Photos in Ireland: which camera?

Taking pictures is a real pleasure when you’re travelling! A real souvenir factory, photography allows you to immortalize your best moments in Ireland as closely as possible! But it’s not enough to simply press the shutter button to take good photos: you need to choose the best possible camera to make your travels and photo shoots as easy as possible!

Which camera to travel in Ireland?

The photo? A question of envy above all!

Before you leave for material considerations, it is important to know what you want to do with your future camera during your stay in Ireland. Do you want to take quick and instinctive shots without too much creative research, or do you want to do some high quality artistic photography?

The answer to this question will undoubtedly influence your choice of camera! Because in photography, for each specific use corresponds a type of camera. And it’s best to choose the right one from the start!

The different types of appliances

The compact :

Thus, travelers wishing to make standard photography will undoubtedly turn to a “compact“. This type of camera has the advantage of appealing to beginners who don’t want to go into complexity and who won’t be too demanding on the quality of the photo. Icing on the cake, these cameras are rather small and easy to store. (No need to carry a special backpack to store it!).

Prices are generally quite affordable and can range from €100 to €250. They are sold turnkey: all you need is an SD card and you can immortalise your best memories!

For the others, you will have the choice between a hybrid, a bridge or a reflex. And that’s where it gets complicated! First of all because the prices increase considerably, but also because they are aimed at photographers ranging from amateur to professional!

Bridges:

The bridge is a device halfway between the compact and the reflex. It thus has the automatic features of a compact while being equipped with better optics. Richer in terms of functionalities, it wants to be more complete and already allows you to try out higher quality manual adjustments. The ergonomics of the housing is also more pleasant to handle than a compact. However, the latter is significantly larger and requires a bag to protect it. It is also more fragile. Nevertheless, its weight is quite pleasant, and you will be able to walk around for long hours without feeling it weighing on your shoulder. In short, the bridge is a real compromise for those who want to learn photography gently! Count between 250€ and 350€ approximately.

Hybrids :

This is a brand new range of digital cameras. It is an intermediate alternative between the compact and the reflex. Like the bridge, the hybrid consists of a housing that can accommodate interchangeable lenses like an SLR. An advantage if you want to travel light while equipping yourself with powerful optics! Where the bottom hurts is the price: the hybrid is almost as expensive as a bridge, but offers almost equivalent photos. On the other hand, the cost of the lenses is quite high.

DSLRs:

We’re playing in the big league here! The reflex is nothing more or less than the modern adaptation of the silver reflex… except for the fact that we have swapped the photo film for an SD card! Extremely flexible, the SLR generally consists of a case and a panel of interchangeable lenses! This of course implies to travel with more equipment (which can be cumbersome, even annoying.)! Moreover, the reflex has the particularity to be more imposing and much heavier…not to mention the lenses which add weight!

On the sensor side, it has nothing to do with a compact or a bridge. It’s the one that allows you to obtain professional quality photos! However, it requires a high-capacity SD card, because the photos are heavier! In terms of functionality, the DSLR is above all designed to take photos in manual mode (and act on the aperture, speed or brightness), but it is also formidable in automatic mode. So you’ll be able to take artistic photos of great quality, as long as you’re well-equipped with the right lens! The only catch: SLRs are quite expensive: count 300€ minimum for a first range nude camera. Then you have to buy lenses, which can cost from 100 to several thousand euros! Finally, a dedicated photo bag is a must for travelling: also count on a hundred euros.

In conclusion:

A compact for easy photography, an SLR for creative and artistic photos!

It all depends on your desire, your level and your budget. In general, a compact or a bridge are ideal to start and make correct pictures without getting too involved in the technical aspect of the photo.

If, on the other hand, you prefer more freedom and want to take quality photos, then the SLR is the perfect solution! It will allow you to take pictures with beautiful depth of field, and will allow you to give free rein to your creativity!

Be careful though: reflex requires practice and a good knowledge of the world of photography. The multiplicity of functions could put off the beginners: the purchase of a specialized book is recommended before you start! We also recommend that you never bring more than 2 lenses with you: they should be versatile without taking up too much space!