SLR Buying Questions

According to the Consumer Electronics Association, 36 percent of all digital cameras sold this year will be digital SLRs. These cameras offer higher resolution, more manual controls, and interchangeable lenses. But as anyone who's ever walked into a high-end photo store can tell you, the camera-buying process is intimidating, especially when you're planning to plunk down $1,000 bucks or more for a complete system.

So while the camera shop can be scary, get over your fear, and come armed with the right questions. The shutterbugs behind the counters love to talk about the different models and specs. They can tell you what cameras are on their last legs, and what new models are slated for release. And visit a few different camera retailers before you buy.

If you're even considering buying a digital SLR, it's fairly obvious that image quality is a top concern. There's a lot written on this topic; and, even better, there are tons of comparison images available online. But beyond the quality of your photos, what other issues should you consider?

Here are the top five questions you should start with:

1. Is This Too Much Camera For Me?
If you're looking to ease your way through an upgrade from a digital point-and-shoot camera to an SLR, you'll need a model that takes great pictures on the auto setting, and almost all of them do. But you also want a model that has room for you to grow into the manual controls. Some of the more expensive modelss are designed for photo professionals or hard-core photo enthusiasts. They offer an array of settings and controls that you may never need.

Talk to the camera shop guys about your goals for the camera. Be clear about what kind of shooting you plan to do. If you intend to use the camera for taking family and casual photos, they may have one set of recommendations. If you plan to use the camera as a toy for taking artistic photos, there may be other models to consider.  If you don't plan on going all hardcore Ansel Adams with the thing, get a camera in your budget that has the best optics, the biggest LCD, and that feels good in your hands.

2. How Much Will It Cost To Get A Bigger LCD?
One of the most common buyer's remorse complaints for digital SLRs is, 'I wish I'd bought a camera with a bigger LCD screen.' The LCD provides some of the biggest benefits in digital photography: the ability to immediately review your shots and share them with other people. The bigger the LCD, the more detail you can see as you review the shots and the more people can see of the picture.

3. Is The Kit Lens Going To Fit My Needs?
When I bought my first digital SLR, I went to my photography guru for advice. He is a professional photographer with strong opinions on everything camera-related. When I gave him the specs on the kit lens that came with the dSLR I was considering, he steered me towards a different lens with a slightly larger focal length range. His advice was to get a 'deserted island' lens that I could use to shoot almost anything. He specifically recommended a lens that could handle wide angle or extreme close up shots better (a lower number on the focal length).

It turned out to be great advice, because the extra 20mm on the low-end gave me just enough wide-angle shooting capabilities that I didn't need to buy a dedicated wide-angle lens later on. Once I started using the camera I realized I don't take that many tight or super-wide shots. The kit lens may have been a little cheaper, but the slightly more versatile deserted-island lens saved me from buying a wide-angle lens later on.

Here's another tip: Don't buy all your lenses when you first buy the camera. Get the camera body and your deserted-island lens. Use the camera for a few months and then you'll have a better idea of what you actually need.

4. How Do Accessories And Lens Prices Compare To Those Of Other Cameras?
One of the reasons that you buy a digital SLR is so you can customize it with different accessories. Since the chances are good that you'll be spending a chunk of cash on lenses, extra batteries and an external flash, you'll want to ask your camera guys how prices on one brand's peripherals compare to the prices of its competitors. Shopping for cameras, you may find that the camera bodies are comparably priced, but then learn after your purchase that your camera's lenses are significantly more expensive. Compare accessory prices before you buy and factor that into your budget.

5. How Easy Is It To Find The Commands And Controls I'll Use Most?
On a recent trip to a famous camera shop in New York, I asked the guy behind the counter what he liked about the new Pentax dSLR, he listed info about the image quality, the optics, and then he said his favorite thing is that the shooting controls he uses most are buttons or dial clicks instead of being buried in on-screen menus. To change settings he only needs to click once, instead of digging through commands and submenus.

BONUS Question
After you get those five questions out of the way, here's one last question you should ask your local camera shop guy: ‘Can you match the prices I find online?' I believe you're better off buying a camera from a local retailer; they can help you with technical issues, repairs and may offer classes and workshops at a discount if you buy a camera from them.

Suggest Your Questions
If you're an experienced photography enthusiast or just a digital SLR owner with buyer's remorse, what are you suggestions for other questions to ask?  Share them in the comments below.