Posted: 11/29/2024 1:16:41 PM EDT
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My wife is a budding photographer. She uses her iPhone now but has expressed an interest in getting a “real” camera. She likes shooting sunsets, landscapes, street scenes on vacation, etc. Not like action stuff or anything. Not looking for anything overly complicated or expensive, just a good starter set up that she can play with. Open to suggestions as I know absolutely nothing about photography. Thanks! |
I don't know what will happen, or if anything will happen. But if something does, I'd rather be the guy with a gun than the guy without one.
Everyone please read this carefully. Eric802 is correct. - DK-Prof, 1/27/15
Everyone please read this carefully. Eric802 is correct. - DK-Prof, 1/27/15
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Don't waste your money on out dated DSLRs, or crop sensor cameras. There are plenty of good cameras from the reputable manufactures that are full frame and mirrorless. It all comes down to price and feature set. Since she’s starting new she doesn’t have any lenses or other gear to keep using. I’m a Canon guy, and shoot on an EOS R6 mkII and an EOS RP. (I had a EOS R7 for a while but didn’t like it so I sold it). There are some good Black Friday deals to be had right now. The EOS R8 is another good affordable option for entry level photography. Nikon’s autofocus is lagging behind Canon and Sony by a good margin and you have to get into camera bodies that are around 4 grand or higher to get cameras that compete with Canons auto focus system. How much do you want to spend? The Canon EOS R8 and the new RF 28-70mm f/2.8 IS STM lens would be a great starter set up. Pair it with the RF 35mm f/1.8 prime lens and you have a good starter combo for a variety of different types of photography to get her started. But it’s going to set you back a bit over 2 grand. |
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What's your budget for camera and lens? DSLRs will make a great picture and you can pick up a body that's a few years old for a great price. Mirrorless cameras are the future in a lot of ways, they're smaller and lighter, but tend to cost more. Lenses tend to cost more in the end, she will probably end up with a collection of various lenses that are optimized for a given photography style or situation. There are different families of lenses. Each major brand has their proprietary mount design, and DSLR and mirrorless bodies within a brand often have different mounts. The usual advice is buy into a mount design, and you'll be able to upgrade the camera body later on with tech advances or to get more features. For example, Nikon uses F-mount lenses on their DSLRs but Z-mount on their mirrorless cameras. An older Nikon D7*** is a great camera body, but buying a pile of F-mount lenses sort of locks you into the Nikon DSLR system. If she wants to switch to a Nikon mirrorless body, the lens collection won't be optimized for the new camera. There are adapters available but they usually come with compromises like limited auto-focus support. An additional consideration is APS-C sensor vs. full frame. Full frame lenses work with both sensors, but APS-C lenses typically won't work with a full frame sensor. Casual photographers, and in some instances wildlife photographers, can get by fine with APS-C. Many users prefer full frame because it captures more data and allows larger prints and more opportunity to crop the image. Full frame lenses are more expensive, but tend to be more future-proofed because they can be used on more camera bodies. Mirrorless cameras are the current hotness. The bodies are smaller which is nice for carrying the camera around. Like with a CCW handgun, the best camera is the one you have with you. Most brands are focusing on mirrorless cameras too so they'll have more features and technology available at a given price point. My recommendation, without knowing your budget, is a Sony mirrorless camera. At a lower budget an A6*** body with kit lens is a good starting point. At a higher budget an A7iv or A7C/A7Cii with a kit lens is a powerful camera that will hold up for a while. The A6000 series is an APS-C sensor and the A7 series is a full frame sensor. Sony's E-mount has tons of Sony and third party lenses available, both APS-C and full frame. Sony has fantastic auto-focus and includes software that can do subject tracking for people, animals, and more. Sony's kit lenses are well reviewed, they are compact and take good photos. The only downside is they have a fairly narrow aperture. In addition to the kit lens, I'd get her one prime (meaning fixed focal length, not zoom) lens, with a wide aperture. Something in the 20-50mm focal range with an f/1.8 aperture. This lens will be immensely helpful in lower light places, and it'll be small and lightweight so its easily portable. A 35mm f/1.8 or a 50mm f/1.8 is a great addition to a beginner's camera bag. Outside of that, you really can't go wrong with Canon, Nikon, or Sony. Fujifilm gets good reviews too from many users, although they're a little more niche. Most of the kit lenses are decent and a good starting point for her to learn the basics and find out what features and focal lengths she prefers to inform future lens purchases. A good normal focal length prime lens is a good idea regardless of which brand you go with. |
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I'd look at a mirrorless. The size and weight difference compared to a DSLR is probably significant enough that she'd be more inclined to want to pick it up and head out the door to grab pics. I was a Nikon shooter for years but my last was the D7000 and I'm not up on newer models. I've been shooting Fujifilm and Leica lately. The former has had auto-focus issues but I haven't experienced them. I think it'd be hard to not get great images out of just about anything these days. I was just looking at some photos from another photog who shoots Canon and the color/quality was great. Invest in quality glass and you should be golden. |
"The answer to crime is always cows." -Cheesebeast
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What is your budget on this? This is a critical component. Personally, if you are starting at ground-zero, I would go for a used/pre-owned basic camera entry-level DSLR camera such as a Nikon 3xxx or its Canon equivalent, and to take a class in photography at the local community college or at least a book on the subject. After learning all about photography etc, she is ready for a more advanced camera depending on her interests. And if she loses interest, you have not lost that much money. Today the rage is mirrorless, but I have cut my photography teeth on SLR cameras and it isn't that bad. Personally for me, I like the DX format, because the lenes cost way less and is smaller in size & weight than the FX, |
| As far as budget, think in the hundreds, not $1000+. Based on comments here I've been doing some looking and it seems doable. She doesn't need (being honest) a top-of-the-line setup. Mirrorless and full-frame seems like the way to go but that might push the budget. Buying used wouldn't fly very well with her. |
I don't know what will happen, or if anything will happen. But if something does, I'd rather be the guy with a gun than the guy without one.
