I’ve wanted a camera for years. I am a lousy shot, but I really enjoy taking pictures.
Specifically, I like taking pictures of pets, flowers, and bugs. Sometimes landscapes.
So I watched a class on artistic, painting-like photography, and I really liked it. The instructor was using something called Lensbaby, which is a type of lens that makes a blur and lets you zoom in on specific parts of the image. She also used a 180 mm lens, which seems hideously expensive.
The process seems to produce extreme flower closeups, similar to George O’Keeffe’s work. I would really like to try it. I’ve given up on trying to paint what I want, so instead maybe I could photograph it.
I would need a real camera for both. Amount I know about cameras: 0.
Gordon suggested a generous budget for this craziness. He’s actually been suggesting I buy a camera for years, but I keep talking myself out of the purchase, because money. Also, I don’t know if this is going to be something I really enjoy or if I play with it for a month and be like, “Nope, not for me.”
I don’t want to waste the money, since I am going to count this as my silver anniversary present. So if you are familiar with that type of photography, can you suggest a camera for me? Or should I upgrade my iPhone and buy an OlloClip instead?
OMG will I be the first poster?
Yes.
20 years of photography here ????????♀️
There are a lot of amateur dslr’s available but I suggest going to a store and hold them. It sounds dumb. However, I am a diehard Nikon girl while I have friends who are diehard canon, etc. Find what feels right in your hand and go from there.
It’s the lens that needs more specification. If you are trying to do close ups on said bugs and flowers, grab a lens with a macro option. They make zoom lenses with these and it changes your focal range. You could still do landscape stuff with the same lens with just a quick flip of a switch on it.
I do recommend adobe’s creative cloud if you don’t already have it for editing.
Photography is fun as hell. Have FUN with it!
I agree. Find one that feels good. I have short fat fingers, so small controls are difficult for me
I concur- try a Nikon, a Canon, etc. See which one feels best to you, and especially which set of controls make the most sense to you.
Also recommended that you shop at a camera store, not somewhere like Best Buy. They will be able to give the best advice. They will also have classes for new DSLR owners, or can point you to a good one.
Definitely agree with finding a camera that is comfortable to hold and work with first! There is nothing worse than finding that out later… *sigh*
I agree:
1. Pick the one you can be comfortable with and pay without a guilty conscience…
2… even better if you had friends with the same camera (Canon, in my case) you could share lenses with (usually expensive)
I also just posted to ‘test drive’. I would add Sony to the list of Nikon, Cannon, etc. Olympus used to make good cameras, I’m not sure if they’re still on that short list. The other thing I’ve found. Rechargeable batteries are essential. I’ve tried cameras that took regular batteries and they died after a couple pictures every time, so back they went. It really needs to have that lithium-ion battery to have any sort of realistic battery life.
And, once you really get into shooting stuff, have an extra set of CHARGED batteries with you. Brings the frustration level down.
*been there, lived the dead batteries, awesome freaking shots kept happening, but couldn’t be taken, still have nightmares about the times*
Completely agree with the above re holding and trying the camera. Makes all the difference if you find the camera comfortable or not to handle when taking shots. I’m Nikon all the way when it’s dslrs. For mirrorless I’ve tried the OMD and found it really uncomfortable to use the view finder, though a mate takes gorgeous photos on it. The only point I differ in is that i don’t like monthly subscriptions for programmes so would recommend (if possible) finding an older non cc version of photo shop, as I don’t like having to lease a programme that I’m prepared to save up for and pay for in full. It’s like a never-ending mortgage.
Another +1 on holding/trying. I had a Canon point and shoot, so I was sure I was going to buy a Canon DSLR. Went to a camera store … and left with a Nikon (D5200) and some lenses that came in the starter’s kit. The way the Nikon’s controls worked, and the display, the way the viewfinder worked with my glasses, and the way it felt in my hand were all better, and I was not expecting that.
I have a friend that swears by the Sony DSLRs too.
Try a camera bag at the store with a lens or two and the DSLR in it, too. If I were going to do-over, I would likely NOT buy a DSLR. There are still plenty of times I grab my ancient point and shoot for portability and lack of hassle. And there are some pretty nice point and shoot cameras out there now. My next camera will likely be one of those, in fact. You’d be surprised at how heavy a DSLR gets hanging around your neck, and how annoying it is to, say, hike with it bouncing against your chest. Put it on in the store and walk around a bit to see how it feels, then imagine that when you’re 3 hours from the car, outside, covered in sweat, and hot. Plus when I travel, I feel like a big camera bag and a bulky camera make me a target.
