Afripixo’s guide to digital cameras will help you find the right camera for the best images to upload on the website. Getting the right camera is confusing because there are so many categories and models, however this guide will break down all this to give you the basics of what your really need.
Quality Control
At Afripixo we don’t actually review cameras but our Quality Control Team (QC) do review the images they create. QC check images against our guidelines and as long as they don’t have any of these faults we’ll accept them.
QC may not review individual cameras but there are some that aren’t suitable for Afripixo as they consistently produce images that don’t fit our requirements.
Why we reject images for unsuitable camera
We identify an unsuitable camera via the problems we see within the image, not from the camera itself.
An unsuitable camera is something that doesn’t compare to a standard DSLR
It could be unsuitable for multiple reasons, with the most important being sensor size
Most DSLR’s have sensors big enough to create an image of suitable quality
Image sensor sizes
Digital cameras contain electronic sensors to capture images by detecting light focused by a lens and converting the information into an electronic signal (as opposed to an analogue camera and exposure on photographic film).
Different cameras have different image sensors and their size is mainly determined by how big the camera body itself is.
Afripixo recommend using cameras with four thirds sensors as a minimum requirement
The larger the sensor, the more detail captured over wider dynamic range (dark and light area detail), with superior low-light performance and ability to focus sharply on moving objects
The smaller the sensor, the more you’ll see issues such as: excessive noise, softness and poor exposure
Digital image sensor sizes – Comparison against 35mm “full frame” (black rectangles)
The image sensor in high-end mobile phones tend to be around 1/3″.
For more info on different sizes and types of image sensors you might want to check out this Wikipedia article.
Suitable Cameras
When we say “suitable” we mean cameras that are able to produce images that meet our guidelines.
We don’t endorse or recommend any particular brand or product
Most well-known brand DSLRs will have a large enough sensor and can utilise different lenses to produce high quality images
You still need to take care when using them to get optimum photo quality (they won’t take the photo for you)
Some high-end compact cameras are also able to produce good enough quality images to meet our QC guidelines. However, the majority of these will need extra care and attention when using to achieve optimum photo quality
We do also accept scanned images from analogue SLR cameras, where grain is not too noticeable and the scanning is of a professional quality.
Unsuitable Cameras
When we say “unsuitable” we mean cameras that are consistently unable to produce images that meet our guidelines.
Forget megapixel count, mobile phones and compact cameras are designed to be small and manageable and that means less room for large sensors and lenses
Almost all compact cameras, fixed lens cameras – SLR-like Bridge Cameras and all mobile phones cannot produce images that meet our guidelines
Some older DSLRs are also unsuitable due to their overall poor quality, small sensors and age
We see images from a large range of mobile phones in QC, especially newer models such as the iPhone X and other high-end Android devices. No doubt, mobile image quality is getting better and better, but in relation to a standard DSLR… they still don’t compare.
Conclusion:
Afripixo’s guide to digital cameras is just that, a guide. Ultimately it’s down to you to decide what camera is right for your needs, or even multiple cameras for different needs. The advice we give here is to help explain what type of cameras are more likely to produce good enough quality images for our requirements. That said, having a suitable high-end camera doesn’t always guarantee a QC pass, so for more info you might want to read up on these:
How we check your images
Our common failure reasons and how to avoid them
Comment below, tell us what’s in your kit bag and share any camera advice for anyone starting out in photography.