Along with the kudos people post on my Instagram photos (something I never tire of), they also want to know 1) what kind of camera I use 2) and what editing apps or filters went into the making of this image. [Shameless promotion: several of these images are now available for sale in my Etsy shop]

This used to offend me.

The camera doesn't matter! The app doesn't matter! This image matters!

Except that Instagram is a collaborative community. And even though many of us are there to perform and to appreciate, it's also a place where learning takes place. So I'll talk about apps in some other post. What I want to do here is discuss cameras and how to get one for cheap.

Rule #1: The best camera is the camera you're carrying.

Photo I took with my phone

For me that means I take lots of photos on my phone. But phones are expensive. And slow. And it's hard for me to see the screen to judge the quality of a shot in daylight, which is when I like to take pictures. And this is mainly because my phone has a camera. But it is not a camera. Still, if you have a phone. Use it.

Rule #2: You take better pictures when you don't have to think about protecting your camera.

Photo I took with the Pentax

So I've gotten better at making sure I always have a camera. I have an old Pentax Optio Z10. It has a sliding lens cover that's dented up from running into rocks and from being dropped about a million times (once from the roof of a house, a story I might save for some other blog). This camera is super easy to use (slide open the lens, and you're ready to shoot photos). For river trips, I put it in a ziploc bag. For just about anywhere else, I keep it in my pocket. It's almost as small as my phone. It's virtually indestructible. And even though it's the most expensive camera I've ever purchased, you can get a good used one on Amazon for $130 or over at eBay for $50. If you're willing to wait and to bid, you can find a decent, used Optio Z10 for less than $50. Use the money you save to buy a backup battery and a bigger SD card.

Rule #3: A camera is a tool.

Photo I took with my DSLR

DSLRs are the most flexible photo tool you can buy. And unless you have a specific, commercial reason for doing so, you probably don't need much more than a basic DSLR camera body. And it doesn't have to be new. I have two DSLRs, and each of them was less expensive than my point and shoot. I'll walk through the process I used for choosing a DSLR in my next post.

Hope to see you there.