Definitely +1 on “get a second battery” along with “get a second SD card” as well. When you shop SD cards, try to find ones with fast write speed. Ones that advertise being able to write 4K video is a good start. Most DSLRs have a buffer of a few photos, but if you take pictures too fast then you get stuck waiting on the camera to write its buffer to the SD card. Faster the card = less waiting.
Panasonic Lumix. Mine has a Leica lens.
Point and shoot camera. Zoom, wide angle … lovely photos! Very crisp.
Nice videos, too.
I received mine about ten years ago. I do not have a more expensive camera. This one makes me super happy. 🙂
+ 1 on bringing an extra charged battery with you.
Smart to have an extra memory card too.
Good Luck! Have fun! 🙂
Links (my camera is ten years old, so I’m not familiar with these, but this might help your research):
https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/buying-guides/best-panasonic-cameras
https://shop.panasonic.com/cameras-and-camcorders/cameras/lumix-point-and-shoot-cameras
I second the personal experience with the Panasonic Lumix. I’ve have a Lumix DMC-253 point-and-shoot for years, and it’s done a really nice job. My wife bought me a Lumix DSLR (DC-FZ80) for Christmas; although the pandemic put paid to travel plans to really try it out, my initial attempts have been good. Neither one is a “professional”-level device, but neither am I :).
Having said that, I completely agree that you should (when the situation allows) go to a physical store and see which of the different cameras feel best *to you*.
This is excellent advice. I use Nikon rather than Panasonic or Canon because the fit is better for my small hands.
In the store, you can try out how to change lenses and use other features on the camera. Are they easy for you to manipulate so you can keep shooting?
If there is a specialty camera store that is easy for you to reach, that might be the best bet. More equipment, educated staff, and less traffic during COVID-19 than a Costco or department store.
Totally agree! If you get too much “stuff” and you’re like me you’ll get tired of lugging it around. This coming from a former photographer who shoots only with an iPhone now…but has thousands (And thousands) of $ of equipment becoming more and more obsolete in the closets, under beds. Just get something that allows Interchange lenses and allows you option to add an external flash but I also agree abt getting a lens like mentioned above with a good range.
Nikon lover here too. But I own some off brand lenses too. I also recommend a light weight tripod. Then when you determine how much you like it and if you want more equipment you can add on!
Traveling with all your regular stuff and a photo bag and a purse can be challenging too.
I went through this same thing a few years ago and wound up with a Nikon D5600. It’s an awesome camera, even if I’m still not great at using it. I would add to what was said above about test-driving that you should put the strap on and see how it feels with the weight of the camera on your neck. They can get pretty uncomfortable.
Also, there seems to be a lot of talk about mirrorless cameras these days. It could be worth your while looking into those as well.
Absolutely find one that feels comfortable and one where the controls make sense for you also consider whether or not you want a view finder. It may be thought of as a bit old school but you don’t get that with a phone and it helps in bright light situations where you can’t see what is on the screen. I like my Olympus cameras as they are a little smaller and fit my hands better than the Nikon. Invest in good lenses.
Chandra is right. The feel of the camera body is very important, and where the controls are in relation to your fingers. I am also a diehard Nikon fan. But no matter which brand you go with, I have been advised that you spend the majority of your budget on the lenses, because if you buy the most expensive camera body available now, it will be replaced by newer and better on the market in 6-9 months.
I would stick with DSLR, as it is the most versatile and proven, and if it is in your budget a full frame field is the gold standard IMHO. This article should help: https://digital-photography-school.com/full-frame-sensor-vs-crop-sensor-which-is-right-for-you/ it is an oldie but goodie.
Nikon right now seems to be dumping their mid-level full frame bodies, but they are keeping up with the lenses because of the pro photographer needs.
First, do not get greedy and get hooked on the best of the best. That is very expensive and may discourage you. If you feel you “have” to use the camera or you have “wasted” the money, you will feel discouraged quickly. What are your goals? Are you going to be happy carrying 7 lbs+ of equipment with you to get the better quality picture or will you be happy with a more portable Powershot sized camera? I love the pictures I get with my DSLR but my camera bag gets heavy. Have fun!
