Arturo Paulino Blog

This past week I have had three conversations with friends regarding the top things to consider when jumping from a point-and-shoot camera to a DSLR (serious camera).  That’s when I decided to write this FAQ regarding my two cents when choosing among the array of DSLR cameras out there. DSLR stands for Digital Single Reflex Camera and, in plain English, refers to those “professional looking” cameras your odd family member has, you see at football games on the sidelines, or the paparazzi holding as they chase Lindsay Lohan down the street.

Before we move any further, let me say it right upfront that the title of this post could have well been “FAQ: Choosing a CANON DSLR Camera”.  That is because, even though I’ve shot with Nikon as well, the truth is that most of my amateur and professional experience has been using/buying/seling/reviewing Canon systems.

So, if you’ve tested a few point-and-shoot cameras and are ready to take your photography to the next level, but don’t know what/where/which camera to buy, then this blurb is for you.  For the record, I’ll be sharing from my experience which involves chasing (annoying) my kids around with my first camera to photographing weddings and other professional shoots.

1-    What was your first camera? My beloved first camera was a pink Sony Cybershot .  Yes it was very hot girly pink.  I first laid hands on this camera from 2005-2007 and loved its simplicity and portability.  At the time I had no idea what I had in my hands but pressing a button and taking a picture was all I needed to know.

This photo of Stella was taken with the Sony CyberShot (pink camera)

2-    When did you “upgrade”? Fall of 2007.  I have to come clean.  This purchase was out of jealousy.  I remember that conversation like today.  My friend, and at the time Associate Pastor at Dublin FUMC, Allen Cason was telling (bragging) on his cool new Sony Cybershot DSC-HX1 and how he was able to capture this special moment at a wedding thanks to this camera’s shutter burst. That was when my pink camera started looking old and not cool.  This conversation turned out to the be the inspiration that prompted me to bite the bullet and buy a ‘real’ camera.

3-    How did you decide which camera to get? I really don’t remember.  I think I talked with some local photographers to gauge their take on brands and such.  After surveying some local professionals and serious hobbyists, it was pretty clear it had to be either Canon or Nikon.  My decision breaker was, which photographer had lenses I could borrow if I get a Canon or a Nikon. That was when, based on my local pool of potential lenders, I ended up in the Canon camp.

4-    Which was your first DSLR camera? Canon Rebel XTI.  I loved that sucker.  That was the camera that got me “hooked”.  I took family, church, games, building and any other type of photography you can imagine.  Yes, even the signature holding my camera and taking a picture of myself in the mirror.  Embarrassing, I know

Here's the infamous "self portrait"

5- Could you rate your experience with each camera you’ve owned? Sure.

• Canon Digital Rebel XTi :
  • Pros: Great price. Natural first non point-and-shoot.  Simple yet powerful enough to start experiencing the basics of exposure, Manual focus, selective focus point, composing/recomposing etc.
  • Cons: Pretty much none. The only “negative” thing I can say is that you can only see through the viewfinder, not the LCD.  Coming off the point-and-shoot world, it took me awhile to adjust looking through the little hole as opposed to just standing back and judging my picture based on the LCD screen. Not a biggie, but something I found a little inconvenient.

• Canon EOS 40D
  • Pros:  larger LCD (from 2.5” on the XTi to 3”).  LCD Live View and faster photos per second (6.5 fps). 10 Megapixels.
  • Cons:  I was very happy with this camera.  By the end I started to want even more pictures per second and better performance in low light situations. Once I started to shoot more Friday night Football games (aka fast sporst/low light) it was time to move on.

• Canon EOS 1D mark II.
  • Pros: My first Canon’s Professional line camera.  This was a brick.  Weather sealed, over 8 pictures per second (great for fast sports), 45 Focus Points to select from. Extremely reliable. It has this “paparazzi” feel to it.
  • Cons: Small LCD screen (2.5”).  Only 8 Megapixels.  This wasn’t a big deal, but when you press the shutter, it makes this obnoxious PALANK sound that will yell to everyone in the room “I’m taking a picture!!!”

• Canon 7D
  • Pros: Video capabilities.  It was a dream to shoot video with this camera.  15 Megapixels.
  • Cons: I absolutely hated this camera under low-light situations.  I know “hate” is a strong word, but I really mean it.  If I ever bumped the ISO past, lets say 1000, the noise level (those grainy dots you see in a dark picture) were horrendous.  It took A LOT of post processing for me to receive “acceptable” results.  I ended up selling this camera in less than two months.  I know there are some photographers that have made this camera “work” for them, but that wasn’t my case.

• Canon 1D mark III
  • Pros: Back to Canon’s Professional level.  The fastest camera of its time, shooting over 10 pictures per second (whao!).  Great battery life. 3” LCD. Two slots for double/separate storage. Outstanding fast focusing.
  • Cons: None.  I really mean it.  The only reason I sold this camera was to get, imho, the best wedding/portrait camera available – Canon 5D mark II

• Canon 5D mark II
  • Pros: I really do not know where to start.  21.1 Megapixels. Full frame camera.  3” LCD with over 900,000 dots. Full HD Movie recording at 1920×1080. Live View. Dust Reduction System. A dream to shoot portraits and low-lights.
  • Cons: It’s tough to come up with one.  The only thing I can “falter” this camera for is it was not designed – fast sports photography.

6- Off the top of your head – First Pick for Cameras?

• On a Budget? Rebel Series.  Check out the T1i and the T2i.

• For Sports? 1D mark III

• For Weddings? 5D mark II

So there you have it.  There’s much more to learn about DSLR cameras, but these are my two cents For more information on all Canon’s EOS Series Cameras, here’s this chart from Wikipedia that shows a timeline/feature of Canon’s DSLR cameras:

For a chart including non-Canon’s DSLR check out this page at Wikipedia.  If you’re interested in knowing what my current camera combo is for wedding photography check out this post titled FAQ: Arturo Photography 101. At the end of the day, as long as you have a camera, a lens, an reason and lots and lots of dedication, preparation and persistence you can achieve great things.  If all this information was a bit overwhelming, remember to just grab your camera, get out and start shooting!!!!.