Camera Suggestions for a first-time Photographer?
Hello #photography WatchCrunch! I've been getting interested in improving my photo game. I've gotten some decent results (such as the photo on this post) with my iphone camera and an improvised bounce (a white paper bag haha). But I'm at the point where I'd like to graduate to a legit camera, but really have no idea where to start.
I do know I want something that is well-made but it doesn't need to be super fancy or packed with features. Ideally I'd like to spend less than $400. Doesn't necessarily have to be new, I'd consider used as well. Are these parameters reasonable? If so, any suggestions of good models or brands to look at? Or other tips/considerations for a newbie?
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Pete
Dial Lover. Bracelet Fanatic. Seikoholic.
Member since
Last active: 1 hr ago
7.00” / 17.78 cm
Im no expert in photography but I have read about this topic a bunch. What I came to realise is that what matters most in photography is lighting. These days most cameras are very very good. Try to get something you can manually control certain aspects of the camera and spend a decent amount on the lens. I wouldnt worry too much about the body. Then, just figure out how to control the lighting in your photography you will get amazing results.
Good question I would like to know myself
Sony ZV-1F all day for $400. If I was you, I’d save up for the ZV-E10 for the interchangeable lens but the ZV-1F is a great camera to start. I have the earlier ZV-1 as my secondary/b-roll camera and it takes great shots. It also has lots of in-camera features like adding bokeh to photos as you’re taking them to get that good shot you see the YouTubers get. DM me if you wanna ask more questions. I use both the ZV-E10 and ZV-1 weekly.
There are older cameras that lack bells and whistles but are still very capable of taking professional-level shots--it's mostly a matter of working with lighting and knowing what tools you have. A Canon T6i or T7i, Nikon D3400, will be solid DSLR options with plenty of lenses to choose from. If you eventually want to step up in price, the Sony Alpha a6000 series is fantastic--I know people who love them, and my main camera is the Alpha A7RII (the big brother of the a6000). For lenses, you may want to try something like a 50mm prime lens--prime lenses can't zoom, but that's less of an issue in a controlled environment, and they can open up wider, which lets in more light (useful for dimmer indoor scenarios) and narrows the depth of field, giving you nice blurry backgrounds and isolating the subject better. I have some fully manual Soviet-era lenses that I love (they're a bit like Vostoks--objectively, they're not great, but they're super fun to use and cost a fraction of what new professional lenses do).
Sony ZV-1F all day for $400. If I was you, I’d save up for the ZV-E10 for the interchangeable lens but the ZV-1F is a great camera to start. I have the earlier ZV-1 as my secondary/b-roll camera and it takes great shots. It also has lots of in-camera features like adding bokeh to photos as you’re taking them to get that good shot you see the YouTubers get. DM me if you wanna ask more questions. I use both the ZV-E10 and ZV-1 weekly.
Appreciate the recommendations! Could you explain what interchangeable lenses are and what the benefit is of those? As I said I'm a newbie haha
There are older cameras that lack bells and whistles but are still very capable of taking professional-level shots--it's mostly a matter of working with lighting and knowing what tools you have. A Canon T6i or T7i, Nikon D3400, will be solid DSLR options with plenty of lenses to choose from. If you eventually want to step up in price, the Sony Alpha a6000 series is fantastic--I know people who love them, and my main camera is the Alpha A7RII (the big brother of the a6000). For lenses, you may want to try something like a 50mm prime lens--prime lenses can't zoom, but that's less of an issue in a controlled environment, and they can open up wider, which lets in more light (useful for dimmer indoor scenarios) and narrows the depth of field, giving you nice blurry backgrounds and isolating the subject better. I have some fully manual Soviet-era lenses that I love (they're a bit like Vostoks--objectively, they're not great, but they're super fun to use and cost a fraction of what new professional lenses do).
Thanks for the tips!
I would also add something from Fujifilm, but $400 is a tight budget. Cameras from smartphones are so good now days, they are better than many inexpensive cameras. You should check out dpreview.com. They have a great database of cameras for research. Even for a decent used camera, you're looking at $200-400 just for the body. Some Fujifilms you can try is X-T10, X-E2, and for a bit more X-S10. Great camera and Fujifilm lens are highly respected. It's a fun hobby, but can get pricey. Good luck with your research.
can you please dm me some of those small lights, i want to buy some but do not know which one