ATTN Photographers - Need Camera Recommendations!

[crankcall]

Working my way backwards, closet full of Hasselblad, box of Nikon D90 D-60's and lens, and now use a Panasonic Lumix for almost everything, decent editing within laptop and I can get most of what i want.
Actually hard to improve on your Iphone 11, so much capability in the internal editing

 

[jeff96]

I have a 75 to 300 mm lense from an old Pentax film camera. Camera plus two lenses cost $50. With an adapter, I have a sort of equivalent 150 to 600 mm lense on my micro four thirds camera. You have to go fully manual to use it, but it's fun to play around with.
Old 50mm lenses are often fast and cheap making for a nice portrait lens

Sent from my Redmi 7A using Tapatalk

 

[sburns]

As someone said this is a black hole, it totally is. Basically you need to figure out what you want to shoot, how portable, and what lenses to get, from a brand. Basically try and narrow it down. Everyone is hot for mirrorless, for a few reasons, but some of those reasons don't add up anymore. Like size and cost vr more traditional SLR's, but the dynamic range and colours are edging out SLR's but editing has also a lot to do with that.

Anyhow if you can't figure it out, don't beat yourself up about it, photography is part hardware and artistic skill. Plenty of people shoot great with just a normal camera body and 50mm lens.

You can always go down to Vistek (I was going to say Henry's but I think they went out of business at the beginning of COVID) and once you have an idea of body go play with it with a lens or two. You can also rent, but this is tricky depending on your budget, but a great way to test out a camera for the week-end, and see if it matches you expectations.

Don't count out your iphone 11, if it is a 3 lens model, it's almost like having a SLR with with different length lenses, and some of the computational photography in the mobile space is very interesting and can be fun.

You can go here for more info on cameras:

Digital Photography Review

Expert news, reviews and videos of the latest digital cameras, lenses, accessories, and phones. Get answers to your questions in our photography forums.

www.dpreview.com

I am sure you have checked out instagram, find styles you like and chat with the creator and see what they are shooting with.

 

[hdsomeday]

I had basically the same question as Mina. Been using my phone for pics but thought maybe a camera would be better.

You guys have scared me away for it. wtf is 4/3 ???? I appreciate you all know what you are talking about and are helping but I have no idea what half of it (ok, 95%) means. I just figured a $100 camera from walmart would be better than a phone. Guess not.

 

[GreyGhost]

I had basically the same question as Mina. Been using my phone for pics but thought maybe a camera would be better.

You guys have scared me away for it. wtf is 4/3 ???? I appreciate you all know what you are talking about and are helping but I have no idea what half of it (ok, 95%) means. I just figured a $100 camera from walmart would be better than a phone. Guess not.

$100 camera will be worse than a phone for almost everything.

4/3 is a camera body with removable lenses. Similar but different to conventional SLR cameras. 4/3 uses a smaller sensor so they can use a smaller body and smaller lenses. They also dont have the big mirror of an slr that needs to flip out of the way (smaller and lighter).

If your budget is less than 500 (or maybe even 1000), it is hard to make an argument for a real camera over a phone for most use cases. Less money than that can get you lots of optical zoom to enlarge distant objects but the image quality will be marginal at best.

 

[Baggsy]

I feel dated. The last I used was a manual Pentax film camera in '81 or '82.
Pushed 400 film to 800 to take pictures of church stained glass windows through Europe.

 

[Mina]

Hey Mina...
So, Canon colours are a little more accurate out of the box.
Nikon has a bit more vivid colour response.
Sony is good, but from what I've seen has more of the purple "fringing" than Nikon or Canon.

Look at what you want to shoot. DSLR lenses tend to be specific. A decent high-speed shallow depth of field (bike at race tracks, portraits you want blurred backgrounds in) can easily cost $1200+. General purpose are $600-900 depending on what you want to do.

So, as a professional in the field, you need to decide what you want to do first --- general purpose, without needing to carry around a whack of lenses, or more generic all-in-one.

What's your budget? That should be the first thing you're looking at. It will determine what camera and lens options are best.
Megapixels does not equal quality. I've seen many pics on 14MP cameras that completely outshine 21MP cameras when printed at large format size. Do your research.