Agreed, I love my Cannon. It’s like anything else, you will find one that is comfortable for you, intuitive and you just flat out like it for no reason that you can pin down.
Go to a good camera shop, not a box store. They will have knowledgeable employees who can discuss things and help you find what you need. If you don’t care for a certain employee, get another that you are comfortable with.
Photography is a lot of fun, enjoy it and use it for stress relief.
Totally agree go to as many stores as you can and hold them flip through the menus etc. I always bought Sony point and shoots. Did veryy well with them.
I thought I would step out my box and try a dslr and bought a Panasonic Lumix…. its not an easy transition since I really liked the Sony….if I have money to buy another one I would try them all out again but probably go with Sony.
While this may not be an option you a looking for, the newer cell phones have excellent cameras. I am able to take pretty amazing closeup photos with my phone.
+1, phone, because convenience. Clarity/focus/color on the new iPhone are Great. An Otter or Lifeproof case will protect your screen. Happy 25th!
Get a REAL camera…either Nikon or Cannon with interchangeable lens. Both telephoto and wide angle. Most of my pics are with a 70-400 zoom lens everything from portrait to landscape.
Kohl’s has Cannon EOS rebel on sale with cash back bonus (Fathers Day sale $400)
I have a nikon d3500. Im in no way professional, but it takes high res pics
AND has different settings so I can get my kids in motion. Im still learning so the auto settings were great while I learned. I tried a Cannon before I bought the Nikon, just wasn’t my cuppa tea.
Also… the Nikon has had rougher tougher handling then it should have, but its still kicking.
I have a Nikon D3300 that I bought in a kit with several lenses and a case from Amazon for about $600 a few years ago. For a step up from a small point and shoot it is great. The current model is the D3500. I took it on a trip to Europe last year for landscape and close up shots. I don’t think you need anything bigger unless you are going to make it a major hobby. I know people with $10k in camera equipment, but unless you are going to try making money on it or it is your only hobby, breaking $1k is not worthwhile in my opinion.
I am very amateur in photography and when I wanted a macro photography camera I elected to go with a really good point and shoot camera that had a good sensor, nice focal point starting at 1cm to almost infinity and, for my frugal habits, not really expensive. Thru research, I finally bought a Olympus TG-5. I have a hideously expensive Sigma DSLR plus several exchangeable lenses and don’t use them. The Olympus works for me. Somehow, I never even think to use the cell phone camera except to snap shot something at the store for future reference.
My first camera was an Olympus OM-2. It was so easy to use and it took very pretty pictures.
I use a Nikon Coolpix P510 with a variable focal length zoom lens built in. It has a range of 4.3 to 180 mm which covers any reasonable range you could need, including close-ups. It has an excellent long range bright flash, very high resolution and many other features, and is easy to use without significant study or experience. It is several years old and used models are in the $200 dollar range. Much more capable than any phone camera.
Is any of this available on the used market? Even if you don’t want to buy used, it might help your frugal side to realize you can sell it if you don’t like it, assuming there is a market for the equipment.
There is. My husband who works in video production has sold lenses they no longer use. Even the ones that are $$$ get sold pretty quickly. He buys a lot from B&H, which also sells used lenses and cameras in case you would like to purchase one less expensively for now to see if something will be your thing or not.
Thank you for the post, Ilona Andrews. I can not help you with photography question except to say research, research and research then experiment. Maybe your local university or public library has continuing education class in photography. That is a good way to meet people with similar passion or not.
I learned on vacation to see Grand Canyon a few years ago that Cell phone camera at that time could not differentiate out subtle colors of the painted desert. I could see with my naked eye but not in pictures. So I made memories.
When we committed my grandmother to Alzheimer’s assisted living facility one of the things she Insisted on showing to people was a photo album of her and my grandfather’s many Alaskan cruises. Not the people shots but the scenery shots. He had taken the pictures with an inexpensive camera to show us how beautiful it was. No she couldn’t remember that was her picture.
