Looking for a new camera? |
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 Hints and tips by Philip Grosset If you'd like to submit photos for criticism, click here. |
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| APS, 35mm or digital? Nowadays you're amost certain to go for digital. If you don't want to hear about the older formats, go straight down to Buying the Camera. |
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| The main advantages claimed of APS (Advanced Photo System) were that cameras were small and light, offered a choice of three print sizes (see below), printed the date/time on the back of prints, and the film cartridges were very easy to load (they just had to be dropped in). They came back from processing with a convenient index sheet showing all the shots, so, when it came to ordering reprints or enlargements, you didn't have to search through a neg to find the shots you want:
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The format used for each picture is shown on the index sheet. Top left (no.1) is an example of C (classic), when the extreme sides of the negative are cut off. On its right (no.2) is H (high definition), when the whole of the neg is used. Then on its right (no.3) is P (panoramic), when the top and bottom of the neg are excluded. |
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| As can be seen with the first three photos on the index sheet, you don't get any more of the scene included at each side of the frame when using the panoramic setting than with the 7x4in print. All that happens is that you cut off the top and bottom of the picture! |
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| C (classic) proportion APS print (really 6x4in). |
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| H (high definition TV format) APS print (really 7x4in). This reproduces the whole of the APS negative. |
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| P (panoramic) APS print (really 10x4in). |
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In practice, I must admit that I often think that 7x4 prints look better when cut down to 6x4in as shown on the right below: |
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The main disadvantages of APS were that the film and processing cost more, the neg size was limited to 30x17mm instead of 35x20mm, the choice of film stock was much more limited, and 35mm produced rather sharper results. |
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| Serious photographers always preferred to use 35mm (and a single lens reflex camera), but for more casual (including holiday) photography, an APS camera could be handy as it was so easy to slip it into a pocket and take it anywhere. But it never boasted all the advantages of digital. |
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| Buying the camera |
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| The best tip is to buy several (or, better still, all!) of the camera magazines that publish lists of their test results. Draw up a short list of the cameras that are most recommended and have the facilities you want (make sure you can turn off the flash if you want to. There are times when unwanted flashes can be a real curse), then visit your local dealer(s) to try handling the recommended cameras for yourself. Make sure you can hold the camera comfortably, and that there's a really clear picture in the viewfinder. Be sure to choose one with a focusing lens so that you can take real close-ups.
If possible, buy from a dealer to whom you can easily return the camera if anything goes wrong. This may not happen often, but I had to have a new camera replaced once, and a new camcorder replaced three times in its first three months! The lens covers on two different digital cameras also jammed (and, in the case of one camera, kept on jamming). So I'd recommend taking out an extended guarantee, especially with a digital camera. See if there is a dealer who will match any prices advertised elsewhere (you can search for the cheapest prices from adverts in the camera mags). This offer usually excludes the internet. |
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| Two last tips |
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| Don't wait to buy the camera until the day before setting out on an important trip! Always take a test film first, partly to check that everything is working properly, and partly to familiarise yourself with the controls. This can save a great deal of disappointment. |
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| If you want to save money by buying on the internet, check details and prices at: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Move on to GOING DIGITAL |
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NEXT PAGE PICKING THE BEST VIEWPOINT |
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