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How To Buy The Best Cameras For Beginners In 2021

by Emmarie | Sep 24, 2021 | BUYER'S GUIDE, CAMERAS

Buying yourself a new camera can be a pretty exciting thing. Regardless of whether you’re upgrading from your current smartphone camera or just simply feel like getting your hands on a manual DSLR to see if photography is a path you want to take. But with so many options to choose from in the market, how do you know which one will fit you best? Not to worry! For our article today, we will be guiding you on how to buy the best cameras for beginners this 2021.

From knowing the different types of cameras in the market to learning the things you need to consider, you’ll surely have an idea of how to buy your first manual camera by the end of this article. Just keep scrolling to find out more.

Want To Check Out Our Top Recommendations? Click Here To Read Our Article On The Best Cameras For Beginners In 2021.

The Rise Of Smartphone Cameras & Why A Manual Camera Is Still Worth Investing On

As you already know, smartphone cameras have come to a point where they can easily go toe to toe with some of the best mid-range manual cameras in the market.

Nowadays, smartphones are capable of having 48MP cameras as well as shooting high-res videos at 4K. This even surpasses the quality of a lot of manual cameras in the market, making them almost feel obsolete.

So it’s pretty understandable if some of you may still be on the fence about whether it would be good to invest in a dedicated camera or stick with the one your smartphone provides. After all, smartphone cameras provide a certain convenience these manual cameras don’t.

For example, manual cameras are mainly used for taking pictures, while the former is built into an all-in-one device. This means you don’t have to carry a separate gadget with you every time you want to take a photo. Additionally, smartphone cameras are just much easier to use in general. They don’t have these complicated setting options you really need to properly set in order to get the photo you want.

And because of these very reasons, the camera industry has seen a significant decrease in demand these past years. It has come to a point where some people have ultimately quit buying cameras and don’t see them as worthy of investing in anymore.

It’s very rare nowadays to see someone anticipating the next release from Canon or Nikon the same way you would see people get excited about Apple‘s new releases every year.

So Are Cameras Still Worth It?

While it’s true that you can get away with taking a perfectly good photo with your current smartphone camera) if you’re really serious about your photography and you want an authentic experience of honing your skills and growing as a photographer, nothing will beat holding a manual camera in your hands.

The majority of people nowadays prefer smartphone cameras since they’re readily embedded into their main devices. However, professional photographers are unlikely to utilize a smartphone to record and shoot professional events, commercials, or films.

Meanwhile, cameras like DSLRs offer the advantage of longevity and versatility to let your creativity shine so you can get different results for your photos. Of course, smartphones have these too but they’re frequently done with the help of certain apps.

All in all, manual cameras are sure to last you for decades. You can also easily just swap out certain parts if you want an upgrade such as the lenses and there’s no need to completely throw out your current unit if you’re on a budget. On the other hand, you can’t really do the same thing with a smartphone camera and you’ll be wanting to upgrade the model every 3-5 years or so.

Why You Should Pick A Beginner-Friendly Camera

Just like any other hobby we pick up or just starting to take interest in, we usually test the waters first by starting small and avoid investing too much in case it turns out to be something we’ll not be doing in the long run. The same logic can be applied to photography.

Some might get excited at the prospect at first and even dive headfirst into taking as many pictures as you want without really taking into account the technicalities that come with it. There’s nothing wrong with this but after a while, you might ask yourself if this is something you truly enjoy or are you simply following a trend?

So in order to avoid wasting or spending too much money on professional-grade cameras before you’re ready for them or have decided that photography will be a long-term hobby of yours, let me tell you why buying an entry-level camera model will be more beneficial to you as a beginner.

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The term “beginner” might mean different things to different people. To some, it may imply a complete lack of knowledge in photography. Which in this case, you’ll want to stick with entry-level cameras that offer plenty of manual choices for you to experiment with as your skills improve over time.

Aside from that, entry-level cameras are also generally a lot cheaper compared to other cameras that were made specifically for professionals or veteran photographers. Not only this helps you save money, but it also prevents you from feeling guilty for investing too much or wasting resources in case you realize that photography isn’t something you want to do in the long run.