I use the Nikon coolpix P900 which is a versatile point-and-shoot when I’m packing light. It’s been superseded with newer models by now but still not worth replacing yet. It’s a fraction of the cost of my DSLR camera and the collection of lenses I keep buying for it. A jack of all trades in the camera world but even an older model would outperform any new smartphone.
Also, a good friend of mine has recently discovered https://topazlabs.com/ and had a blurry honeyeater picture he would’ve thrown away. Ran it through the program and every feather came up! He’s a photography nut that drops 50k on a zoom lens and takes annual safari trips and he was impressed. Worth testing it out to see if any of your current photos are salvageable.
Spend the money. I could tell the same story you just posted. I knew about as much about cameras as you do. I knew what kind of outcomes I wanted when I took a picture and I set forth to find a camera that would do that.
I took my time, talked to a lot of clerks in camera department, held a lot of cameras in my hands. I ended up spending a very large hunk of change and never regretted it.
Did I become a great photographer? No. But that camera allowed me many hours of relaxation and the urge to get out and “shoot”. I have many picture that are perfect and many more that are not. Bottom line, it was well worth the money spent. And yes I did get an extra fancy lens.
After 10 years my camera died. I never got around to replace as I was older and justifying the cost was a little harder.
Head towards the purchase! Allow that creative desire to be satisfied. You won’t regret it.
Sorry if someone already mentioned it, but Precision Camera in Austin does rentals of cameras and lenses. They are also really great to talk to and might be able to steer you in the right direction. 🙂
Yes, I was scrolling through comments to see if anyone mentioned Precision Camera in Austin. I second the recommendation. They have really knowledgeable and friendly customer service.
I’ve had a couple of Canon’s Powershot cameras in the past and enjoyed them. They are high-level point-and-shoot camera and you can’t change the lenses. Last year’s model, the SX70HS, has a 65x optical zoom, which is very powerful. The last camera I bought was a mirror-less SLR and I never could get the exposure right. Indoor photos were too dark w/o the flash and too washed out with the flash on. I’d probably get the new Powershot, but it doesn’t look like I’m going anywhere this summer and the kids are grown and taking their own pictures. My new iPhone will have to do for now.
Yep I ‘ ve got the PowerShot as well and it served me good. First I didn’t know much but needed better options for my traveling. I could try some cameras from my travel buddies and realised the one with different lences wouldn’t serve my needs. I like macros of plants, flowers and bugs also taking pictures of animals. And I like to seize the moment in my walks. Especially with animals you need to be quick sometimes and simply using the automatic modus should bring great pics. Moreover I wanted a movable LCD monitor to have it easier when taking close ups. And I could understand the basic handling of the canon without any help. And while trying different cameras I thought the macros were best with canon. So I had already happy years with it, taking pics in Oz, Bali,Um and then I booked a Photo tour in Edinburgh with a pro and he showed every person how to use the manuel for all the different cameras we had it was eye opening. Really fun and I loved my camera even more. Still I think the camera is not always easy to carry when comparing with a phone…but no phone has those options yet. So think what compromises you are willing to take and although I know you like to do research when you got your camera someone who can teach you hands on is without comparison. Best of luck. Looking forward to those pics!
I’ve always had good luck with the Canon Powershots. I am a PPP Photographer- Point, Press and Pray.
My daughter is a professional photographer who only has top of the line Canon. I can’t even hold her cameras esp when the lenses are on because of the weight.
It’s too bad you are not in NYC, and it’s not plague time, B&H Photo is the place to go. They only have one brick and mortar store but do business worldwide by catalogue. Take a look at their website.
And avoid places like Best Buy with their “experts”.
your books delight me. I hope this is useful to you.
The most useful camera is the one you have with you. I agree with the newer cell phone post. This site “https://www.dpreview.com/products/mobilephones/all” will show sample photos from most available phones. Unless you love the results from one phone over the others, get the newest version of the phone you have best understood. And spend time with youtube user tips for that phone and camera. You will be delighted each time you have your good camera (phone) with you.
Definitely learn everything about your phone camera. My iPhone is my most used camera, love portrait mode.
http://www.dpreview.com is awesome for reviews of camera gear.. also check out the Micro Four Thirds DSLRs bodies!
Depending where you live and what sort of photography you want to take a hands-on photography workshop. They can recommend local shops (or online shops) that will rent camera gear and lenses to try before you buy. One day, I hope to attend one of http://www.apertureacademy.com ‘s Sojourn series workshops.
