Some would argue that the camera body is the most important part of any camera kit, after all it's the bit that makes the image, isn't it?Modern digital SLR cameras are all so good nowadays, that they will all produce great images in the right hands, (Yes! that even includes Samsung SLRs) it's just a case of finding which one has the features you need (not want, unless you can afford them) at the right price. The most important aspect of choosing a camera is making sure you have the correct lenses for the job. The lenses form your image and provide the clarity, the camera is just a box designed to collect what the lens produces.
On that note, I'd better describe what I use and why it suits me so well.
The camera I use is a Nikon D200, and I think it's fantastic for the following reasons:
- Metering
This is the most important feature to consider for me, as I often shoot in quite ridiculous lighting conditions. The Nikon D200 has three main metering options:
Colour Matrix, which is unnervingly accurate with flash, and great for general 'happy snaps'.
Spot-metering is next on the list. I use this extensively, as it provides the most consistent results under difficult lighting conditions. It is invaluable for concerts, especially as the spot-metering area can be set to follow whichever AF point you are using. This means if I want to meter off the singers face, I just need to focus on them and adjust the exposure accordingly. Not many other camera manufacturers include this level of metering across ALL their models.
Centre-weighted is the remaining option. I barely ever use this, in fact I can't remember the last time I did use it. - Robustness
The Nikon D200 is hewn from a solid block of magnesium alloy with rubber gaskets sealing most weak points against the elements. My camera has been dropped, soaked with beer, used in torrential rain and even survived the most intense circle pits at the Damnation Festival in Manchester. If I were ever mugged on the way back from a concert late at night, I'd pity the poor desperate soul who'd get this camera slammed into their chops. That would hurt... believe me. The camera would be fine though. - Speed
The D200 shoots at up to five frames per second. Not only is this useful for capturing the decisive moment, I also use it to improve my chances of getting a sharp shot with long lenses in dim lighting conditions. If I fire a burst of three to four shots, the first will always be blurred (due to the movement of pressing the shutter release), after that I have a good chance of the second, third or fourth shots being sharp. Simple really. - Controls
The main difference between the D200 and models below, such as the Nikon D80 is with the way the controls are arranged. On a camera like a D80, advanced controls such as Dynamic Group AF, which I like to switch to and from regularly, are hidden away in the menu system. The D200 has a dedicated switch on the rear for quick access to this function. - Image Quality
The thing I like best about images produced by the D200 is the way it handles colour at high sensitivities (ISOs). Although other cameras are more than capable of turning out images that are sharper and with less noise, the colours often look flat by comparison to me. That's unless you're willing to spend enough time tweaking those images to get every last bit of tone and colour out of them (and I don't mean just hiking the saturation). I simply don't have time to be doing that.
Other photographers will demand other things from their camera. If you are not me, you will probably do quite well to read some reviews, handle the cameras in a shop or even hire one for a day. I believe there is no such thing as a 'best' camera, only cameras that suit some individuals better than others.
If I were starting from scratch again, and had a limited budget, I would probably look towards the following cameras:
- Nikon D80
Simply because it's the closest to what I have now in terms of operation, speed, robustness and image quality. - Canon EOS 400D
This camera lacks the metering options I love on my Nikon D200, but is more than capable of turning out great images in low light. It is cheaper than the Nikon D80 as well, which would leave more cash for good glass, which will improve the quality of your images more than pixels ever will. - Pentax K100D
The cheapest of the bunch by a country mile, but it's no slouch when it comes to performance. The body integral Shake Reduction system will also help in really dark venues. Six million pixels is plenty for most editorial images and for printing decent A3 images at home. - Nikon D40
This could be a great camera for concerts if it wasn't limited to AF-S lenses. This means that you cannot use most Nikon or third-party prime or zoom lenses and retain autofocus. To make this camera useful for concerts, you would probably have to buy a Nikon AF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 or a Nikon AF-S 28-70mm f/2.8 which are both twice as expensive as the camera!
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