Beginner Which camera for beginner?

Matt-

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Matt
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Hello everyone first post here!

I've been thinking of getting a decent camera for a while and I'm not sure which one to get? I go on a lot of countryside walks and there's loads of times I wish I had a good camera that can capture some nice detailed images.

Mainly I've been looking at Canon cameras. I'd like something that's easy to get the hang of and beginner friendly. I've seen the 1200d which I believe may be being fazed out soon? Then the newer 750d which looks great? (May be stretching the budget a bit if she has anything to do with it). I like the idea of the wifi which would be handy to get pics on my phone easily.

The 18-55 lens seems to be the standard one. Would it be worth paying more for the 18-135 lens?

Any options and advice would be greatly appreciated. Even other brands.


Thanks, Matt.
 
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Much easier, to advise, if we know your budget.
 
Sorry. I could probably stretch to about £600. Although if there's something a bit more I could wait and try and find a good deal. Thanks.
 
Next thing to decide, new or used? Can pick up some excellent deals, used, if you look around. This will allow your budget to get a bit more and perhaps thing about things like a bag and a tripod.

Not a Canon shooter,so can't really advise, but the 750d certainly looks a very capable camera.

Don't worry, about additional lens, until you've had the camera a while and you start to figure out exactly what type of photography you are into, i.e. macro, landscape, etc.

Be warned, you will quickly develop GAS (gear acquisition syndrome), which is very hard to resist :D
 
I was Canon shooter, now I am nikon shooter - few things:
- Canon on it's Canon lenses is cheaper than Nikon
- Some says that Canon is only for the "dynamic enviroment photography" like a... sport, reportage blablabla
- Nikon is more about portrait, landscapes
- I have feeling that Canon has got more it's own good quality lenses to choose - especially the fixed ones
- If you like to buy Nikon - check if it has got "screwdriver" inbult - otherwise you are doomed to buy Inbuilt-motor lenses - and they are not cheap and light
Remember - once you "buy the system" it is very hard to get out of it and change it. If you don;t have friends or family who has got dSLR and you cannot exchange the lenses or equipment, I reckon Canon.
 
I'd happily have used. If I could find a good deal. Have a good shop not far from me called WEX (Norwich).

I'm open to other brands too. I guess Canon v Nikon is a bit like the Apple/Samsung debate? :D I like how the 750d might be quite beginner friendly. Haven't looked into much else yet.

Already been looking at gear too, haha. Could try and get a little extra as part of a deal.

Thanks for the reply.
 
Matt - I can say - I am also a begginer so I have some hints for you:
- do not hesitate to ask here how the photo was made, what kind of equipment was involved - it is really good think to ask - because then you know what you can do
- It is really good to start with buying "cheapo" stuff - don't spend money for £100 filters - you can buy the same thing for £40 - overall - you are buying stuff for your own - you are not going to make a money on it are you?
- bags and backpacks: all this lowepro, tamrac, vanguard and other stuff - it is only marketing stuff - simple backpack is also good
And most important - always ask, read, watch and learn :D
 
Thanks for your replies Tom, very helpful.

2 work colleagues have a Canon so could probably borrow lenses for a couple of days to try out.

Looking at the 750d again it looks like it isn't weatherproof so would probably get a good case that will protect it from light rain and just a backpack to start with.

There's loads to learn though and hopefully I'll slowly pick things up and be able to help others in the future!
 
First thing you should do is go into a camera shop and hold a few of them to see which feels best in your hand etc. No point just going and buying something you don't feel comfortable with.
 
Thanks. Went in to a couple yesterday and had a good play with the 750d. Liked the feel of it straight away
 
I had 350d :D - so the "plastic-fantasic" dSLR i Used it on the rain and not nothing happened - I had simple way to do it :D - I bought small binbags and rubberbands - I cut the hole for the lens and put the rubber arond the foil which was around the lens this hint allows you to shoot pic on the light rain without worrying about the dSLR electronics :]
 
Haha that sounds just like the idea my girlfriend came up with.
 
Matt- said:
Hello everyone first post here!

I've been thinking of getting a decent camera for a while and I'm not sure which one to get?
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This is tongue in cheek but you might get a laugh out of it...

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2010/05/letter-to-george.html

If buying into photography today and deciding to go for a DSLR I'd go for a Nikon as they seem to have Canon beat for ultimate image quality and personally I'd stay away from the 18-50mm f3.5-5.6 "kit" lens and get a 18-50mm f2.8 instead or even better just as in "letter to George" I'd get a couple of prime lenses rather than a zoom.

