Beginner camera help!

[Limbo265]

I have a budget of $350 (If there is a really good deal I can adjust) for a camera body. If I try and buy second hand what are some good models I should be looking out for?

For example I got offered an canon eos 60D for $400, is this a good offer?

Also I'm located in Australia if that helps.

[Aereldor]

Think about lenses. A 60D for that price isn't bad at all (provided it's in good condition and has a low shutter count), but do you have any glass you can pair it with? 

[Limbo265]

8 minutes ago, Aereldor said:

Think about lenses. A 60D for that price isn't bad at all (provided it's in good condition and has a low shutter count), but do you have any glass you can pair it with? 

I was going to get a 50mm lens  a "nifty fifty" or if you have any other recommendations that would be great.

[Aereldor]

9 minutes ago, Limbo265 said:

I was going to get a 50mm lens  a "nifty fifty" or if you have any other recommendations that would be great.

if you don't care about shooting video, Yongnuo makes a 50mm f1.8 that's a third the price of Canon's 50mm f1.8 STM, but it's a lot noisier, making it unsuitable for video.

Or you could get adapters and vintage lenses if you're willing to jump right into manual focus.

[Limbo265]

1 minute ago, Aereldor said:

if you don't care about shooting video, Yongnuo makes a 50mm f1.8 that's a third the price of Canon's 50mm f1.8 STM, but it's a lot noisier, making it unsuitable for video.

Or you could get adapters and vintage lenses if you're willing to jump right into manual focus.

ok thanks for the advice! however my main issue right now is finding a suitable camera body and getting the best value for money

[frostburg]

2 hours ago, Limbo265 said:

ok thanks for the advice! however my main issue right now is finding a suitable camera body and getting the best value for money

Don't try manual focus on consumer DSLR bodies, as a general guideline. Get cheap native lenses meant for the crop-size sensor.

[Aereldor]

1 hour ago, Limbo265 said:

ok thanks for the advice! however my main issue right now is finding a suitable camera body and getting the best value for money

Well, that depends on what you're going to be shooting. I see myself shooting a lot of handheld video footage, of myself, and filming in low-light environments, all while on the go. That makes cameras like the Panasonic GX85 or Sony A6500 perfect for me because of in-body stabilization, articulating screens, and large sensors, omitting the need for a tripod or a gimbal and a lot of external lighting (something I struggle with on my Vixia HF20 Camcorder)

For someone who does a lot of action-camera work and wants landscape shots, there are few cameras more suited for the job than a GoPro Hero 5 due to its ridiculous durability and incredibly wide field of view.

 

For someone who just wants an easy Instragram companion, I would recommend the Canon Powershot N due to its portability, ease-of-use, and wireless connectivity.

[AkiraDaarkst]

5 hours ago, Limbo265 said:

ok thanks for the advice! however my main issue right now is finding a suitable camera body and getting the best value for money

Best value for money camera is very subjective to the needs of the person who will be using said camera.

 

For your budget, lets round it up to a nice figure of $500, there are already quite a few pretty good camera options (both new and second had) for you as a beginner.

 

Another point I want to make is it's hard to determine what is a "best value for money" camera.  Buying a camera is not like buying a CPU or GPU.  CPU and GPU, all you need to look at are the specs to determine how well they perform.  With a camera, which most people consider an artistic tool, you can't generalize how will it will perform because the performance will differ by the photographer.  You give an absolute beginner an expensive camera, the photos this beginner produces will be worse than if you give a talented photographer a cheap entry level camera.  There are amateur photographers out there still using very old cameras, cameras that should be considered completely outdated if we compared them to the hardware specs and performance test scores (e.g. DxO mark scores) of today's cameras... yet those photographers still manage to create beautiful photos.

 

So for your current level in photography and needs, buy a camera that you can afford.  If you have doubt about buying second hand cameras, not sure about some things, come and ask us.  Learn how to use the camera, practice and improve your photography skills, see if you like photography as a hobby or you really want to do some commercial work with it (full time or part time), then think about how you will create a camera kit that you can use for the jobs you will take.

[FluffiestPond]

On 16/11/2016 at 5:58 PM, AkiraDaarkst said:

*Cut*

I could not have said it better myself. I felt moved by that speech..