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Compact, DSLR or mirrorless? Read our guide to choosing a camera and find out which device is best for you.

How to choose a camera

Are you planning to buy a quality camera and getting lost in the selection? Let's first read our guide on how to choose a camera that suits your needs and abilities.

To answer the question "How to choose the best camera?" there is no clear-cut answer. Whether you're figuring out how to choose a DSLR or a mirrorless camera depends on a lot of variables. So we've put together a quick guide that you can bounce ideas off of. Just remember that we're only talking about choosing a camera body. Lens selection is another chapter again.

Determine what you expect from your camera

The first and most important step in choosing a camera is to figure out what you expect from it. If you're a beginner, you probably won't need an expensive professional model. On the other hand, if you're not buying your first camera and you've already taken some photos, you'll have significantly higher expectations. Or are you looking for a lightweight travel camera to capture memories, with light weight being the main criteria? And that you plan to shoot videos as well as photos? Make a list of your requirements first, so you have something to go on.

While a regular compact will be fine for still photos from your holiday, you'll need to push the parameters a bit for snapshots and motion. However, always choose based on what you plan to shoot, don't assume that more expensive will always be better. Each genre requires slightly different specs, so it's a good idea to be clear if you're drawn towards shooting landscapes, sports or maybe the night sky.

Match your choice to your budget

Cameras vary really widely in price. Compact cameras can be had for a few thousand crowns, while high-end DSLRs or mirrorless cameras can easily cost a couple of months' salary and a kidney to boot. In fact, getting a camera body is just the beginning. Don't forget about lenses, tripods or camera bags. So keep in mind that the total cost is likely to be more than just the price of the camera itself.

The basic division of digital cameras

Before we get into more detailed parameters, let's break down cameras into three main categories.

The most common types of cameras:

Compact cameras (CSC)
These cameras are small and lightweight, making them the ideal travel companion. They don't allow you to change lenses and don't have as many features as DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, but they're perfectly adequate for capturing everyday moments. So if you're looking for a camera that takes better photos than your phone, a compact is the ideal choice. What's more, compacts are also very affordable.

DSLRs
DSLRs, unlike compacts, offer the ability to swap lenses, so you can shoot a whole range of things with one body, depending on which lens you use. It transfers the image using a mirror, a matrix and a prism, which are quite heavy components, which will affect the weight of the body. In order to see an accurate image, you need to use an optical viewfinder, which has the advantage that you can see everything in real time. DSLRs also have the advantage of longer battery life, as they work mechanically for the most part. But unfortunately you can't generalise completely, it depends of course on the model you choose and its age.

Digital mirrorless cameras - mirrorless
Mirrorless cameras are based on SLR cameras and also have interchangeable lenses, but they do not transfer images using mirrors and are therefore more compact and lighter. The absence of mirrors also allows for much quieter operation. You can see the image not only through the (electronic) viewfinder, but also directly on the display, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage - the delay compared to the real time of the optical viewfinder is imperceptible, but can be noticeable in sports, for example. The disadvantage is the lower battery life, which reflects the fact that mirrorless cameras are mainly based on electronics, which the device has to power all the time.

So whereas with a compact camera you have an all-in-one camera, with interchangeable lens cameras you buy the components separately, making them work a bit like a kit that you adapt to your own needs. And it's how to choose a DSLR or mirrorless camera that we'll be looking at in our selection guide.

Important parameters for choosing a digital camera

Sensor size
Sensor size affects image quality, depth of field and low-light performance. Simply put, the larger the sensor, the better the quality of the resulting image. The sensor is made up of a certain number of pixels, i.e. light-sensitive dots. A larger pixel means a higher sensitivity to light and more valuable information travelling from it.

Full-frame or full-frame sensors (24×36 mm) based on the size of a film field serve as a basic benchmark and offer the best image quality even in lower light conditions. The downside is that cameras with this type of sensor are generally more expensive and larger. When shooting full frame with a single lens, the angle of view is the same as it would be when shooting on film.

Cheaper, smaller, but still very high quality APS-C sensors (24×16 cm) are a delight with their lower camera weight. For mirrorless cameras, you can find even smaller sensors called Micro 4/3 (17×13 mm), which will be appreciated in cameras for travel, as these devices still have interchangeable lenses, but their weight is very low. With these types of sensors, the focal length is shorter or longer, and you're only shooting a crop of the scene than you would with a full frame - so with the same lens, the angle of view is smaller.

Sensor resolution
The resolution of the camera, i.e. its sensor (expressed in megapixels), affects the detail of the image. It determines how many pixels make up the final image. For example, a 12 megapixel image in a 3:2 aspect ratio will be made up of 4242×2828 pixels. Higher resolution allows for larger print sizes and greater flexibility in image processing. However, for most purposes, a resolution of 12-24 Mpx is more than adequate.

Let's take an example - with a 12 Mpx sensor resolution, the resulting image will be 35.9×24.0 cm in size, whereas with a 50 Mpx sensor the size is 73.3×48.9 cm. So tailor your choice to whether you plan to take photos for a family album or print large format photos.

Image stabiliser
You'll find image stabilisation both in the lenses and in the camera body, where it's optical image stabilisation (OIS). You'll appreciate it when shooting handheld, as it eliminates blur caused by shaking hands, and it also works well in low light conditions, when shooting with a long zoom lens or when shooting video. However, when shooting with a short exposure time, the stabiliser is useless. If you want to avoid blurring due to movement or vibration, ideally get a tripod, which is indispensable in this case. But first, you should read our article on how to choose a tripod.

Resistance to external influences
Are you planning to shoot in a dusty environment or are you at risk of being rained on during your shoot? Rather than extinguishing the effects of broken equipment, prevent problems with a well-chosen camera. Nowadays, it's common to buy devices that are resistant to dust, water and extreme temperatures or drops, for example.

Unfortunately, it's not enough just to have a durable body, you need to get equally durable lenses to go with it. We're not going to lie to you, you'll be digging pretty deep into your pocket with that kind of gear.

Video recording options
Virtually all digital cameras support video recording. But as you can probably guess, there will be a big difference in the quality of the output. If you're planning to shoot professional video or want to be able to shoot in high quality, look for a camera that supports at least 4K recording (4X the resolution of Full HD). When it comes to frame rate, choose a camera that supports at least 60 fps for smooth video.

It's also worth choosing a device with fast and accurate focusing so you can track moving objects. Last but not least, think about the camera having a good quality built-in microphone or the ability to connect an external microphone.

Of course, taking video is more energy-intensive than taking photos, so choose a device with a large battery capacity and be prepared for the possibility that one won't be enough.

Lens availability
A body without a lens is a bit like a body without a soul. The lenses do the work. So take a look at what lenses you can get for your chosen camera and what price ranges they are in. Don't forget to also read our article on how to choose a lens, where we cover this topic in more detail.

Connectivity
If you want to make your life easier, choose devices that use USB-C, which is now the standard. When it also offers the ability to charge via this cable, it's a nice bonus. Then look for an HDMI (or micro HDMI) cable to connect to your TV or preview monitor.

Some cameras have Bluetooth, which lets you connect the camera to an app on your phone, which then acts as a remote shutter release. Wi-Fi connectivity with a mobile app can be used for quick photo downloads in the field, as a remote viewfinder for the camera, and as a quick way to upload photos to social networks.

Finally,

While choosing the right camera is quite important, it's always the lens that matters a hair more and does most of the work. If you need to save money, don't discount the claims of the lens, but rather get a slightly cheaper body.