I switched from Canon to Nikon 'cause I like more saturation in colours straight off the sensor.

Hope this helped at least a little.

Budget is flexible... I'm not trying to spend thousands out the gate since I'm just getting started.
If I do decide that this is something I want to keep doing, I have no problem spending the money.

I always prefer quality over cost so I don't mind starting with a decent camera and collect the lenses as I go.

Thank you for this post though, it really simplified things because honestly speaking, I have no clue what language the other posters are using! LOL

Seems like I need to do more research.

 

[sburns]

Thank you for this post though, it really simplified things because honestly speaking, I have no clue what language the other posters are using! LOL

Seems like I need to do more research.

Yeah sounds like you should spend some time and figure out what the terminology means in the camera world. Honestly how they came up with some of the names is weird.

You can also explore some apps on your phone. You don't always need to use the built in camera app, there are others which will allow you to change the settings similar to how you would on a SLR with manual controls. It might help you figure this stuff out. Once you start to figure this out it might lead you to what limitations you are running into and how to get there. Also Canon use to have an area on their website where you can explore camera settings (Apeture, Shutter Speed, and ISO, the pyramid of photography control), to give you an idea of the basics. It will make more sense once you start using them, and exploring settings.

Good luck!

 

[Mina]

You can also explore some apps on your phone. You don't always need to use the built in camera app, there are others which will allow you to change the settings similar to how you would on a SLR with manual controls.

Thanks for the input. What apps do you recommend?

 

[BigEvilDoer]

Thank you for this post though, it really simplified things because honestly speaking, I have no clue what language the other posters are using! LOL
Seems like I need to do more research.

Well, here's a decent DSLR entry level camera... Nikon D3500. Buy a Sigma 18-200 lens for $700, and your starting investment will be $1200ish.
The 18-200 is a decent all around lens, and is good for most types of photography. Sure, if you want to get into good portrait lenses, a 50mm f2.8 (very fast lens) will be a good choice.

Nikon D3500 DSLR Review: An Entry-Level Camera That's Not Just for Beginners

The Nikon D3500 is an ideal first DSLR for photographers wanting more than their smartphone can deliver. It’s not just its affordable price—$446.95 with an 18-55mm kit lens as I write this—it has a 24.2MP imaging chip offering better performance than the tiny sensors found in phones.

www.shutterbug.com

 

[r3r3r3]

Check out Adobe Lightroom for IOS/android. A big step up from most default camera software. The editor / library manager is similar to the desktop version and will help you figure out what all the editing functions can do.

Ultimately its hard to beat the convenience factor of a smartphone, especially if its a flagship Iphone, Pixel, Galaxy, etc. I have a Canon 5D2 + half a dozen lenses but find myself just taking the phone only the last few years. Make sure you get something that fits your needs and isn't so inconvenient you won't use it.

another point to consider is that getting really good photos from a DSLR, mirrorless, 4/3 camera does take more skill & time investment than a smartphone. If you just plan to leave it in full automatic mode you might find your phone is still taking much better photos. To really get the most of a high-end camera you really need to spend the time to understand the semi/full manual modes and familiarize yourself with post image editing. There is mountains of Canon Rebel's out there collecting dust because people think more expensive = better photos.

As a general rule of thumb camera bodies will always depreciate whereas lenses can maintain their value. I haven't paid attention to the 4/3, mirrorless used market so I don't know if that applies there. However the Canon EF and Nikon F mounting system has been around for decades and you can break even if you are smart about it. I have Canon L series glass I bought 8-10 years ago that I could flip on eBay for the same price today. I'd be lucky to get 1/4 of the camera body value.


Hard to believe how good phones have gotten though. Straight from my Pixel 2:

 

[Mina]

You all need to post your IG handles, I see a lot of excellent photos here. Please post!!

 

[Mina]

Check out Adobe Lightroom for IOS/android. A big step up from most default camera software. The editor / library manager is similar to the desktop version and will help you figure out what all the editing functions can do.