Everyone please read this carefully. Eric802 is correct. - DK-Prof, 1/27/15
Everyone please read this carefully. Eric802 is correct. - DK-Prof, 1/27/15
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Originally Posted By Eric802: As far as budget, think in the hundreds, not $1000+. Based on comments here I've been doing some looking and it seems doable. She doesn't need (being honest) a top-of-the-line setup. Mirrorless and full-frame seems like the way to go but that might push the budget. Buying used wouldn't fly very well with her. You can buy used gear that looks borderline new. I just bought some, “excellent” graded lenses from mbp that short of not having the box, you would be hard pressed to know had been outside. I really only know the nikon side of things, but- A 7200 used is under $500, an 18-105 is $140, (and the large step up, 24-120 F4 is $350) throw an old D series 50MM f1.8 in there for $80 and you would have a very good little kit for under $800. I would highly suggest getting a slightly higher end body (nikon, and I guess everyone else, would call this a “prosumer” body) that makes making adjustments easier and give you more room to grow, as well as a cheap prime lense that you can really learn with, and see where it goes from there. I’ve messed around with the 3400 level from nikon and they make less sense, and I think are harder to work once you get the basics down, then the more capable bodies are. The 7200 will still choose settings for you if you want, but allows much more control over shutter speed. The real entry level kits are much more geared to looks like DSLR’s that you can change lenses on that shoot like a point and shoot. A 7200 with a 50MM 1.8 would allow her to really see the range of what a dslr can do, and still be in under $500 bucks. 7200 has two memory card slots, so she can shoot raw and not have issues with space. A battery should get you something like 1800 shots on a charge, which is more than enough for most budding photographers. It’s high enough FPS that you can do wildlife. The nikon VR lenses (especially that 24-120 F4) make hand held shooting much, much easier. |
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Originally Posted By Bakke1: You can buy used gear that looks borderline new. I just bought some, “excellent” graded lenses from mbp that short of not having the box, you would be hard pressed to know had been outside. This is a very good answer. Let her work with something for a while... then if she decides to go all out on Hasselblad or Leica, at least it won't be such a stab in the dark. And used equipment graded "like new" will be just that. |
Deplorable garbage herd animal
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Originally Posted By WhatsGnu: This is a very good answer. Let her work with something for a while... then if she decides to go all out on Hasselblad or Leica, at least it won't be such a stab in the dark. And used equipment graded "like new" will be just that. Originally Posted By WhatsGnu: Originally Posted By Bakke1: You can buy used gear that looks borderline new. I just bought some, “excellent” graded lenses from mbp that short of not having the box, you would be hard pressed to know had been outside. This is a very good answer. Let her work with something for a while... then if she decides to go all out on Hasselblad or Leica, at least it won't be such a stab in the dark. And used equipment graded "like new" will be just that. Another plug for mpb. I've bought both lenses and bodies in "like new" and "excellent" condition, and really couldn't tell. |
It takes away some of the visual impact when you can't see it.