Actually I'd bypass DSLR's and go for a mirrorless camera as the camera and lens package will be smaller and lighter than a DSLR and you have lots of treats such as great manual focus aids, focus peaking, magnified view and in view histograms etc... This may all be gobbledegook to you now but in a few days/weeks/months/years you may be glad of them :D I ditched all my DSLR kit and I'm now mirrorless with no intention of returning to DSLR's.

Sorry to confuse the issue and add to the baffling array of choices but maybe you could have a quick read up on mirroress cameras and see if you're interested. Or instead of reading you could watch some on line stuff, like this...

https://luminous-landscape.com/the-mirrorless-revolution/

Good luck choosing.
 
woof woof said:
This is tongue in cheek but you might get a laugh out of it...

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2010/05/letter-to-george.html

If buying into photography today and deciding to go for a DSLR I'd go for a Nikon as they seem to have Canon beat for ultimate image quality and personally I'd stay away from the 18-50mm f3.5-5.6 "kit" lens and get a 18-50mm f2.8 instead or even better just as in "letter to George" I'd get a couple of prime lenses rather than a zoom.

Actually I'd bypass DSLR's and go for a mirrorless camera as the camera and lens package will be smaller and lighter than a DSLR and you have lots of treats such as great manual focus aids, focus peaking, magnified view and in view histograms etc... This may all be gobbledegook to you now but in a few days/weeks/months/years you may be glad of them :D I ditched all my DSLR kit and I'm now mirrorless with no intention of returning to DSLR's.

Sorry to confuse the issue and add to the baffling array of choices but maybe you could have a quick read up on mirroress cameras and see if you're interested. Or instead of reading you could watch some on line stuff, like this...

https://luminous-landscape.com/the-mirrorless-revolution/

Good luck choosing.
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Thanks a lot for your reply. I did read quickly and had a laugh.

I will have a look at some nikons and see if there's any I like the look of.

I've had a quick read and look at mirrorless cameras and they actually look really good. This link gave me a bit of basic info

http://www.tomsguide.com/us/dslr-vs-mirrorless-cameras,news-17736.html

It's quite hard to believe you can actually get the same image quality from a small camera like that! I have a pretty basic compact camera at the min (Sony DSC-WX220) but kind of like the feel of the larger DSLR's. I'll go into some shops and have a look at some mirrorless cameras though during the week or next weekend. What one would you recommend if I was to go down that route?

Thanks, Matt.
 
Matt- said:
What one would you recommend if I was to go down that route?

Thanks, Matt.
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Yup. The size of the camera isn't necessarily a great guide to the image quality that you can get from it. For example my relatively small mirrorless Panasonic G1 and GX7 both produce pictures that can be easily lost amongst my DSLR pictures and can actually even better the DSLR pictures and my mirrorless Sony A7 produces images that none of the DSLR's I've owned can match for ultimate image quality.

There's plenty of mirrorless cameras to choose from but one of the first things I think you should think about is if you want an EVF or if you are happy to shoot with just the back screen. Personally I much prefer to have an EVF so that would cut the number of choices down...

Mirrorless manufacturers who make cameras with EVF's include...

Sony - They make Full Frame 35mm equivalent cameras and also APS-C cameras. I have a Sony A7.

Panasonic and Olympus, these guys make Micro Four Thirds cameras and the lenses are interchangeable. I have two Panasonic MFT cameras. An old G1 and a much newer GX7. Micro Four Thirds (MFT) has a wide selection of lenses to choose from, very probably the largest selection of lenses in the mirrorless world.

Fuji. They make APS-C cameras and they've just bought a new camera out, the X-T10.

Samsung. I don't know too much about these but they seem to get good reviews.

If you spend some time browsing on line camera shops you'll see what models are available at what price. You could also think about buying used. I've bought a lot of my kit from used dealers.

Also.., on mirrorless cameras you can use a wide range of both manual focus and even auto focus lenses from other manufacturers via the appropriate adapter. Check before getting into this though as not everything works... I have lots of old film era manual lenses and they work on my Panasonic and Sony cameras.
 
If you go for a very good compact / rangefinder from the likes of Fuji etc it's a one stop shop in that you'll have a camera mated to a good lens.

DSLR is a different world , you can be sucked into the various models and features but a £500 camera shooting through a £50 lens isn't a good thing

My advice would be a very good compact / rangefinder such as the X100S which will fit in your pocket, it's no use having a big camera if carrying it is a pain

If you do decide on a DSLR you'll get a lot more for your money buying used , for instance in the last month I've picked up a 1000 click 7D and a mint 17-55 f/2.8 IS for £640

Good gear is out there you just have to look for it .
 
