3 Online Resources To Use When Camera Shopping

My first digital SLR, my 20d served me VERY well for a long time 

I regularly get asked by people, "what kind of camera should I buy?"  I addressed some questions that you might want to ask yourself in this post.  -->  3 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Buying a Camera

Here's 3 more good resources to use when camera shopping.  

1.  www.dpreview.com  - This is a website where you can do side by side comparisons of different cameras and read in depth hands on reviews.  

2.  BHphotovideo.com -  This is my go to website when it comes to buying gear.  Check their prices and read the user reviews of the various cameras you are looking at.  

3.  Amazon.com  -  I always try and check to see if Amazon's prices are beating out B&H, sometimes they do, it also opens you up to a new set of user reviews.

What resources have you found valuable while camera shopping?  

3 questions to ask yourself before buying a camera

My trusty Canon sd870 which went everywhere with me and served me quite well for a couple years.  This is its burial photo.  

What kind of camera should I buy?  

I get asked this question A LOT.  So I thought I should address it here.  

There are a TON of cameras out there.  To help you narrow down your search you should ask yourself these 3 questions.  

1.  What do I want to use this camera for?

Defining WHY you want a camera is an important step.  

If you want a camera just to share the events of your life with family members on the internet, you probably don’t need the most expensive DSLR camera for that.  An smart phone like an iphone might be the best camera for you because of its easy integration to facebook and twitter.  

But if you are wanting to take landscape shots and print them 30x40” an iphone probably won’t do the trick.  You will need a high megapixel DSLR to be getting the quality to print that large.

Identifying the main reason you want a camera is an important step.  

2.  What is my budget?

This is a good determining factor too.  You can want the most expensive DSLR all day but if you only have $500 budgeted than you should NOT go into debt to buy a $3000 camera.  

Also don’t forget to include the cost of some necessary camera accessories.  

3.  What are my friends using?

No you’re not going to buy a camera to fit in with your friends but... if your friends have canon cameras and you buy a canon, then your friends should be able to give you first hand knowledge when you have a question.  Or if you have a Nikon DSLR you might be able to borrow and trade lenses with other Nikon users for a weekend to see what other lenses are like before you make the investment to buy one. 

What else do you think are necessary considerations when buying a camera?