I want to get into photography but I don't know what brand and type of camera I should get

[Hunterkillerdrone]

I only know the most common brands like Fujifilm, Canon, Sony etc. I would like to mostly take pictures of scenery, people, old buildings and animals. My planned budget to buy a camera is $200-300. Taking videos on the other hand I don't plan on doing. I would like something modern or updated. That has long battery life, good amount of storage and being able to just plug it directly to my computer to send the pictures. I'm just looking for recommendations or tips.

 

(I'm not that knowledgeable about cameras. Most of what I know comes from a friend or random videos about cameras)  

[Eigenvektor]

If you're just starting out, a decent smartphone should be enough.

 

Worry about making good photos in the sense of shot composition etc. first, then worry about the technology.

 

You don't learn to drive by buying a sports car. You learn to be a good driver first, then you worry about getting a car that matches your skills.

[LIGISTX]

On 4/25/2023 at 3:30 AM, Eigenvektor said:

If you're just starting out, a decent smartphone should be enough.

 

Worry about making good photos in the sense of shot composition etc. first, then worry about the technology.

 

You don't learn to drive by buying a sports car. You learn to be a good driver first, then you worry about getting a car that matches your skills.

This.

 

If you want to start learning about the mechanics of photography, and be able to play with shutter speed, ISO and aperture, finding a used canon is a good bet. Literally anything that has manual shooting modes is good enough to start learning on, and canon glass is the most ubiquitous which makes their bodies a good bet to start with. 
 

If I was getting into it seriously now, I’d go Sony, but just to start learning I would consider canon.

 

I shoot Nikon, but I got into Nikon way before mirrorless was a thing, and once you start spending thousands on glass (lenses), it’s hard to switch… but a simple used canon and a cheap lens or two are an affordable way to get into it, and you can likely sell them for not much of a loss if/when you device to get more serious. 

[Eigenvektor]

9 hours ago, HomicidalPingu said:

I would argue that a smartphone really limits you with that. You can control nothing and the algorithm decides what everything looks like. You’re operating at infinity focus all the time too.

True, it limits the settings you have available, which means you can focus on the subject of your shots instead of getting distracted by other things. And it means you don't need to invest additional money into something before you've figured out whether it's even for you.

[Hunterkillerdrone]

Thank you for the suggestions and tips I will really think about it thx again

[TheStarkster90]

Some tips:

 

1) Don't look at camera bodies in general, but rather look at lens systems. You're likely to spend more on lenses than any individual camera body, and lenses can be reused as long as the mount system stays the same (or you buy an adapter).

2) Look at used camera bodies. As long as the sensor isn't damaged, used cameras are pretty fantastic when it comes to price/performance.

3) At $200-300, you're likely best just using your smartphone for now. Going up to $500 though can get you some fantastic used equipment.

 

Even though I use Sony most days now, I would say go either Nikon or Canon when starting out (esp. their DSLRs). I say that because their DSLRs have a fairly cheap 50mm f/1.8 prime lens (no zoom) that will take you far with all the cool things like bokeh and decent quality.

[MartyS]

If you want something with more manual control to learn with, and take great photos, but don't have the budget for getting into camera bodies and lenses right now, go for an all in one camera with a good lens and lots of manual settings.

 

Over the last 30 years I've built up many thousands of dollars worth of Canon EF bodies, lenses, and flash systems, but these days I will just pull out my Lumix FZ80 most of the time.