Feel Like You’re Ready To Check Out Different Camera Models? Read Our Top Picks Here For The Best Cameras For Beginners In 2021.

Different Types Of Cameras

DSLRs

The term “DSLR” stands for digital single-lens reflex which refers to the fact that it uses a single lens for shooting and focusing on your subjects.

Internal mirror mechanisms are built into DSLRs, allowing you to use an optical viewfinder. When it comes to capturing shots, photographers prefer to use this viewfinder rather than the LCD screen provided by the camera.

Due to their rugged builds, DLSR cameras are also generally more durable and weatherproof than other types of cameras you’ll see in the market. Though this can also vary depending on the model.

The DSLR used to be and still is, the professional camera standard. It’s one of the most popular varieties of cameras on the market, and it’s frequently utilized by professional photographers all over the world. If you frequently go to a lot of social or professional events, you’ll often see this type of camera used by photographers or journalists in their line of work.

Looking For A Beginner-Friendly DSLR? Check Out Our Review Of The Nikon D3500 Here.

Mirrorless

In some aspects, mirrorless cameras are similar to DSLRs. They have interchangeable lens mounts that can be swapped out whenever you want. But in exchange for the ability to build this type of camera more compact and lighter than your average DSLR, mirrorless cameras forego the mirror system that allows for an optical viewfinder.

Mirrorless cameras are also the most popular type of camera nowadays, They’re trendy and sport an aesthetic that a lot of younger people gravitate to. So if DSLRs are a little too bulky or complicated for your taste, mirrorless cameras may be a better option. They’re more portable and have smaller bodies so they won’t take up as much room in your bag.

Looking For A Mirrorless Camera? Check Out Our Full Review Of The Fujifilm X-T200 Here.

Film Cameras

The traditional method of photography is with a film camera. This type of camera is usually inexpensive. But they also don’t have as many options for customization as you would with a digital camera like DSLRs or mirrorless cameras.

Film cameras demand more effort and time than digital cameras. Wherein the latter allows you to see the outcomes of your images immediately after hitting the shutter button. On the other hand, film cameras use film rolls, which run out after a set number of photographs are taken.

Afterward, you can take your film rolls to a picture developer and have them processed for you to get a physical copy of your pictures.

Instant Film

Instant film cameras are similar to film cameras, except they print your images in a couple of seconds. They produce what is popularly known as “polaroids“.

This type of camera also uses a specific film roll that only allows you to capture a certain number of images. But unlike your regular film camera, instant film cameras can create photographs shot after shot. These models are also very popular among teenagers. They’re fun, easy to use, and great for memorabilia purposes.

Compact Cameras

This type of camera is also called “point-and-shoot-cameras”. These types of cameras have fixed lenses that cannot be changed or swapped out. So you’ll either be stuck with a zoom lens that covers a specific focal range, or a fixed-focal-length “prime” lens that focuses on quality.

Additionally, a lot of people find this type of camera outdated. But before smartphone cameras were a thing, this was the most popular type of camera among the masses.

The models in this category of cameras were cheap and did an adequate job of taking photographs. However, because of the tremendous rise in the popularity of smartphones, their subpar quality has significantly improved since then. Many point-and-shoot cameras now offer imaging quality that can easily rival that of interchangeable lens cameras in order to compete.

Conclusion

Now that we’ve finally reached the end of our article, I hope this was able to help you out in deciding whether a camera is worth the investment or not. As well as knowing the types of cameras that will suit you the best.

Photography is a wonderful experience and there’s no better way to preserve memories than taking photos of them. So whether you opt to get a manual camera or stick with your smartphone, I hope you have fun in your pursuit of taking great images.

Do you already own a camera? Or are you still thinking of getting one? Did our article on How To Buy The Best Cameras For Beginners help you out in making a decision? Let me know in the comments section below if you have any insights, suggestions, or questions to ask. I would love to hear all your thoughts!

