BY MELISSA SPELTS

In 2019, Ryan and I talked about what kind of camera I would buy if we could afford it. I had a Sony A37 camera, and I used it for our business, for my kid’s dance photos, and for my siblings’ family photos, etc. During this time, we had an employee who is an amazing local photographer, Jeremy Poorte. We had many conversations about cool night-time pictures that he had taken over the previous weekend or of an eagle that dove down and caught a fish and how he was able to capture it. He has such an amazing understanding of cameras and lenses, so I always asked lots of questions. One day, he explained cameras in a way that helped me see that I was using the wrong camera for the types of photos that I most enjoyed taking.

In 2020, we decided to purchase a Canon Eos 6D Mark II camera from Farr’s Jewelry in downtown Ogden. This camera makes me smile every time I use it. It makes my photography pop in just the way I like, especially for my favorite types of photos, which are of people (primarily my family). I also signed up for one of Farr’s Jewelry photo classes, which was very helpful for me to learn to use my new camera. I also rent lenses to see if I like them before I consider buying them, which is great because they can get quite expensive.

I wanted to share with you what Jeremy taught me so that, if you are considering purchasing a new camera, you can know which direction you should look. Choosing a camera brand can be overwhelming, so I hope this info will help you as much as it did me. Jeremy said, “Ask yourself what kind of photos you like to take most.”

I was worried that switching brands and systems would be too hard. I thought I had to stay with Sony, which makes great cameras, but he assured me that lots of people switch systems. I was a Sony girl for a long time but found that Canon best fit the kind of pictures I love taking most.

Here are the simple explanations he gave me for each brand and, though not all-inclusive, it might steer you in the direction of your next camera.

Canon: These cameras are geared towards portrait and sporting photos. They are wonderful at taking pictures of people and their activities, such as soccer games, baseball, play performances, etc. Cannon has a huge catalog of lens options. Cannon is known for great quality photos that can be printed and blown up. This camera handles shadows well and makes skin color look great. This is exactly what I wanted, and it has delivered on that promise.

Nikon: This brand is known for being really great at wildlife, outdoor scenery, and animals. My mom uses this one and always takes darling pictures of her grandkids and family, so it works well for that too.

Pentax: Benefits include amazing lenses, astrophotography, and great-quality photos. This is what Jeremy uses for his night photos, and he captures amazing photos.

Sony: These cameras tend to be more State-of-the-art. Sony is a pioneer in technology that improves photography performance. The camera I had was mirrorless, which made for quick, quality capture. One negative with Sony is an adapter is needed if you want more lens options. Sony is working on competing with Canon and Nikon with better landscape, wildlife, and portrait photos but still does not have as many lens options. This is a great camera if you like technology and are not needing as many lenses. I loved my Sony.

Olympus, Lumix, and Panasonic: These have smaller sensors, which can affect picture quality; however, some people really like how much lighter and smaller these brands are. Jeremy says he sees more senior photographers often choose these because they are so much easier to carry around. You could pick these if you wanted something that’s easier to carry with you but still takes quality pictures.

Recent Cell Phones: Phones like iPhone 12 & 13 are doing great things in the photography world. They can take amazing photos and sometimes even out-perform the top-of-the-line cameras if you are not as skilled with getting the lighting and settings right. They work well for social media; however, they are not as good for blowing up photos and printing them, and there is a limit to what they can capture. I often use my iPhone as a backup when I am taking photos indoors and I am not sure I have gotten the lighting right. You see photos in the magazine from both my Canon and my iPhone. Both work great in the right situation.

Lenses: There are so many lenses out there. I highly recommend renting lenses you are interested in at Farr’s Jewelry store before committing to one.

These are my go-to lenses: 24-105mm, 90mm (macro)