The Sony A6000 has an EVF and you may find a bargain Nex 6 or Nex 7 which are previous generation models.
 
TomStoff said:
- It is really good to start with buying "cheapo" stuff - don't spend money for £100 filters - you can buy the same thing for £40 - overall - you are buying stuff for your own - you are not going to make a money on it are you?
- bags and backpacks: all this lowepro, tamrac, vanguard and other stuff - it is only marketing stuff - simple backpack is also good
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Can I just say I don't agree with either of these sentiments. I don't think you have to splash silly money but that doesn't mean 'cheapo' is the way forward. There is a happy medium and I believe you are better off buying a few quality items than lots of cheap tat that won't last or necessarily do its job very well. I also think that if you're going to spend money on good kit then protecting it with a good bag is a sensible thing to do. Again - there is a happy medium between top price lowepro and your run of the mill backpack.
 
Wack61- thanks for the reply. If I did get an slr is definitely start buying some half decent lenses along the line.

I'm now keen on a system camera and have been looking at the Sony A6000. First of all I'll go to the shop and have a play with it.

Decisions decisions! :D
 
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The Fuji XT10 seems a very good camera which has only been released in the last few weeks, as mentioned by Alan (woof woof) above, along with the Sony A6000. The XT10 is based around the very good and popular XT1. With Fuji they make some very nice lenses which all perform good, I'm not sure on the Sony lenses as I haven't used the system.

I would also agree with Daysleeper40 for buying half decent accessories.

Fuji XT10 @ Wex > http://www.wexphotographic.com/compact-system-cameras-fuji-x-t10/b3189-m84-r4685

http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-fuji-x-t10-digital-camera-with-16-50mm-xc-ii-lens-silver/p1573096
 
Matt- said:
Wack61- thanks for the reply. If I did get an slr is definitely start buying some half decent lenses along the line.

I'm now keen on a system camera and have been looking at the Sony A6000. First of all I'll go to the shop and have a play with it.

Decisions decisions! :D
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Personally, I'd choose Canon or Nikon if you go the SLR route. If you're on a limited budget, those two platforms will offer the widest choice of preowned lenses and equipment when the time comes. Either brand produces exceptional quality equipment. It's a question of choosing the model that matches your budget and also feels good in your hand. The body, as long as it's a decent manufacturer, will be fine. What really matter are the lenses. Good lenses are good lenses, whether from 1970 or 2015. The same cannot be said of bodies, which are updated frequently with new technology. I'd downgrade my choice of body and upgrade my choice of lens, personally, if faced with such a decision.

I'm a Nikon shooter myself. When I started out, I just chose what felt good in use. Neither brand is really cheaper than the other overall, it depends what you buy over time.

Personally, I'd go for the following to start with:

Camera body to suit budget with kit lens or not, depending if you really feel you need it, personally I think they are junk but sometimes included almost free.
24 or 35mm prime (fixed focal length) lens. If you end up with a full frame camera, make this a 35 or 50mm instead.
A decent camera bag such as a lowepro (no, it's not just marketing). I use a toploader pro 75 if I'm only taking one lens.
Some decent memory cards such as Sandisk. Don't skimp on these and buy two or more. 45Mb/s should be fast enough.
A quality lens pen.
A spare genuine battery.
A good tripod and head if you require a tripod. A used manfrotto would be a good choice for this.

In response to the suggestions in your post. If you get a wifi enabled camera, you're paying a premium for it. Transferring images to your phone is pointless unless you will do absolutely no post processing in Lightroom etc. I think you'll want to do some eventually. Countryside landscapes will eventually lead you to exposure bracketing, for example. Wifi is going to be slow to transfer the images, eat through your camera battery and be of limited use to most people who go beyond the absolute basics. Just my opinion, of course.

If you're unsure of anything, post back here and someone will help further I'm sure.

Have fun!
 
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Thanks Jack!

Yorkshire chap. Really appreciate your reply, very helpful. Hopefully once I'm set up I'll be able to help others too.

I know what you mean about wifi but sometimes it may be nice to get a couple of pictures onto my phone to show friends or family. I'm sure there'd be a way anyway!

So if I was to stick with a Canon slr maybe something like this would be ok? The one down from the 750d I originally mentioned and could probably find it cheaper pre-owned and get some goodies with the change.

http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-...l-slr-camera-with-18-135-is-stm-lens/p1536820

I don't know anything about post processing yet and have no idea what programmes would be good to get.