How To Buy The Best Tablets For Students In 2021

by Emmarie | Sep 17, 2021 | BUYER'S GUIDE, TABLETS

Tablets are amazing and compact devices that can help people with a lot of their daily tasks. Whether it be for work, for school, or for recreational activities. But for students, tablets can easily be a versatile device that can really help you take down notes, organize your schedule, and accomplish your school works. So for today’s guide, we’ll be giving some advice on how to buy the best tablets for students in 2021.

With the market so saturated with all different kinds of tablets from every brand you can think of, it can be hard to choose one and find which will suit you the best. In addition to that, tablets come in every price range. From being $100 to costing more than $1000. So with that being said, it can be tricky to pick which tablet will give you every bang for your buck.

The last thing you want is to splurge on such an expensive tablet and end up with a device that has way too advanced features you won’t even end up using. Or worse, you get yourself a “cheap” tablet that breaks easily or has multiple issues or compromises.

So to make sure you avoid these kinds of mistakes, this article will help you out as you shop for your next tablet purchase.

If You Want To Check Out Different Models Of Tablets, Here Are Our Top Recommendations For The Best Tablets For College Students In 2021.

Why Choose A Tablet?

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As online lessons continue to be offered as a result of the ongoing pandemic, the demand for equipment and gadgets that can handle hefty academic workloads grows. Tablets are an excellent example of such devices that may provide great adaptability, productivity, and portability.

But some of you might be wondering: why should I get a tablet and not just stick to my smartphone or get a laptop instead?

Those are very valid questions and honestly, if you already have a reliable laptop that you can use for your online classes, there’s nothing wrong with sticking with that. However, if you’re looking for a device that offers a lot more portability than your laptop but something that has more power than your smartphone, a tablet is the answer.

Tablets Vs. Laptops & Smartphones

While laptops are still very effective devices, sometimes we just crave something more compact. And to be frank, some tablets like the iPad Pro from Apple can even go toe to toe with most flagship laptops nowadays. Not to mention, similar flagship tablets from Samsung and Microsoft can also easily serve as a pseudo-laptop. All you need to do is attach a keyboard and voila! You got yourself a laptop.

Aside from the physical aspects, Samsung also offers DeX mode to really give you that laptop feels with a click of a button while also helping out in your productivity. On the other hand, Microsoft’s Surface Pro series uses a Windows operating system.

Apart from school works, a tablet can also serve you for all sorts of things. Some examples would be streaming high-quality videos, practice some digital drawing, and plenty of other activities. Sure, you can also do these things with your current smartphone or laptop, but a tablet is a great balance of those gadgets.

A smartphone is great and they’re reliable but oftentimes, they don’t have enough power or support the same apps a tablet might. Also, the display screen is sometimes just too small depending on your preference. Laptops are cool too, they offer plenty of power but they’re not the most compact. You’ll find a lot of the time that having a tablet is a lot more comfortable to carry around anywhere.

Shopping Tips

Now if you’re fully convinced that you really want a tablet for your online classes, here are some friendly shopping tips you might want to consider and keep in mind.

Plan How Much You’re Willing To Spend

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As I have previously mentioned, tablets come in all different price ranges. Some go for as low as $100, while some models like the iPad Pros from Apple can cost you up to more than a thousand dollars. Personally, I find that really expensive and unnecessary unless you really need that much power from a compact device like a tablet.

So before you enter a physical store or head on to Amazon, it’s best to have a budget already planned to avoid getting overwhelmed. Not only will this help narrow down your options when you have a price range to stick to, but you will also have an idea of what kind of tablets you need to look for and what kind of specs you should expect.

As with any product, more affordable options of tablets are going to come with a few compromises so it can maintain a more budget-friendly price point. So you really can’t expect a Samsung Galaxy Tab A6 to function the same way as an iPad Pro would. Not only are they two vastly different models from different brands, but their hardware is also built differently.

However, if you’re desperate for power and want your tablet to be as good as your computer, then be prepared to splurge a little. These kinds of advanced and high-tech specs will surely cost you an arm and a leg.