Ultimately its hard to beat the convenience factor of a smartphone, especially if its a flagship Iphone, Pixel, Galaxy, etc. I have a Canon 5D2 + half a dozen lenses but find myself just taking the phone only the last few years. Make sure you get something that fits your needs and isn't so inconvenient you won't use it.

another point to consider is that getting really good photos from a DSLR, mirrorless, 4/3 camera does take more skill & time investment than a smartphone. If you just plan to leave it in full automatic mode you might find your phone is still taking much better photos. To really get the most of a high-end camera you really need to spend the time to understand the semi/full manual modes and familiarize yourself with post image editing. There is mountains of Canon Rebel's out there collecting dust because people think more expensive = better photos.

As a general rule of thumb camera bodies will always depreciate whereas lenses can maintain their value. I haven't paid attention to the 4/3, mirrorless used market so I don't know if that applies there. However the Canon EF and Nikon F mounting system has been around for decades and you can break even if you are smart about it. I have Canon L series glass I bought 8-10 years ago that I could flip on eBay for the same price today. I'd be lucky to get 1/4 of the camera body value.


Hard to believe how good phones have gotten though. Straight from my Pixel 2:

Excellent feedback, thank you.

 

[Mina]

Well, here's a decent DSLR entry level camera... Nikon D3500. Buy a Sigma 18-200 lens for $700, and your starting investment will be $1200ish.
The 18-200 is a decent all around lens, and is good for most types of photography. Sure, if you want to get into good portrait lenses, a 50mm f2.8 (very fast lens) will be a good choice.

Nikon D3500 DSLR Review: An Entry-Level Camera That's Not Just for Beginners

The Nikon D3500 is an ideal first DSLR for photographers wanting more than their smartphone can deliver. It’s not just its affordable price—$446.95 with an 18-55mm kit lens as I write this—it has a 24.2MP imaging chip offering better performance than the tiny sensors found in phones.

www.shutterbug.com

Thanks again man, will consider this as an option.
A friend might consider selling his Canon 7D with a couple of lenses but I have a feeling that's a little too much camera for me.
Kinda feels like starting on a 1000 CC SS. ?

 

[GreyGhost]

Thanks again man, will consider this as an option.
A friend might consider selling his Canon 7D with a couple of lenses but I have a feeling that's a little too much camera for me.
Kinda feels like starting on a 1000 CC SS. ?

Except it doesn't kill you, just your wallet. What lenses? Put the vast majority of your money into the glass. A rebel with good glass will outshoot a 7D with crap glass any day of the week.

 

[Matt Rain]

I use an older full-frame Nikon D600 for product photography since I inherited a bunch of Nikon lenses, but if were starting from scratch today I would go mirrorless Nikon or Canon for the weight savings.

 

[sburns]

Thanks for the input. What apps do you recommend?

Looks like Lightroom was mentioned already. You need an active internet connection to make it work, but it is free.
I wish I could search the Apple store on desktop... anyway look for manual camera in your serach, to bring up alternative camera apps for your phone with more settings and features then the built in one. The one that is highly recommended is Halide. paid though. Canon has a app called Canon Coach which helps teach you how to use SLR's. I thought they had another app which went through the features of the SLR like a play camera on your phone you just test out features, couldn't find it.

 

[sburns]

Thanks again man, will consider this as an option.
A friend might consider selling his Canon 7D with a couple of lenses but I have a feeling that's a little too much camera for me.
Kinda feels like starting on a 1000 CC SS. ?

Nah it's more like a 650 cc then a 1000 ss
But ask your friend if you can borrow it, might be a great way to figure stuff out.

 

[jc100]

Good lenses are definitely going to give you a step up. As I mentioned though, those keep their value.

I moved from an older apsc sensor camera to the micro 4/3 specifically for travel and motorcycle trips as the camera and lenses are generally smaller and lighter than other sensor types/systems. There's apparently a small payoff going to the smaller sensor but most people won’t notice that or be able to tell the difference. Some pro photographers have switched to the format. I’m a fan of the system because it’s much lighter and therefore I’m more likely to take it with me.

 

[Riceburner]

Had 10s of thousands invested in film gear back in the day. Nikon for work and play, but Canon fit my hand better, but already invested in Nikon. Now use an Olympus body with an adaptor for my Nikon lenses in manual. Would like to get a used Nikon full frame body though. Really it won't matter what name brand, but research and see what feels good in your hand and in use.