I think I finally want to buy my own camera. I usually used my dad’s Nikon but let’s just say I’m more comfortable having my own. I’m no photographer but I might learn a thing or two and this might just become a nice hobby for when I’m bored and just walk around town. Can you guys help me pick a good starting camera? Nothing too fancy…I remember Canon used to be all the rage but I’m guessing times have changed since 2016. Anyway, any input or advice you can give is appreciated so I might start planning the buy. Thanks!
My advice is set a clear budget and try the cameras in your hand.
Additionally, keep in mind that lenses are for the most part more important than the camera body and almost all manufacturers have you locked in with their proprietary mount (Canon and Nikon mainly). Others don’t have cheap bodies to begin with, so it’s good to know the whole lineups early on as switching systems takes money and work.
If you buy used, get gear from reliable sources.
From your goals, Fujifilm could fit the bill well, although I have no experience with their products: no sell up to full frame gear, sufficient manual controls and a very wide product palette (they have some gimmicky film simulation modes but you can just ignore them). They make mirrorless since a long time, so you should find used cameras.
Canon has really nice low end cameras and lenses, but if you think you are going to upgrade some starting gear, the jump to high end lenses is crazy.
Sony has expensive bodies but cheaper older ones can get you in the ecosystem: huge amount of third party offerings (mainly Chinese cheap lenses, which are getting better and better). Not so beginner friendly but anyone can learn.
Nikon is solid and priced competitively, not much to say.
Panasonic is interesting, but still focus more on video than stills.
Micro-Four-Thirds is struggling of late, I wouldn’t recommend buying new gear for this system. Used Olympus cameras can be awesome though, very small (the sensor too…)
I see. Thanks for the comprehensive bird’s eye view! I’ll research all of these so I can get a sense of the offerings
Good luck :) just steer clear of the Canon R100, good sensor for the price but everything else is a joke! R50 is a good camera but it blows past your budget.
An additional advice of mine would be not to bother with kit lenses, they pretty much ruin the beginner experience in my opinion by crippling any creative experimentation (at least it was like that some 10 years ago). A brighter (=low F number) prime (not zoom, fixed focal length) might make for a more compelling experience.
To add to that, think of it this way. Camera bodies (sensors, electronics, etc) are advancing rapidly. But glass (lenses) is glass. If you buy a beautiful lens today, it will be a beautiful lens in 5 years.
Pick a camera system, buy a nice prime lens to start with, if you like it, upgrade your camera body in a few years to take full advantage of the lens.
I personally shoot Fuji. Only consider the X line of cameras. The GFX is insanely expensive. I’m looking on EBay, and I see a used Fuji X-T10 for $400. I don’t know much about the X-T10, but I bet it’s more than enough to get you started.
But honestly, I bet you’re money will go further if you stick to Canon or Nikon.
What Nikon model have you borrowed from your dad? If it uses interchangeable lenses, which lenses have you used? Are there things you like and dislike about using it?
It’s usually advisable to buy used, and your local used market could have a big influence on what’s a good value for you. All modern cameras from major brands are capable of capturing quality images, but some have features like weather sealing or bird-detect autofocus that are valuable in certain situations. The lens usually has a bigger impact on the look of the image than the body, so lens selection may be a major factor in your choice.
What do you want to photograph? What part of the world do you live in (a country or region will let people know where you can buy)? About how much money do you want to spend? If you’re not sure, give a preferred amount and a hard limit.
It’s a D300s. I don’t think he has any lenses a part from the one that came with. I don’t have much to compare it to, but I guess I might like something lighter. I was thinking of spending around 300€ but a preliminary round of searches tells me I’m far off from the actual prices. Maybe I could look into used stuff
300€ is definitely a used budget, but used camera gear is great. Camera bodies in particular depreciate rapidly, which is not a cost you want to absorb if you’re price-sensitive.
For something lighter that’s potentially in-budget, there’s the Panasonic G7/G70. They’re about 225€ on MPB.com, but that’s without a lens. The 14-42 kit zoom lens or 25mm f/1.7 prime adds about 100€. The prime lens lets in a lot more light and lets you get shallow depth of field more easily, but the zoom lens can zoom. There are a bunch of other lens options that fit this camera’s micro four thirds mount made by Panasonic, Olympus, and Sigma.
They can be had for substantially less on Ebay, but MPB has a warranty and Ebay only has returns for items that are immediately defective on arrival. I’d take the savings and buy on Ebay, but your tolerance for risk is up to you.
Note this camera requires a battery and charger, which are typically included, and an SD card, which is typically not included. You may also need to buy a card reader.
A used DSLR will get you a better sensor for your money than mirrorless, and because the mounts are mostly out of fashion the used lenses will be cheaper. However, you can also get old fixed lens premium cameras for cheap these days. A first gen Sony RX100 gives you a fair bit of flexibility in optical zoom, as well as a decent enough sensor.
Depends what you want and where you see your photography going. Then budget…
Budget is not that high unfortunately… As for what I’m going to do with it…well…I’m just starting out. I like macros though! But no, I don’t expect anything more that just a few nice comments here and there about one good photo I took in a year.