If You’re Looking For The Best Tablet Money Can Buy, Check Out Our Full Review Of The Apple iPad Pro M1 Here.

Try To Visit The Physical Store Of Your Chosen Tablet

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With the pandemic still ongoing, it’s always best to stay indoors to keep yourself safe from the virus. But if you can and you think it’s safe enough in your community, I would highly suggest making a quick trip to check out the tablet you want physically in an actual store.

This gives you a better idea of how the tablet will feel on your hands, how it actually looks like, and how it functions. The store employees can also answer some of your questions that you won’t get from product descriptions online as well as a more hands-on experience of the device.

Aside from those things, checking your desired tablet in a physical store also lessens situations wherein you might receive a faulty product that you will end up returning or exchanging. Plus, if the tablet is good enough for you, you can just purchase it right away on the spot without having to wait for a few days for it to arrive on your doorstep.

Include The Accessories In Your Budget

To maximize a tablet’s versatility, you’ll often want to pair it up with accessories. Such accessories can be pens for taking notes or doing digital art, a Bluetooth keyboard for typing, or even an external USB port. They’re not a necessity, but they do make a huge difference when you’re using a tablet. So it’s up to you whether you would like to have them or not.

Some brands include these accessories in the box when you purchase them, but some manufacturers require you to buy them separately. So if you already have a tablet in mind, it’s best that you research whether they come in with the needed accessories. If not, you can either look for another model or make some allowances in your budget to be able to purchase these accessories as well.

Keep In Mind The Specs You Need For Your Classes & School Works

One of the most crucial things to consider when investing in such a high-end device as a tablet is the specs it has built into its system, depending on the classes you’re taking. The last thing you want is to discover that your newly purchased device lacks the necessary hardware to complete your everyday school activities.

So here are some features you need to consider and keep in mind when shopping for a tablet:

CPU

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The CPU in a tablet will determine how fast and smooth your device will perform its tasks. The better the CPU your tablet has, the better it will also execute your tasks for you.

So before you invest, I highly recommend looking up what kind of processors or CPUs are the most updated in the industry right now. For example, tablets like the Apple iPad Pro with the M1 chip are as powerful as a lot of high-end laptops you’re seeing in the market right now. It will certainly give you a very smooth performance without a hitch.

But you don’t always need the most advanced CPU. More affordable options are definitely available that can perform adequately if you don’t require a lot of power for your daily tasks.

Check Out Our Review Of The Apple iPad Air 4 Here

Display

The display is something you shouldn’t overlook. Especially if you’re attending creative classes. If you’re a student who wants to practice your video editing skills or digital art, you should always look for a tablet that has an excellent display that offers perfect color accuracy to make sure that your work won’t look distorted or have its colors off in any way.

Operating System

When it comes to operating systems, you have a handful of options to choose from depending on the tablet you have chosen. From Apple’s iPadOS, to Android, and Windows. They’re all decent operating systems and it really just depends on which operating system you’re familiar with and you prefer working with for the years to come.

Though if you ask me when it comes to comparing the three, iPadOS is definitely more advanced and will give you access to some of the best apps for your tablet due to Apple’s robust app library.

Storage

The amount of storage in a tablet will solely depend on your needs and what you’re planning to do with your tablet. Tablet storage can be as little as 32GB and up to 2TB.

Personally, the 64GB of storage is pretty outdated and might not be sufficient if your tablet is going to be an all-around device to do all of your tasks. If you want to make sure that your device doesn’t run out of memory so quickly, opting for a model that has 128GB of storage would be a safer choice.

Conclusion

We’ve finally reached the end of this article. I hope this was able to give you an idea of what you need to keep in mind and what to look for when shopping for your next tablet purchase.

Do you already own a tablet? Or are you still contemplating it? Did our article for How To Buy The Best Tablets For Students In 2021 help you come to a decision? Let me know in the comments section below if you have any further questions, suggestions, or even insights to share. I would love to hear all your thoughts!