The All-In-One Beginners Guide to Photography Part 1: Buying Your Camera and Gear
It’s basically all the shit I wish I would have known getting into Photography.
Well hello there. I see you are looking for a camera and decided this was a good place to start. You are in for a treat on this one kids! This is a general guide aimed at people looking to get into photography, buying their first camera, and what to expect when looking at a camera. We will go over realistic budgets, realistic expectations for cost, and how to prevent wanting to acquire a shit load of gear you don’t need. Let’s begin! I reccomend reading all parts of this before purchasing. I plan to release two more parts after this, but until then this can still be a useful place to start. I’ll probably not edit any of this out due to sheer laziness, but I do hope this helps you get started.
It all starts with a purchase, but possibly also a gift…
Cameras are a marvelous thing. They capture moments in time, allowing us to share memories for years to come. That being said you probably are going to start out in one of 3 positions:
Someone gave you a camera and a lens
You want to get into photography and don’t want to spend a lot of money
You have a lot of money to set aside for a camera that will last you a long time
You stole a camera from somewhere and are a terrible person
The first situation isn’t a bad situation. It’s your first camera, it doesn’t have to be your last! Use it and learn on it. Learn about it’s lens systems and what you can achieve with that camera. This is a great place to start, and again you can learn on this camera and you can move on to a different camera system that is a better fit for you.
The second situation is the most common when looking into a camera. You want to get into photography but money is a real concern. The good news is you can get a brand new camera and SD card for less that $500 before tax. Now is it the best camera? I can’t answer that. That is personal opinion. It’s honestly better to look at a refurbished or used camera and lenses to get something better at the same price though. Even under the $800 bracket you can usually find a solid camera and still have a bit of money for a card and maybe some accessories. Keep in mind you should keep budgeting in the future for any other accessories you may need, but at least you can get started. Check what is available on the new and used market and consider what features you need and go from there.
The third situation can be great but do you really need to spend that much? Buying more gear WILL NOT MAKE YOU A BETTER PHOTOGRAPHER! That’s something that needs to be squashed ASAP. What you should do is look into what thy of photography you want to do and invest in something that will be a good fit of that. You will be better off spending time researching cameras to see what is a good camera to start with. Don’t invest in the most expensive camera, but invest in a camera that’s easy to use and learn on; invest in what you need to get the shot. A good example is the Sony A7S III vs the Sony A7 IV. At the time of writing this the A7S III is more expensive than an A7R IV, but if you are looking for a portrait camera then I wouldn’t spend more just to do so. The A7R IV is a fantastic portrait camera. The A7S III is a fantastic content creator camera for video and stills alike. They aren’t the same, so research your cameras in your budget.
The fourth situation is just you being a terrible person. Please stop being garbage and change your ways.
I usually make a Chart with all the cameras available for about 75% of my budget. We will get to the chart in the next section but let’s talk about that budget. Why 75%? I’m glad you asked. If you spend 75% of your budget on the camera you can invest the rest into accessories. If you have $2000, then you have $500 to spend on a case, cards, card wallet, filters, possibly even a second lens. You could just use the some of that leftover budget to go on a small trip to put the camera to use as well. Spend $1500 on the camera, $150 on some accessories and $350 on a trip to the mountains and take some cool photos. Even on a small budget of $500, you have $375 to get a nice used body and lens and then $125 to spend on all those accessories you may need. If you don’t want to budget like that then go ahead and plan out the pricing of the accessories you need (let’s say 2 memory cards and a case that total $75) and then see what cameras fall into position there. Just remember, the cost of the camera is only part of it. You need to see what your total cost is, because we want to stay under budget.
Back to the chart. it will have your cameras on the top, the Side will have the features you want. Good examples could be: fast burst rates, hand grip, mirrorless or DSLR, etc.. Then fill in the chart with the settings themselves. Then I total up from first to last in each box from best to worst. If there are ties they get the same ranking. For instance if hand grip is on your list, then the ranking is one and two and multiple cameras may have the same ranking. At the bottom of the chart you total the score for each. The highest score is probably the best fit. I usually take the top 2 or 3 and focus on them. Sure your friend might shoot one system, but that doesn’t make it the best system for you. This let’s you know what is the best option for you to create the images you want.
Mirrorless or DSLR?
Hmmmm, I would say Mirrorless if possible. It depends on your budget, your preference, and what was given to you if you’re that lucky. Mirrorless cameras are probably a little easier to use, but are rarely a cheaper option. DSLRs an be had for cheaper but are usually more expensive than their mirrorless counterparts. The Canon Rebel T8i is currently around $949.99 as of writing this but the Canon EOS M50 Mark II is $200 less most the time. Both cameras use the same sensors, processors, and share a ton of components. The Canon Rebel T7 can be had for less than $500 these days, but has no mirrorless counterpart as of writing this. Both cameras are going to give you great options to get started. Just the get camera that is the best solution for you. Let’s split up the difference of the two and see if this helps any.
DSLRs are a style of camera that has been around for a long time. The were originally know as SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cameras that used film. You look through the viewfinder and will see what the lens sees. This doesn’t show you what the camera sees, but there is information inside the camera that helps you see if you are over or under exposing the image. These “digital’ versions often will work with film lenses made before the advent of Digital, though milage may vary based on the camera system (I’m looking at you Nikon). This means that DSLRs have a large selection of older vintage lenses that can be had at a discount. Of course that doesn’t mean that they are all good lenses, but if you can find a good lens in great condition for a good price why not jump on it. These lenses will natively work most of the time even if it’s from the film era. The same can hold true the opposite way as well. I know that my EOS film camera still works with all new EF mount lenses. It’s quite a treat knowing that I can use my lenses on either camera without any setbacks of the lens.
