Although I’m a great believer in “you get what you pay for” coughing up a small fortune for the top of the range may not always be the best option – you wouldn’t buy a Ferrari to go banger racing or a Rolls to ferry around a football team – the same applies to cameras, so below is a brief guide to some camera types and where they belong in the market place…..

Compact Camera (Point & shoot)

This is the most common type of camera, and most (if not all) of us have used or owned at least one of these in our life time. They are usually small and light meaning they can be kept in a bag or a pocket with ease. They have a decent zoom setting and if you have one of at least 12mp they offer a decent image quality that will print well at standard sizes. They also come with a lcd screen so you can instantly view your shots, offering you the opportunity to immediately retake if you’re not happy with the results – as standard they are also equipped with a range of “automatic” modes leaving you free of the hassle of dealing with camera settings.

Although these are great for taking “snaps” the lens it's built with is the lens you’ve got, and on cheaper models this can affect image quality, and its fixed, so you don’t have the option to change it. Above I mentioned that not having to faff with settings can be a blessing, auto modes can also be a curse, especially in low light the camera will automatically go for a higher ISO causing a noisy or grainy image. The same applies from a costing point of view, making them more accessible financially also comes at a cost, smaller image sensors can reduce image quality.

DSLR Camera (Digital Single Lens Reflex)

First launched in 1988 the DSLR combines the Single Lens Reflex of a Film camera with a digital image sensor, giving you the capability of using a range of auto modes for motion shots, portraits landscapes and more but also offering the capability of manual settings so you can be a creative as you like. Most models have a good range of lenses available offering you good image quality. As well as an interchangeable lens you can also get a range of accessories such as filters, flashes, hoods and remotes giving you the opportunity to explore photography in more detail.​

The downside to this is the size of the bag you need to lug all that kit around. It can be quite heavy and cumbersome for a day at the beach or some fun in the park! They also require a degree of knowledge in order to use and although “auto” modes are great you want to be able to get the best from your camera. As I mentioned above the range of accessories and lenses available is vast and at the very least, you’ll need some spare batteries, where as your trusty point and shoots AAA’s will last for years, you’ll more than likely need a couple of charged batteries on hand for a day out shooting.​

So the DSLR is a great piece of kit if you want to explore photography in more depth, and although technically a better camera than the point and shoot there’s no point spending money on something you may not have the time to learn how to use properly or put to its best use.

Action Camera

These little guys are as tough as old boots, can withstand being exposed to the elements, bashed and banged but never bruised, are super lightweight and come with a range of fixing points meaning they can be mounted almost anywhere making sure you can capture any adventure in high res.

On the flip side being small has its disadvantages too, poor battery life and normally no manual focus, means you have very little control. If you need something that can keep up and record your skydive or triathlon then this little fella is just for you.

Bridge Camera

Bridge cameras are as the name suggests and a “bridge” between the point and shoot and the DSLR, designed to be a “halfway house” in photography and offer the user some degree of manual control without being as complex as a DSLR, the thing with bridge cameras is that a lot of the positives can also be negatives - more expensive than a point and shoot but cheaper than a DSLR, less complicated than a DSLR but more complicated than a compact.

These also come with a fixed lens (not interchangeable) but are easier to transport than DSLR kit, but again heavier than a compact. Maybe if you were looking to try exploring photography in a bit more detail but not sure if it’s for you a bridge camera may just be the “halfway house” you need before splashing your cash on a full DSLR kit.

Mirrorless

The mirrorless camera is the lastest development in camera technology, and as the name suggests unlike a DSLR it has no mirror. Instead of using a mirror to flip the light upto the viewfinder it has an electronic viewfinder, this can make it lighter and less bulky than a DSLR and easier to carry. It will also be quieter, no mirror to “flip” means it loses the familiar picture taking noise, it's also much better for video recording – it has a faster FPS, focuses quicker offers high res video and the electronic viewfinder means you can use it when shooting video (unlike a DSLR).​

Unfortunately though as with all new tech it comes at a hefty price so you need to have deep pockets, and due to how new they are the lens choices are quite a bit more restricted. The other thing you’ll need to consider is battery life because of the electronic viewfinder it will use more power, although with a bit of time hopefully these will all improve.

If you like being at the forefront of developing tech then this is the place to be, photo capability as good as a DSLR and some great video capability – what’s not to love?