I would suggest a Sony a3600 is an excellent beginner camera and not hideously expensive. It is not full frame which is the only difference between that and its professional range. The kit lens is a great all rounder for flowers and and sunsets. If you like it you can buy more specific lenses which you can migrate to the professional range if you decide you are serious about photography.
It is not the latest model in the a36 range but the difference between it and newer models is not significant enough to buy the newer models, making it cheaper again.
I have linked it below but would suggest buying it in a camera shop as they will probably give you free lens cleans. They do here.
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Alpha-a6300-Mirrorless-Camera/dp/B01BFD1CYI
I have zero photo abilities but my brothers all do & have tons of canons & lenses talked me into a mirrorless Sony from Adorama and I love it.
Some lenses can blur the background, harder to get on cheaper lenses (slower more narrow aperture)
Sony lenses are as expensive as the camera but I bought a converter & use old canon lenses. Sigma is making Sony compatible lenses.
Here’s a review:
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-a7-iii-review
I second the vote for mirrorless cameras. I have a Olympus micro 4/3rds camera and it is wonderful! You can get quality lenses at decent prices because the stabilization is built into the camera and not the lens. They take great photos but are much lighter and not nearly as bulky as a full dslr camera. I have small hands with shorter fingers and find the camera comfortable to hold. Not to mention that is easier to slip into a purse or bag. (Especially if you can afford to splurge and buy pancake lenses) As for lenses if you like really close up photos a macro lens is an excellent choice. If you want to have a little more background go with a portrait lens. Either way get a lens with a large aperture option(F-Stop) something like F/1.4
+1
I have used Canon DSLRs since 2002. To me (qualified), Canon systems are more intuitive. That said, Nikon users will say the same thing. So the Canon vs. Nikon comparison is based purely on personal preference.
There are two factors that are important to me.
First is lens quality. If you have a choice between a zoom lens that is fixed at f2.8 or a f3.5-5.6 (slower) lens, go with the 2.8. You have more artistic options to play with shallow depth field.
Side note, 2.8 lenses are more expensive, but if you have the budget, get them.
BTW, go with zoom lenses – a 16-35mm will give you more landscape options. A 70-200mm will enable you to take closeups of flowers, as well as portraits.
Prime lenses are great, but you will end up spending a lot of money and having to buy more lenses. You will also spend more time swapping lenses on the camera.
The second factor is sensor sensitivity.
Are you shooting during the day and dusk/evening, or are you planning on shooting under low light or at night.
If you are shooting at night and not relying on a flash or tripod, then you have to go with a more sensitive sensor.
Be prepared to spend more money on the camera body.
Hope this helps. Unfortunately, this barely scratches the surface.
A couple things,
1) the Twitter feed connection seems to have broken
2) the KD novella page is a bit broken. The intro is from the hidden legacy page, many links don’t work( gets a 404)
Haven’t fully tested things out, but otherwise the site looks awesome!
1) If you mean posts being published on Twitter, that’s accomplished via plugin. We had to turn the plugin off temporarily because all plugins had to be disabled for the update of the site. The plugin is active now, so there shouldn’t be anymore issues.
2) Removed the intro. RE: links: Could you be more specific? I coded every link in there, so I doublechecked them. Furthermore, I just did a content drilldown through Google analytics and it doesn’t report a 404 from that page. Now, some of the links point to the general search for Ilona Andrews at certain retailers because Booshop and Book Depository are both print retailers so they won’t have access to publisher e-specials.
2) Ok, sorry, I was on my phone and it was displaying the wrong address for some reason, it’s actually the KD stories page. https://ilona-andrews.com/kate-daniels-series/
Clicking on “Click here for free chapters” under the Aurelia Ryder section, the link is http://ilonaandrews.wpengine.com/category/ryder/, the result is a maintenance page. There’s a similar link at https://ilona-andrews.com/books/
Note that under the the front page https://ilona-andrews.com, the “Free Ryder Chapters” button has the link https://ilona-andrews.com/category/ryder/, and works fine.
Clicking on “Click here for Curran POV” under the Curran POV section, the link is https://ilona-andrews.com/category/pov/curran-pov/, the result is a 404.
hmm, looks like my post got auto modded away because it contained links. I’ll try and describe the links.