Mirrorless cameras don’t have the large selection in every camera system, but many have all the bases covered. They have the advantage of being simpler cameras to design as they don’t have the reflex mirror seen in SLR cameras. Some mirrorless cameras have viewfinders and some do not. The ones that do are useful as they show a lot more information compared to a DSLR. This preview helps make sure you are getting the expected image, so exposure is correct. This is because the camera shows you your exposure before taking the image. Because mirrorless cameras don’t have a mirror box, they can be smaller than their DSLR based counterparts. Mirrorless cameras also will allow you to connect DSLR lenses with an adapter as well, but not all lenses or systems can be adapted. Make sure that your lenses from your DSLR can also be adapted if you plan to upgrade to mirrorless later.
Starting out, get whatever you feel most comfortable with. You will make better images with a camera you enjoy using, even if another camera is more technically impressive. The important thing to do is to get started with something that will be a good fit for you. Make sure it has the features you need, and you will enjoy using it.
Lenses, They Are Kinda a Big Deal.
So Lenses are a lot more important than you think. For instance a cheap lenses will give poor performance on a great camera, but in most cases a good lens on a cheap camera will provide quite an improvement. Anyone who has read my jargon about my Rebel XT, you would know that It’s not an impressive camera but it is produces fantastic results with a high quality lens. This doesn’t mean BUY AN EXPENSIVE LENS AND CHEAP CAMERA! I know this sounds counter intuitive, but when you start out I say just get a standard zoom lens and experiment with that.
There are a lot of standard zooms of various quality and price. Kit lenses are lenses that come with a camera; kit lenses are fairly cheap and provide “okay” results. These are not meant to be the end point of your lens journey, but just something that helps you know where you are headed. If you get a camera and lens separately, used even, then there are some general zooms that are a cut above kit lenses that won’t break the bank. Some kit lenses are actually pretty good. I was quite impressed with Olympus’s 14-44 f3.5-5.6 IIR kit lens. it wasn’t perfect, but the sharpness was totally there.
Another option is to get a prime lens. These lenses do not zoom, but they let more light into the camera and are sharper than most zooms. If you don’t need the zoom, this is a perfect option. This makes them hard to recommend unless you do one of two things. Get a standard prime (something similar to our field of view) or something that is well suited for what type of photography you want to get started with (a wide angle for landscapes or a short telephoto for portraits). The thing is you can probably get started with a kit lens to experience more focal lengths and use that information to get a prime as your next lens. Like I said above, the kit lens is a good place to know where you belong. If you are going to get a prime get a standard prime and use it with your zoom. It’s good for beginner portraits or street photos. I personally like to grab a prime and go out shooting and use the limitations of not being able to zoom to see how I can make interesting photos. It’s a fun way to enjoy creating images and makes you think more about how you will be shooting.
There are also macro lenses, which reproduce your subject onto the camera at 1:1 reproduction. Think like a copy machine. If you put a letter size piece of paper in a copier it spits out another copy the same size. Some macro lenses can be extremely affordable. I’ve seen some systems have them for less than $350 bucks. Shop around and find out if there is a good option for you.
Let’s stretch that dollar!
So you have to set a budget. Think how much you want to spend on your first camera if you weren’t gifted one. If you were gifted one set a budget for how much you want to spend on accessories. Let’s talk about some budgets and what to expect and what not to wast the budget on.
Budget 1: $500
Well you have a very little budget to work with, but it’s far from impossible. In fact you could get a used older DSLR, a kit lens, a memory card or two, a simple case, and even a lens filter to help protect your budget lens. If you go old enough you may be able to get an inexpensive prime lens like a used 50mm f1.8. You technically could get a brand new DSLR if you check sales but you are cutting it close. You may have room for a smaller memory card but you will get a new camera and lens if that really matters to you. If you have to go new under $500 your choices are limited but not impossible. A new camera does come with a warranty and that new camera smell. Sometimes going certified refurbished is a better option, as you usually get some or the same warranty and a camera that has been tested to be in great shape.
Budget 2: $750
So in terms of new you get a few newer options. If you have a spare SD card somewhere you could probably just get a camera with a lens that’s a bit better than that super cheep under $500 DSLR. You could also go back to that DSLR for under $500, get an inexpensive prime lens, a couple memory cards, and a nicer camera bag. You could also look into something like some of the beginner Micro Four Thirds cameras and an SD card. A lot of the micro four thirds cameras have a lot of features for the money, and might be able to get you buy for a bit longer. Still… I generally recommend going higher if possible to open up some possibilities if you plan on going new. Going used could get you a higher end camera like what is in budget 3 or save a little more and get a model before the ones listed in budget 3 like the original Canon EOS M50 or a Sony A6000.
Budget 3: $1000
This is my preferred budget. With this you can get a good beginner camera, a couple memory cards, a camera bag, and a lens filter to protect that precious kit lens. Here you can get an Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV, Lumix G85, Sony a6100, Canon EOS M50 Mark II, and even a Canon Rebel SL3 or Nikon D5600 if you fancy a DSLR. You can get a Nikon Z50 for that price but you better have a card because your budget is gone (it’s a few pennies under $1000 and that doesn’t include tax). I know that this is specific with cameras which will eventually be outdated, but it give a good idea on what to expect. Either way, a great way to start with a good beginner camera. These are pretty easy to work with and use and they all have useable kit lenses. They aren’t anything special but they aren’t garbage lenses either. All worth looking into for sure.
Now all that’s left is for you to regret spending money!
This doesn’t have to be a scary process. If you have any questions just let me know. I have contact forms all over this site, and I’ll try and respond as quickly as possible.