras.  But, these cameras usually don't have a viewfinder - just a screen.  And they're not as fast (is that the word?) because the sensor is usually smaller , so not as good for action shots (fast-moving children, sports...).

So, since I don't care about size.  I think the DSLR is better for me with its faster speeds with my quick children.

What about the "Sensor" size/type?

One friend told me that a larger sensor size is more important than pixels.  I had to know more...

Cnet seems to have a pretty unbiased evaluation:

Basically, there are super high-end sensors.  These are just out of my price-range.  Even the sensors on the next levels down are pretty expensive.

The answer to what sensor I need is....

 any DSLR camera will have a large enough sensor for most photography.  "Four-thirds" is the one used by Olympus and Kodak.  "APS" is the one commonly used by Canon, Nikon, Sony.   The other one used is the "35mm" size (largest), and is more expensive as it captures a "full-frame".  This is also used by Canon & Nikon.

After choosing the  DSLR, then choose Megapixels.  Any DSLR is good enough for newspaper print or internet.  For magazines or large prints (16x20 and up), 8 megapixels is good.  For fine art/landscapes, 10 megapixels is best.

(Scaling a picture up usually works fine/looks fine if using a program like Photoshop.)


Lenses - see new post.