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Originally Posted By Eric802: As far as budget, think in the hundreds, not $1000+. Based on comments here I've been doing some looking and it seems doable. She doesn't need (being honest) a top-of-the-line setup. Mirrorless and full-frame seems like the way to go but that might push the budget. Buying used wouldn't fly very well with her. With that budget mirrorless and full-frame is probably out of the question. Full frame tends to be a bit more expensive, lenses especially. I think you should look at APS-C bodies, either mirrorless or DSLR. Set aside about half the budget for a lens or two. I'd aim for a newer model body to get the most modern auto-focus software and a newer sensor. She can grow with an APS-C body for a long while. Depending on the body you choose you may want to look at full frame lenses to go with it, which would allow her to use the same lenses with a full frame body if she upgrades in the future. |
| While a full frame would be nice, I do get great photos with my Sony A6700 which is an APS-C. I have both full frame and APS-C lens, so if ever I do go to full frame I won't have to buy all new lens. Unless you are getting paid for your photography, start out with what you can afford. There are very capable APS-C cameras out there. |
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Originally Posted By Eric802: As far as budget, think in the hundreds, not $1000+. Based on comments here I've been doing some looking and it seems doable. She doesn't need (being honest) a top-of-the-line setup. Mirrorless and full-frame seems like the way to go but that might push the budget. Buying used wouldn't fly very well with her. For ease of use and price point, definitely look into point-and-shoot cameras. Does she need magnification/zoom or a fixed focal length fine? |
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Originally Posted By Eric802: As far as budget, think in the hundreds, not $1000+. Based on comments here I've been doing some looking and it seems doable. She doesn't need (being honest) a top-of-the-line setup. Mirrorless and full-frame seems like the way to go but that might push the budget. Buying used wouldn't fly very well with her. That's a tough price point. Maybe a Canon EOS R50: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1748810-REG/canon_eos_r50_mirrorless_camera.html And a Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1825070-REG/sigma_18_50mm_f_2_8_dc_dn.html/overview The Sigma is a new lens, one of the first third party lenses for the RF mount that has auto-focus and is built for the APS-C sensor size. Resist the temptation to buy the kit lenses with variable aperture designs. Those lenses will get darker as you zoom tighter. This Sigma lenses stays the same brightness. It's annoying and frustrating to use variable aperture lenses and I try to stay at fixed aperture lenses when at all possible. The R50 has the newer Digic X processor. Neither this camera, nor the lens has image stabilization, so unless she has a tripod, she won't be able to do shutter speeds much less than about 1/20th to 1/30th of a second. Neither are weatherized either. Basic video recording. And 15 frames per second all electronic shutter. Not a bad combo, but upgrading to faster processor and in-body image stabilization and weatherproofing cost a lot more. Don't forget to get at least one extra battery: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1116120-REG/canon_9967b002_lp_e17_battery_pack.html And a good SD card: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1754812-REG/sandisk_sdsdxep_128g_ancin_extreme_pro_sdxc_uhs_ii.html |
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Originally Posted By Grendel-OK: That's a tough price point. Maybe a Canon EOS R50: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1748810-REG/canon_eos_r50_mirrorless_camera.html And a Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1825070-REG/sigma_18_50mm_f_2_8_dc_dn.html/overview The Sigma is a new lens, one of the first third party lenses for the RF mount that has auto-focus and is built for the APS-C sensor size. Resist the temptation to buy the kit lenses with variable aperture designs. Those lenses will get darker as you zoom tighter. This Sigma lenses stays the same brightness. It's annoying and frustrating to use variable aperture lenses and I try to stay at fixed aperture lenses when at all possible. The R50 has the newer Digic X processor. Neither this camera, nor the lens has image stabilization, so unless she has a tripod, she won't be able to do shutter speeds much less than about 1/20th to 1/30th of a second. Neither are weatherized either. Basic video recording. And 15 frames per second all electronic shutter. Not a bad combo, but upgrading to faster processor and in-body image stabilization and weatherproofing cost a lot more. Don't forget to get at least one extra battery: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1116120-REG/canon_9967b002_lp_e17_battery_pack.html And a good SD card: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1754812-REG/sandisk_sdsdxep_128g_ancin_extreme_pro_sdxc_uhs_ii.html Thanks! |
I don't know what will happen, or if anything will happen. But if something does, I'd rather be the guy with a gun than the guy without one.
Everyone please read this carefully. Eric802 is correct. - DK-Prof, 1/27/15
Everyone please read this carefully. Eric802 is correct. - DK-Prof, 1/27/15
Sad update. My wife loves the R50 and now wants to spend money on lenses.  On the bright side, she's seen how much they cost and is now open to "refurbished". |
I don't know what will happen, or if anything will happen. But if something does, I'd rather be the guy with a gun than the guy without one.
Everyone please read this carefully. Eric802 is correct. - DK-Prof, 1/27/15
Everyone please read this carefully. Eric802 is correct. - DK-Prof, 1/27/15
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Originally Posted By Eric802: Sad update. My wife loves the R50 and now wants to spend money on lenses. On the bright side, she's seen how much they cost and is now open to "refurbished". Welcome to the world of photography. At least now you have an excuse to spend more money on guns. |