I'm still undecided on which way to go camera wise. I'll have to go to the shop and have a play with a few and see what feels right.

Thanks, Matt.
 
Matt- said:
I don't know anything about post processing yet and have no idea what programmes would be good to get.
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You can shoot JPEG straight out of camera or you can short raw and process on your pc, that's what I tend to do. Just in case you're not familiar with raw it's a sort of digital negative which you process and then output the picture as either a TIFF or a JPEG or summot that you can then look at, post online and print etc.

Whatever camera you buy you'll almost certainly get some processing software with it but many people believe that the manufacturers software is pretty bad and sometimes it is. I have some which is shocking. If you don't like the camera manufacturers software you can get free processing packages and if you Google you should find some... Rawtherapee is free and some people get very good results from it, Gimp is free too but I'm not sure if it does raw. Anyway, you get the idea... Google and you will find... and if you want better packages and are willing to pay Adobe do Lightroom and Photoshop and these tend to be the most popular and you can pay a monthly siubscription and get them on line and I think it's called Dreative Cloud. There are other packages from other people such as DXO and Phase capture One etc...

There are advantages to shooting raw as the changes you make are only applied when you output the picture as a TIFF or JPEG and the raw file remains and you can go back to it and process it as many times as you like without causing any degradation or loss of information.

If you are not already shooting raw I think it'll be worth looking into once you're up and running.

PS. Just a note on lenses...

A couple of the lenses you seem to be looking at are f3.5-5.6 (the size of the aperture) zooms and they're good general purpose lenses but if you want to take pictures in less good light you may soon find their limitations. You can get f2.8 zooms which will give you more options to shoot in lower light or to get the out of focus backgrounds that many people like. Prime lenses are also available and these are fixed focal length lenses which don't zoom. Popular ones are 28 or 30mm f1.8, 50mm f1.8, 85mm f1.8.

Personally I much prefer primes and indeed hardly ever use zooms. It just depends which way you want to go with your photography and just like in "letter to George" I'd be much happier with a couple of primes than a zoom.
 
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Matt- said:
Thanks Jack!

Yorkshire chap. Really appreciate your reply, very helpful. Hopefully once I'm set up I'll be able to help others too.

I know what you mean about wifi but sometimes it may be nice to get a couple of pictures onto my phone to show friends or family. I'm sure there'd be a way anyway!

So if I was to stick with a Canon slr maybe something like this would be ok? The one down from the 750d I originally mentioned and could probably find it cheaper pre-owned and get some goodies with the change.

http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-...l-slr-camera-with-18-135-is-stm-lens/p1536820

I don't know anything about post processing yet and have no idea what programmes would be good to get.

I'm still undecided on which way to go camera wise. I'll have to go to the shop and have a play with a few and see what feels right.

Thanks, Matt.
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You're welcome. As for the canon, the lens contributes £250 to the cost of that package over and above the body alone. £250 is not an insignificant sum.

Ask in the Equipment forum about the 18-135. From a quick glance, it seems fairly basic and with a budget of £250 for a lens, you may well be able to do better, especially used. Generally speaking, anything with a wide range of focal lengths (i.e commonly called a zoom lens) like the 18-135, is going to be optically inferior to something with a narrower range. But, it does depend on the individual model.

Ask yourself what you're likely to photograph and we can give you advice on focal lengths suitable, you may decide you don't need the kit lens after all.

On another note. Nikon's web site has a lens simulator. You can use it to get an idea of the field of view you will have. It doesn't matter that yours is a canon lens, the simulator is still useful. Just select crop body (DX in Nikon terminology) and use the slider for focal length. Easier to try than explain.
 
Alan and Yorkshire chap. Thanks for replies.

I'll be back on here tonight hopefully. Have to go back to work :-(
 
Ok. If I do go slr route, the lens you 'almost' get free/cheap I could get to start with. Then with the money left over I could get a fixed focal length lens and some accessories.

Mainly to start with I'll be using it during country walks and on the beach. Taking pics of almost anything I feel like I guess. Will also try and get some good shots of the dog while running. And will try and get some nice shots of my girlfriend with the dog (sometimes zoom may come in handy here?).

Had a look at the Nikon lens simulator. Makes it more understandable, thanks.

Thanks again to you both.
 
Matt- said:
Woof woof. Thanks for your detailed reply! It's a great help.

Definitely interested in going down that route. I've been having a read and a look at some and I'd happily get one.

