Chapter 4
The Camera

If you want to take photographs, you will need to choose a camera. Until fairly recently, entry-level options were extremely limited. At the beginning of the 1980s, for example, a typical first camera was a fixed-focus film camera with virtually no bells and whistles other than a small built-in flash, an ability to know the film speed without being told, and a cloudy or sunny light setting. Zoom lenses on compact cameras were just beginning to make an appearance, but they were expensive. Zooming in or out was generally done by walking closer or farther away from the subject. For roughly the same price as this basic but serviceable early eighties camera, today’s consumer would expect, at the very least, a zoom lens, a macro function, low light functions, various scene modes, and a movie function.

It is essential to carefully research which camera to purchase before parting with any cash. Extreme price differences and an evergrowing choice of camera types combine to make selection tough. As you do your research, carefully consider which type of camera is best suited to your purposes, and also consider the sources of any camera reviews you may read.

Photography can become very expensive very quickly!