Gear in photography is a bit schizo. On the one hand you'll read articles that love to say "gear doesn't matter", and it's all in how you use it. At the same time, there's a certain status factor that comes with ridiculously expensive gear, and some people judge the quality of a photographer by the cost of their equipment. "Gear doesn't matter" says the guy who vlogs with a $6k camera... and we're supposed to believe he really thinks that?
Here's my take: there's money you can spend on gear that will get you better photos, and there's money you can spend that won't give you a better photo but might give you some camera features you really like. In my opinion, it's better to spend money on the features that actually give you better photographs, and save it on the bells and whistles. In addition, there's money you can spend that will give you better photos - but only under certain conditions that you may or may not ever shoot in or under certain viewing conditions that no one might ever use to look at your photos. In the end, you've technically got a better photo, but the benefit gained for the money spent becomes minimal. Those successive steps can get really expensive, and there are serious cost:benefit ratios at work for those of us who aren't swimming in it like Uncle Scrooge.
For photographs of geologic subjects at the technical and artistic level I am interested in, I wanted a camera that would shoot with fully manual settings and take RAW image files with at least 18 MP resolution; basically that means some level of DSLR. Fully controlling your camera's settings is important for creative control. Shooting RAW files is essential to bring out the most color and contrast from your images so they look their best, but only if you're going to put in the effort to learn how to process your photos in software such as Adobe Lightroom. I also wanted to switch out lenses in order to have more flexibility with the kinds of shots I could take. Since I learned how to shoot manually on a Canon and I really liked the experience, I decided to stick with it when I went looking to purchase my own.
Canon makes a million different kinds of cameras these days, which can make choosing the right one for yourself really confusing. One of the biggest divides in DSLR cameras is the size of the sensor: full frame vs. crop. Any full frame sensor camera is going to be much more expensive than those that use the smaller crop sensor. While I don't think there's any question that a full frame sensor is better in many ways, the cost difference is enormous! The crop sensor cameras still take terrific photographs, especially in good light, where it is probably difficult for most people to tell the difference. In my opinion, unless you are able to make a significant income from your photography, it's really difficult to justify spending the money (thousands vs. hundreds) on a full frame sensor camera.
In the area of crop-sensor cameras, Canon still has a million too many to choose from. For example, they sell a line of cameras called the T6, T6i, T6s, and a T7i, which all sound a lot alike. While the T6s and the T6i are basically the same camera with different bells & whistles, the T6 is quite different. The T7i is the new upgrade to the T6i. And if you're not from the US, or if you're reading a review from overseas, then the T6i is instead known as the 750D! Talk about adding another layer of confusion when a google search for camera reviews might land you anywhere in the world. There is another Canon line of crop-sensor cameras, the 60D/70D/80D line. These cameras have one main advantage in my opinion, and that is the weather sealing. They have other benefits as well, but I wasn't convinced those features would get me better photographs. For example, they can shoot 7 shots/sec instead of 5, but for geophotography there's not a whole lot of need for that higher shooting rate of 2 more photos per second like there might be in sports or wildlife. With those extra features, the 70D/80D line is quite a bit more money than the T6i/T7i line; however, these cameras have basically the same sensor (some differences in number of megapixels) and use the same lenses, and therefore they all pretty much take the same images. So, you're not necessarily getting better photographs in the end, though do pay attention to the number of megapixels as these vary with the upgrades and different lines. As to the weather sealing, I can see the advantage, but I am rarely interested in shooting photos in the rain. There are other minor differences between all of these, but I'll leave it to the reader to research that elsewhere. So does what you get for all that extra money justify the cost? Deciding which to buy can be a difficult task, since you want to be happy with whatever you decide. I'll leave links below to all of these so you can check them out in more detail.
I decided on the T6i because I wanted a good quality sensor with high MP resolution, but I wasn't willing to pay for a lot of bells & whistles and other extras that in the end don't translate into actually better photographs. Those things just weren't in my budget. I knew I couldn't justify the cost of a full frame sensor, so that was never a real consideration. As a geologist, I primarily shoot outdoors in the day, so super low light capabilities aren't really needed. The higher dynamic range of a full frame sensor would be nice when shooting with a bright sky, but I've learned to adapt to that so I can still get the photos I want. And again, it comes down to balancing your needs and wants against the costs, which are substantial. Another thing about the T6i is that it is quite light. Some people like a heavy camera, and the weight usually indicates a more durable build quality. But I like the low weight of the T6i; it makes it easier to haul around if I'm hiking a significant distance, especially if I'm taking multiple lenses along too. When in the field, lower weight is a great advantage. Also, I just decide to treat my camera really carefully; some people are rough on their stuff.
To be fair, yes you can take some excellent shots with point & shoot cameras, and even with cell phones. However, you typically can't shoot RAW files, you often don't have the same controls over the settings, and the size and quality of the image is lessened. There are things you just can't do with point and shoot cameras that, to me, are an essential part of the work. And on the other hand, there are things I can't do without a full frame sensor, and a lot of those bells and whistles sure do look sweet. But for me it was too hard to justify the cost. Your mileage may vary, but I hope this post is helpful for geologists and other outdoor enthusiasts when thinking about which camera to purchase.
So here is a gear list of all the cameras mentioned above; check them out at the links below:
For any of these, here's a good zoom lens: Canon EF-S 55-250 mm f/4-5.6 lens
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