Camera for Beginners

[WhalesGawd]

Hey so I want to get into photography! And I know I can use my phone but I really want to have a camera because it would make me go out and shoot more photos if I had a camera. I was thinking a budget of about 500 to 600. I'm new to photography so any suggestions or help would be amazing! 

 

Thank you

[bhop_monster_jam]

My vote would be the Nikon D3300/3400/3500

 

Pretty much the go-to DSLR for beginners since they are so cheap to dip your toes in with. Lenses are cheap and plentiful. Lots of resources out there to get to know the camera. 

[WhalesGawd]

On 7/23/2023 at 6:36 AM, bhop_monster_jam said:

My vote would be the Nikon D3300/3400/3500

 

Pretty much the go-to DSLR for beginners since they are so cheap to dip your toes in with. Lenses are cheap and plentiful. Lots of resources out there to get to know the camera. 

Alright dumb question. What's the difference? Like I see the price for 3500 is alot more than 3300 is that just because it's newer? Also I could buy then used?

Edited July 24, 2023 by WhalesGawd
Additional question

[GDRRiley]

The cannon T5 and T6 are good options but not at all setup for video, they lack microphone in ports and so any better audio would need to be done external.
I've used https://www.mpb.com to both sell and buy gear before. I like the fact someone has checked over gear and says exactly whats in the box along with photos of the items.
I'd pair that with 2-4 lenses. Typically a 18-55 and 75-300 or 55-250 are my recommendation but you could also grab 1-2 primes like a 50, 40 or 24

[Vilacom]

On 7/22/2023 at 10:12 PM, WhalesGawd said:

Hey so I want to get into photography! And I know I can use my phone but I really want to have a camera because it would make me go out and shoot more photos if I had a camera. I was thinking a budget of about 500 to 600. I'm new to photography so any suggestions or help would be amazing! 

 

Thank you

Best thing you can do is look for a good camera store near where you live that carries used gear/has rentals and go try some out, they shouldn’t have any problem putting a lens on a camera and letting you snap off some shots real quick.  How it feels in your hands, the controls, menus, all those things are important.  Your image quality isn’t gonna be the best at this price range, and TBH you can probably get better overall shots out of your phone assuming you have something reasonably modern.

long term definitely do your research and allocate the plurality of your budget to improving your lenses.  Even the best camera bodies get cheap after 4-5 years,  good glass holds its value damn near forever.  You also will see dramatic improvement by putting a nicer piece of glass onto a beginner camera body than you ever will putting a low end lens onto an expensive camera.

[Blue4130]

6 hours ago, Vilacom said:

Best thing you can do is look for a good camera store near where you live that carries used gear/has rentals and go try some out, they shouldn’t have any problem putting a lens on a camera and letting you snap off some shots real quick.  How it feels in your hands, the controls, menus, all those things are important.  Your image quality isn’t gonna be the best at this price range, and TBH you can probably get better overall shots out of your phone assuming you have something reasonably modern.

long term definitely do your research and allocate the plurality of your budget to improving your lenses.  Even the best camera bodies get cheap after 4-5 years,  good glass holds its value damn near forever.  You also will see dramatic improvement by putting a nicer piece of glass onto a beginner camera body than you ever will putting a low end lens onto an expensive camera.

You don't need good lenses to take good pictures. Learn what makes a good picture, look beyond just the technically good. I use a 5 dollar lens that is used in labs and isn't even a camera lens. For portraits, it is better than many multi thousand dollar lenses. People put too much emphasis on gear, if beginners spend more time on learning lighting and such they will see much more improvement than reading about gear.

[Vilacom]

1 hour ago, Blue4130 said:

You don't need good lenses to take good pictures. Learn what makes a good picture, look beyond just the technically good. I use a 5 dollar lens that is used in labs and isn't even a camera lens. For portraits, it is better than many multi thousand dollar lenses. People put too much emphasis on gear, if beginners spend more time on learning lighting and such they will see much more improvement than reading about gear.

Which would be relevant if @WhalesGawd was asking what they should be working on to become a better photographer, but they are here asking about gear purchases.  

It’s great that you have the technical know how to adapt a $5 lens to a camera and take amazing shots, thats really cool, but for anyone looking to just get into photography with a low budget they will probably get better results with a cheaper body and a quality 50mm f1.8 than a more expensive body with whatever crappy kit lens it comes with and certainly much better than…whatever it is you’re doing.  

[Blue4130]

43 minutes ago, Vilacom said:

Which would be relevant if @WhalesGawd was asking what they should be working on to become a better photographer, but they are here asking about gear purchases.  

It’s great that you have the technical know how to adapt a $5 lens to a camera and take amazing shots, thats really cool, but for anyone looking to just get into photography with a low budget they will probably get better results with a cheaper body and a quality 50mm f1.8 than a more expensive body with whatever crappy kit lens it comes with and certainly much better than…whatever it is you’re doing.  

What I am saying is take the cheaper body. Take them kit lens (these days, they are honestly pretty decent) and use the extra cash to get some lessons. You'll be miles ahead.

 

People shit all over kit lenses but the reality is, that if you know what you are doing, they can take great pictures.

[Vilacom]

18 hours ago, Blue4130 said:

What I am saying is take the cheaper body. Take them kit lens (these days, they are honestly pretty decent) and use the extra cash to get some lessons. You'll be miles ahead.

 

People shit all over kit lenses but the reality is, that if you know what you are doing, they can take great pictures.

I mean, id say spend the money on nicer stuff and then use all the amazing resources on YouTube and other platforms, plus just going out and shooting a ton of pictures to put that information to good use.  

[Blue4130]

2 hours ago, Vilacom said:

I mean, id say spend the money on nicer stuff and then use all the amazing resources on YouTube and other platforms, plus just going out and shooting a ton of pictures to put that information to good use.  

That fine but you will plateau very quickly. I majored in photojournalism. I thought I was decent going in, but until I had honest feedback from working professionals I was overestimating my skill. It is way too easy to get a large ego from friends and others praising what is honestly mediocrity.

 

But each person has their own journey. No right or wrong if you do it as a hobby.

[Vilacom]

39 minutes ago, Blue4130 said:

That fine but you will plateau very quickly. I majored in photojournalism. I thought I was decent going in, but until I had honest feedback from working professionals I was overestimating my skill. It is way too easy to get a large ego from friends and others praising what is honestly mediocrity.

 

But each person has their own journey. No right or wrong if you do it as a hobby.

Phenomenal advice for someone aspiring to be a professional or really try to up their game with creating more artistic shots, maybe not super relevant for someone who is just looking for advice on buying their first camera so they feel more motivated to go out and shoot