What Kind of Camera Do You Use?

One of the questions I get asked when I mention my 365 project is, “What kind of camera do you use?”  I have multiple answers.

I started off using my cellphone camera, an Apple iPhone 4.  Initially I was thinking of doing the entire project with just my cellphone camera.  It is quite good for a cellphone, and I’ve seen some amazing pictures taken with it.  There are many photography apps available that let you control the camera more than the default camera app.  You can also edit pictures directly on the phone to apply different looks and effects.  I mostly use Camera+ for iPhone photography.  Instagram has become quite popular as well.

After a few weeks of using just the iPhone, I realized I was going to be too limited if I only used it for the whole year.  I owned a Samsung NV11 point and shoot, and I started using it more often.  I also wanted flexibility with the camera, and the Samsung has advanced settings that allowed more control of the camera.  This allowed me to experiment, learn more about photography and move out of the automatic and programmed modes.

After a few months of using the iPhone and Samsung, I found a lot of the pictures I wanted to take were not possible with either camera.  A lot of them were in dim light, and neither camera handled that very well.  The Samsung was slow taking a picture when I wanted to take pictures of a fast moving object.  This is a common problem with all point and shoot cameras.  I decided it was time to go to the next level and get a DSLR.

I spent several weeks comparing and reading reviews of several DSLR brands and models.  I quickly decided that my choice was either Canon or Nikon brand mostly because they’re the most popular and supported in the industry.  I settled on a Canon because I have friends with Canons, and it would be possible to share lenses with them.  I was looking for a step above the entry level because I felt I would outgrow it too quickly.  After comparing features among the various models I decided on the 60D.  I purchased it almost 6 months ago, and I have been very happy with it ever since.

I use the Canon for most of my photography now.  However, I sometimes pull out the iPhone and take pictures with it.  I am still impressed with some of the pictures I have taken with it.  The most important part of a photograph is the person taking the picture and not their equipment.  Once you learn the limitations of the camera and how to work within them then you can take great pictures with any camera.  But, you should use a camera that does not limit your vision. 

The pictures I am including today are some of my favorite pictures from all 3 cameras I mentioned.