CAMERAS
ISSUE385|COMPUTER SHOPPER|MARCH2020 85
LIGHTWORK
Why exactly do larger sensors take better
photos? It’s actually quitesimple: the larger
asensor is, the more light it can capture,
which means photos taken in low light will be
clearer,and agreater range of tonesinthe
white/black spectrum can be reproduced.
That’s why,although cameras are usually
advertised with how many megapixels their
sensor can capture,it’s also important to
look at sensor size.It’s no coincidence that
the two most expensive cameras reviewed
here,the Nikon Z6 and Sony A9,bothhave
massive 35.9x23.9mm sensors. In fact, having
greater surface area on asensor is abig part
of upping the pixel count.
More pixels doesn’t necessarily translate
intobetter all-round image quality,but it is
integral to sharpness, and if you ever want to
createlarge prints of your photos, having
more megapixels will allow foralarger,less
visibly pixellated image.DIALAND ERROR
All dedicated cameras have some form of
physical controls on the rear,but it won’t
always be acase of more is more.Experienced
photographers will naturally appreciatehaving
afull suiteofdials andknobs to fine-tune
every shot, but beginners might find abasic
setup more suitable than apotentially
confusing mass of buttons. In the latter case,
then, it might be more worthwhile to find a
camera where the controls are designed
more forergonomics and ease of use than
professional-grade flexibility.
Still, alot of the functions controlled by
these inputs can be easy to grasp even if they
take some time to master.We’re particularly
fond of touchscreens: in addition to displaying
apreview of the photoorvideo frame you’re
about to shoot, most touch-enabled displays
allow you to reposition the autofocus simply
by poking at where you want it on the screen.
It’s also useful if the screen is articulated,
or at the very least capable of tilting up or
down. Both will make it easier to nail your
shots when shooting from avery high or low
angle,specifically from positions where you
can’t get your eyeclose enough to see
through the viewfinder or to make out the
image on aflat screen.NOISE COMPLAINT
Youcan probably imagine what qualities
make foragood-looking image: faithful
colour reproduction and balance,clear
lighting, and subjects that are in focuswith
no unintentional blur.None of the cameras
we’ve featured here takes poor photos, but
some are better than others at capturing
moving objects or shooting in low light.
Speaking of which, alack of lightis
among the biggest threats to effective
photography.Digital photos can be covered
in adistortion effect called visual noise if the
sensor isn’t getting much light, hence why
larger sensors are ideal. Youcan tryto
brighten up low-light shots by manuallyadjusting the ISO value,which is basically the
sensitivity of the sensor,but raising it toohigh
ironically causes noise to appear.The best
cameras, therefore,are capable of taking
clean low-light shots without having to crank
up the ISO to problematic levels.LOCKED ON
Alot of digital cameras include an autofocus
(AF) motor and sensor that –noprizesfor
guessing –automatically focusthe camera on
asubject, or on an area you pick up on a
touchscreen. This is great fornewcomers and
experienced photographers alike,although
performance will depend on how many
autofocus points the sensor has. The more
points, the more accurateautofocus can be.
Lesser cameras can also have trouble keeping
amoving subject in focus, so it’s worth
spending more if you want to try sports or
wildlifephotography.
Another useful feature formorespecialised
photography is burst shooting. This rapidly
captures multiple frames, possibly from even
before you hit the shutter release.This is also
handy forcapturing amoving subject, as you
don’t have to worry so much about getting
that one perfect shot: just take loads at once
and pick the best one later.The camera might
take some time processing all these digital
images, however,sothere maybeadelay
before you can shoot again.LENSWITH BENEFITS
If you buy acamera without an integrated
lens, you lose some convenience and
money-saving potential in exchange forvastly
improved versatility.It’s good to start with a
general-purpose kit lens, but you can also get
ultra-wide-angle lenses, massive optical zoom
lenses and macro lenses forclose-up shots,
swapping them to tailor your hardware for
different subjects and shooting conditions.
Be sure to notewhich kind of lens mount
your camera uses, however.Manufacturers
tend to use their own proprietary mounts, or
shared but uncommon formats such as Micro
Four Thirds. Luckily,the majority of mount
types all have agoodvariety of lenses
available,sothis likely won’t be the deciding
factor in your choice of camera.MOVIE MAKER
It’s not just stills photography we’ll be looking
at; all 10 cameras here can also shoot video.
DSLR and mirrorless cameras have long been
viable alternatives to dedicated video cameras,
especially if theycome with video-focused
features such as amicrophone input jack.
Besides the expected differences in video
quality,it’s also worth looking at which
shooting modes each camera offers. 4K at
60fps is the gold standard in terms of
technical proficiency.Although you might
only want to record at Full HD,you should still
look out forwhich frame rateoptions there
are.That goes forslow motion modes, too.
Higher frame rates makes forsmoother,
slower and potentially more impactful footage.Alternatively,keep reading forour guide on
what to watch out forwhen buying acamera.
TIMETO REFLECT
First up: what kind of camera do you want?
The three main types are digital single-lens
reflex(DSLR), mirrorless and compact.
DSLR cameras are definedbyhow they
combine adigital sensor –that all-important
component that captures the light reflected
by the lens, producing the image –with a
mirror-based system forfeeding the image
to the viewfinder.
Mirrorless cameras, on the other hand,
either use fully electronic viewfinders
(EVFs) or lack one entirely,instead relying
fully on arear-mounted screen to preview
the image.Since both these solutions are
digital, there’s no need forthe space-
consuming mirror and prism system used by
DSLRs, allowing mirrorless cameras to be
smaller and more portable.
Compact cameras also forgo mirrors,
but are distinct from what we’d call mirrorless
cameras because theytend to have asmaller
sensor than DSLRs, as well as being physically
smaller.Because theycan offer both superior
sensors and alessbulkyframe,mirrorless
cameras are the fastest-growing of the three,
but acompact might be better if you’re after a
camera fortravelling. The optical viewfinders
of DSLRsalsotend to be more responsive
than EVFs, and theyusually have much
better battery life.