Professional consumer grade cameras (often referred to as 'prosumer cameras') - unlike simple point-and-shoot (P&S) cameras - not only allow for manual adjustments of settings, but also often offer functions and futures surpassing those found in DSLRs. Yet a prosumer camera can be purchased at a fraction of the price of a professional grade DSLR system. A great example of such a camera is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35. It comes with a huge and very high quality 18x Leica zoom lens, 12.1 MP sensor, and an electronic view finder. The camera supports numerous still picture and HD movie modes. Yet, having all these settings, modes and features at your disposal does not necessarily make you a better photographer. Just like having a high-end car does not make you a better driver...unless you know how to make the most of it. Taking the time to learn the basic concepts in photography and understanding how they relate to the features of your camera is the best and the quickest way to improve your photos.
Understanding the basic concepts in photography
The basic principles and concepts in photography such as f-stops, aperture settings, and shutter speeds, depth of field and ISO, although intimidating at first, are very simple and logical. There are many books, websites, and training courses that explore these topics. While cameras have improved greatly over the last decade, they operate based on the same basic principles as they did one hundred years ago. Understanding the basic facts such as the relation of shutter speeds to aperture and ISO settings or lens length and distance to thee subject to depth of field, will help you adjust your camera's settings to achieve the results you want. Therefore rather than spending your hard earned money on yet another gadget or accessory in hopes to improve your images, go visit your local library or sign up for an online course and start studying the basic concepts of photography. You will be surprised with the results.
Understanding your camera
Once you start to understand the basic concept of photography you will also be able to take the full advantage of your camera's features. Suddenly you will start to venture outside of the program mode and begin to explore the 'A', 'S' and 'M' modes. A big advantage of prosumer cameras is they will show how the picture will look like even before you press the shutter button. Go ahead, play with these settings and study their effects. You will quickly become adept at what settings best suit different lighting situations and subjects. Then go beyond the basic settings. For example, examine the results of changing ISO, white balance and focusing mode settings under different lighting conditions with still and moving subjects. Finally, focus on a specific situation or image type, such as sports or portrait photography, and play with your camera settings until you can constantly produce high quality images. Then pick a different type of subject and repeat the process.
Understanding shortcomings of your system and how to overcome them
Finally, find out what the shortcomings of your system are and learn how to overcome them. Each and every camera - no matter how expensive it may be - will have them. For example, the Lumix FZ35 just like all other prosumer-level cameras has a much smaller sensor than those in DSLR cameras with the same pixel count. The small sensor allows for very compact telephoto lenses. However, that means the pixels are smaller and register less light than larger pixels found in DSLRs. Therefore photos taken under poor lighting conditions with a prosumer level camera will likely be grainy. Simply not enough light is able to reach the sensor. If you understand the basic concept of f-stops, you will know how to address the situation by adjusting the maximum ISO, and to counter it with adjusted aperture setting and shutter speeds.
As you can see, it all comes together. Taking time to learn the basic concepts of photography, understanding the features of your camera and learning how to use them effectively will quickly help you become a better photographer and will result in images you will be proud of. And most importantly, even if you replace your camera in a year or two, the knowledge of the principles of photography will continue to benefit you in the years to come.
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