Welcome to Our Ultimate Guide to the Different Types of Cameras and the Best option for Learning Photography.

Understanding the Difference between all the different types of camera options and which is the best for learning photography.

Ok, so we may have gone a little overboard when it comes to the number of cameras we included in the photo above.  But never the less, when you are trying to pick what camera to purchase it can be really stressful.  That’s because there are no shortage of different types of camera options to choose and just as wide a budget range to go along with them. So making that buying decision for a beginner photographer can be intimidating, and even more so for the average person just looking to up their photo game without breaking the bank.  Noone want’s to overpay for something they don’t really need, nor do we usually want to spend money on new technology just to find out it doesn’t do what we needed a few months later. So that’s what we are aiming to do in this beginner camera buying guide for someone trying to learn photography. We won’t be going in detail into specific models of cameras, in this tutorial I’m going to talk to you about the different types of cameras you can buy, and my recommendation for the best types of cameras you can buy when you’re learning photography. That means you will be able to make the best decision for your personal needs, but also make a purchase based on the camera that will be able to grow with you over time.

Four Main Types of Cameras

Okay, there are four main types of camera kits you can buy for general use. Below we will break down the 4 different types of cameras you can buy for general use.

1. The Compact Camera
2. The Bridge Camera 
3. The DSLR 
4. The Mirrorless Camera

FIRST CAMERA TYPE: The Compact Camera Option

The first one is the compact camera, this one here. Now you don’t see these anymore, and the reason for that is your mobile phone. Your mobile phone these days is just as good as any compact camera, so that’s probably why no one ever buys these anymore, but sometimes they come in handy for instance if you want one that you can use underwater on vacation, then this waterproof camera might be a good choice. For most people, they don’t do that very often, but if you want to then these waterproof compact cameras could be a could great option.

SECOND CAMERA TYPE: The Bridge Camera Option

The next type of camera I want to talk to you about is a bridge camera. A bridge is supposed to be a bridge between a compact camera and a DSLR.  We will talk about DSLRs in a sec.  Now a bridge camera is still aimed at the point and shoot type of market. Some of them have got the manual settings easy to hand, but most of them the manual settings are quite hard to get to. When you’re learning photography, you need to get to the manual settings as quickly as possible. The other thing about the bridge camera is you can’t change the lenses. The lenses are not interchangeable. So if you’re learning photography, a bridge camera might not be the best long-term option, since you won’t have the flexibility to change lenses and it’s a bit harder to adjust the manual settings since they are geared to the point and shoot audience. If you are looking for a good camera for everyday life, that takes better photos than your smartphone but still don’t want to mess with the manual settings, then these bridge cameras can be a great option.

THE THIRD CAMERA TYPE: The Mirrorless Camera

Now the next type of camera I want to talk to you about is called a mirrorless camera, or sometimes they’re called compact systems cameras. These can be really good. However, the good ones are expensive. Now a mirrorless camera is basically a small version of a DSLR camera, and it’s a small version because they’ve managed to take out the mirrors, also known as the prism. So DSLRs have got mirrors, and a mirrorless camera doesn’t, so it’s nice and compact. However, you haven’t got an optical viewfinder. You have to use the digital screen like you would do on a mobile phone, and that I personally don’t like that. You can get a digital viewfinder for them, and you can slot them into the top, but again it’s like you’re watching a TV screen, whereas most photographers and suspect you will be the same soon, prefer to see what’s actually there and not a screen version. 

However, saying that, they are very good quality cameras, and all the manual settings are easy to find and use, and they’re really good to use if you want something smaller. With that being said if you are going to get one of them ones make sure it’s an expensive type. The cheaper ones tend to give you what you pay for and I wouldn’t recommend trying to learn photography long-term with them.

REVIEW OF MIRRORLESS CAMERAS PROs and CONs

• PRO- Good quality cameras ( More expensive versions) and more compact than DSLRs since they don’t have the prism.
• CON- You can only view the image on the digital screen, meaning you won’t actually be looking at yoru subject as it appears but more like at the TV version of the Image.

THE FOURTH CAMERA TYPE: The DSLR

Okay, the next type and probably the one you’re most familiar with is the DSLR.  DSLR stands for digital single-lens reflex cameras. These are really good to buy and use if you’re learning photography. The lenses are interchangeable. All the manual settings are really easy to get to, and they’re upgradeable. As you start getting into photography and you start learning a bit more about it, you might want to get better lenses, or you might want to get a better camera body, and the DSLR camera gives you that flexibility. So my recommendation is if you are looking to learn photography and expand your knowledge, a DSLR camera is the best one to go for.

Other essentials you will need for learning photography now that you know how to choose the best types of cameras

Now I want to talk to you about essentials to buy when you’re learning photography. If you already picked up your DSLR then you are well on your way and just need a few more things to really get your photography hobby or career off on the right foot.

• The first one is a nice tripod.  You want a nice sturdy tripod. You don’t want a flimsy plastic tripod. These cameras can be quite heavy, and if you’ve got a small flimsy tripod, there’s no point in having it. It’s just going to bend and wobble, and you don’t want a tripod for that. So the first piece of essential photography kit is a tripod.
• The next thing you want is a spare battery. For obvious reasons, if you’re out and about and you’re photographing and you run out of battery, it’s not going to be a good thing, so make sure you get yourself a nice spare battery. Put it in your camera bag.
• Another piece of essential kit is a spare camera memory card. Make sure you’ve got a spare camera card in your kit. You don’t want to be on the shoot of a lifetime with the perfect light and run out of memory. Suddenly, your panicking trying to delete photos quickly on the fly or leave knowing you left some great shots out on that ridge. Get a spare memory card.
•  Make sure you’ve got a nice lens cleaner. Always keep your lenses clean. I see it a lot in my classes, people with dirty lenses. It really does affect the quality of your shot if you’ve got a smeary dirty lens. Get a good lens cleaner, keep your lenses clean.
• Then lastly, you’re going to need a good camera bag. Now there are loads of different types of camera bags you can get. I personally like the rucksack ones. They’re easy to carry and you can have them on all day, the rucksack ones, but that’s entirely up to you. The whole purpose of a camera bag is to protect the equipment that you’ve bought. You can check camera bag options on Amazon.

Conclusion on different types of Cameras and the best options for learning photography guide

We hope you found this beginner’s buyers camera guide helpful. There are a lot of different options you have when making your purchase and you really just need to know what your needs are when buying. Most of the time we get so set on a budget, and we don’t really know what cameras are best for what uses. Our theory is that if you spend less money on an option that doesn’t really serve your needs, then you’ve wasted that money. It’s better to really know what you need out of any product you are thinking about buying, then compare the option that meet those needs.

Reminder some of the links in this article and website may be affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase through those links we will get a small commission from the store, like Amazon. The price will never be any higher because of these links, so if you decide to purchase from them we appreciate it immensely! And for that, we THANK YOU in advance! If you aren’t comfortable with that no worries we are still glad you stopped by and hope you do again real soon!

OTHER HELPFUL ARTICLES TO HELP YOU LEARN PHOTOGRAPHY

• LEARN AND UNDERSTAND APERTURE
• LEARN AND UNDERSTAND ISO
• LEARN AND UNDERSTAND SHUTTER SPEED
• LEARN AND UNDERSTAND CAMERA LENS OPTIONS