Looks like some things changed, but here’s the links I currently know are not working:
On the “Kate Daniels Series”, Aurelia Ryder section “Click Here for Free Chapters” leads to a maintenance notice.
The same link exists under the “Read Our Books” page.
Note that the “Free Ryder Chapters” button on the main page works just fine.
———
On the “Kate Daniels Series” page, “Click Here for Curran POV” leads to a 404
As one example – if I am on the Kate Daniels page and scroll down to the Curran POV click here button, clicking on that returns a 404 error. It happened last night when I checked the new site and again just now (5:48 pm EST). I think I ran into another one last night but I don’t remember where it was.
Looks like auto-moderator ate my first post because it had links in it (even though they were all on this site), and ate my second post because I was on a timeout?
Anyways, will try to describe this without links.
On the Kate Daniels Series page,
Under the Aurelia Ryder section, the Click here For Free Chapters link goes to mainentnace screen
Under the Curran POV section, the Click here for Curran POV goes to a 404
On the Read Our Books page,
The Aurelia Ryder section, the Click here for Free Chapters link also goes to Mainetenance
Note that under the front page, the Aurelia Ryder link works just fine.
What you are after is a linkchecker for the site.
I haven’t used google analytics to look for broken links so I can’t comment on how good it is.
In the past I’ve used Xenu’s Link Sleuth which is a old windows application, ignore the side serving of nuts. It would take a while to run on the site (and I hope you have decent internet) but it does a fairly decent job.
There are also web services, WP plugins and browser plugins that do a similar job but I haven’t used any of them recently so I’m not sure which ones give a decent result. Your web admin can probably help.
In the past I’ve monitored sites with a twice daily check for broken links but that was ONLY because I had a large bunch of people who’d find any snafu’s fairly quickly and would kindly point them out to me… repeatedly, so many emails. I’m sure you never get anything like that :). The twice daily checks had nothing to do with my OCD, that was a rumor started by Liz and isn’t true.
Hello,
I’m no professional but I think it depends of how much you want to invest energy and money in it.
A camera is obviously expensive but it is offering so much more than a smartphone. It is really satisfying learning how to use your device and using it to capture the perfect shot. It can be hard work but with numeric you can take as many shot as you want. It really develop creativity and possibilities. Ideas will just pop and your mind will be twisting even the most common thing into an object worth photographing .
Even if after a while you don’t use it that much, you can easily see something that will trigger a new idea and you will get back to it.
You could see a camera as a long term investment. It will stick with you in many occasions from daily days, special events or holidays. When you take a walk in fall with orange, red, yellow and the sun is setting or your cat is playing and just see is head and paws showing from under your couch, a nice flower in your garden and you want a nice blurred behind so it will stand out. Your mind will be wired to see possible shots from everything and with all the settings in a camera it will make then true.
If you decide to go for the camera, the brand and lenses are another thing 😉
Have a nice day
I use a Panasonic Lumix superzoom camera with a 60x zoom for nature photography. It is not as good as a SLR, but it is much cheaper (~$500), lighter, and adequate for most needs. If you want to go better, I would recommend a Micro 4/3 camera. They are mirrorless and lighter than an SLR. You can usually get away with a much shorter lens as well. I would definitely recommend trying any expensive equipment before buying to see if you like. The feel and control positions on different cameras can make a big difference
+1 on this. I went mirrorless almost 10 years ago and I love the µ4/3 format. I went Panasonic Lumix, as it and Olympus were the only choices back then. They are much lighter than the typical Nikon/Canon, and you’ve got a great choice of prime and zoom lenses available. BTW, though they maybe smaller and lighter, they are not cheaper in the long run.
When I was starting out, though, I started with a high end point-and-shoot, like several people here have mentioned. They have amazing zoom capabilities, and lots of scope for playing around. After a year or so, I realized I wanted more and made the jump.
I also have a LUMIX and it takes great photos especially close ups and landscapes. In fact last year on safari my friend’s pictures on a high quality digital were better than mine with the SLR!
I’ve since bought a mini DSLR lumix too. I agree with previous posters to check that the camera is comfortable to hold and use – I have v small hands so some of the standard DSLRs were huge.