Maybe something like this would be ok? http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-sony-a5100-digital-camera-with-16-50mm-lens/p1559228#details

Although, like you I'd like to have an EVF and it doesn't look like that has one.
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id stay away from the a5100 unless they have upgraded the screen from the a5000. i have the a5000 and the screen is crap, its too low res. you can get the a6000 for less than £600, thats gunna be my next buy unless i can stretch to the a7 line
 
Thanks. It's a choice now of a Canon d700 or the Sony a6000.

Hopefully going to WEX after work to have a good look at them both.
 
As a beginner myself with no real knowledge of dslr cameras, I bought used (canon t3/1100d, with a kit lens). Now knowing what I know through this site, YouTube and experience I would have saved up a bit longer to get something a bit better. I only take photos for my own pleasure but old entry level cameras are a bit restrictive in low light (not good at high ISO, too much noise). Having said that I do get some good shots with it, you just have less keepers.
I would say do lots of research and don't think that you need everything at once (lenses, filters, tripod etc) I've learned more by using what I've got, than by buying new equipment that I wouldn't no what to do with.
 
Hi... Have you considered looking at the images on line taken by these cMeras? I think there will be a Flickr group for them.
 
Note too the Sony hybrid DSLT cameras. They have all the advantages mentioned of mirrorless, but being developed from DSLRs have excellent EVFs, are bigger & heavier & have the more control wheels and buttons of the DSLR. That gives you faster adjustments when shooting. They also have the faster phase-based autofocusing of DSLRs, and if video interests you, autofocus during video.

There's also the strategy, as a beginner, of postponing the decision of which exchangeable lens camera system to go for, by making your first purchase a good full featured "bridge" compact. That will be the camera with you learn what kinds of photography which most attract you and which features of camera technology are most important. You will end up making a wiser choice of exchangeable lens system. The cost of the bridge camera won't be wasted. It will remain your good quality pocketable compact camera when you don't want to lug the big beast and a bagful of lenses around. The best big sensor compacts can get comparable image quality to DSLRs in good light.

You might even find that a top quality "bridge" compact camera is actually the kind of camera you prefer :)
 
My advice is to buy second hand. Don't constrain yourself to a brand. Just pick the best pre-loved package u can afford. You will likely upgrade/change in the future, but what u might loose while re-selling is far less than what you'd have paid renting :)
 
:ROFLMAO: Good luck sorting this out... I agree about going in to a decent shop and getting your hands on them!
 
Matt- said:
Ok. If I do go slr route, the lens you 'almost' get free/cheap I could get to start with.
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I was pointing out that at £250 extra (based on wex prices) the kit lens is far from free :) As an example, another £100 or less and you might even be able to get say a used 17-40 f4 L series lens in excellent condition (commercial vendor, private might be better value still). I believe L series are mostly considered professional grade.

Have fun trying them out, thats always the best way.
 
Matt- said:
Sorry. I could probably stretch to about £600. Although if there's something a bit more I could wait and try and find a good deal. Thanks.
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For your budget you couldn't go far wrong with a used Canon 40D and spend the rest of your money on a quality L series lens, such as the 24-105L f4. You'll even have a little left over for accessories such as filters, etc.

Make sure that the bundled Digital Photography Professional is included or you could use Lightroom which is not expensive.
 
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yorkshirechap said:
I was pointing out that at £250 extra (based on wex prices) the kit lens is far from free :) As an example, another £100 or less and you might even be able to get say a used 17-40 f4 L series lens in excellent condition (commercial vendor, private might be better value still). I believe L series are mostly considered professional grade.

Have fun trying them out, thats always the best way.
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Yeah sorry. I meant the cheaper lens that comes with the camera. This one maybe.

http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-...-with-18-55mm-is-stm-lens/p1536818#promotions

Anyway I'll make sure I have a look for some second hand ones first.


Thanks everyone else for the advice, really helpful.
 
Sorry to anyone that's been offering advice. I have seen a Nikon D5300, how would that compare to the Canon?

I'll be going to have a look at some after work tomorrow so will probably get a good idea of what I like then.

Thanks, Matt.
 
Just a thanks to everyone that gave advice.

Woof woof, I looked at a mirrorless and just didn't like the feel in comparison to an slr. Maybe get one in the future if I enjoy it enough.

Decided on the Canon 700d in the end. Also played with the Nikon D5300. Liked the screen on it but just didn't find it as easy to use. Got it new (couldn't find used for much less) and paid £419 with an extra battery. I'll get used to it first and keep an eye out for what lenses and gear to buy!

Thanks again, Matt.
 
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