Oh my…the choices are legion. The lenses for close up (Macro) photography can be simple (and expensive – like a dedicated macro lens) or complicated (and less expensive – using a simple lens with extension tubes). For pets and landscapes – the newest iPhone cameras are great. The reason I recommend something like an iPhone – is most people have them available when the photo muse hits.
I would recommend some online classes – basic photography, iphone photography and macro photography. Also, perhaps finding a local photography club for phone discussions and when safe – outings.
If you want to go with a DSLR (Digital single-lens reflex camera) – go to a camera store and hold a camera body with lens attached to see if you are comfortable with the camera grip and weight. Most modern DSLR’s can be ridiculously complicated – but have “simple” starter modes – so one can start taking photos right away.
If you want to go “big” in Macro photography – then something like a Nikon D780 ($2000) and a Nikon AF Micro-NIKKOR 200mm f/4D IF-ED Lens ($1800) along with a general 50mm lense (Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G Lens ($400)) would be an excellent solution. The 200mm gives you life-size 1:1 magnification and about 1.5 feet of “working” space for macro photos. If you chose something like the Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED Lens ($800) – that would also give you life-size 1:1 magnification, but you’d have to get closer to the subject.
Photography is a hobby, but I’ll point again – unless you plan something like a macro walk about – you’ll likely take pictures when the opportunity presents itself – that’s why pairing something like the iPhone 11 with a DSLR will cover all the bases.
Many camera stores will rent cameras. If you are interested, it could be fun to rent 2 or 3 cameras and see what you like best. I borrowed a Canon from my nephew. It was an older model of a really good camera. I absolutely hated it. I could see why people liked it, but it just wasn’t a good fit for me. He helped me avoid a costly mistake. I use a Fuji mirrorless (X-A10) that’s a few years old now. Don’t think it’s available anymore. I love it, but Fuji lenses seem harder to find
When I got my son a camera for his college classes for teleproductions, his professor gave me the following advice. DSLR or SLR. From there, it is all about lighting, background, possible software from the camera, etc… Now, there are cameras that have apps you can go purchase or download for free on the camera. SLRs and DSLRs run around $500.00. The funny thing about this is: It is a gatekeeper for people who want to actually buy a good camera or just want a camera. It may sound expensive, but it really isn’t if the camera lasts you a couple years. Basically a $25 a month breaking it down. Last thing he said: Try to get everything in a single line… Camera, software, printer, paper. Look at the software to find out if they offer it on regular comps as well or only on Apple products because really prissy and confused people believe apple is somehow magically better with picture and video than anyone else. (That may have been true in the 80s and 90s but now it doesn’t matter). We went canon, but up to you. Spend the $500.00 or more, get the software, printer, and paper all from the same company.
I’m stalling in buying one for years, too because I don’t know a thing about photography so I don’t want top of the range, but I would like to experiment with manual controls, to have the chance to be better if I feel like it.
So the only thing I’m sure is I don’t want a reflex model: I would end up leaving it at home because of the size/weight and the various lens needed.
I found this website very useful: it let’s you sort between models by price, year, performance… And it has a comparison between similar models, or new ones that often aren’t better than their predecessors but costs more.
https://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/cameras
I’m oriented towards a Lumix from some years ago, hope you’ll find the one for you!
Look at some of the reputable used equipment dealers. My best camera buy was (by contemporary standards,) an antique Canon 5D, which at the time was a 17 year old body. It’s a full-frame camera (easier for focus tricks,) with an incredibly clean sensor (noise). And it was at about 10% the original MSRP. The 5D “Classics” aren’t as easily available any more, but the 5D-Mark-II should be a good alternate (again, used. The contemporary version is the Mark IV.) Or a 6D Mark I.
Lenses are more challenging, and in some ways even more personal than the camera-bodies.
I have not done much photography in years, so I won’t talk about my models, but I would definetel recommend looking into something with changeable lenses. I absolutely loved taking close-up pictures with a fixed lense (so no zoom, I am not sure about the technical term in english ;)), plus for Pentax at least you can use lenses from older models with newer cameras, so you can often get them used for a good price if you want to try something new.
I have a Sony Alpha 6000 which I think is still affordable even though not the cheapest camera around. I don’t know how the newer Sonys compare to the Alpha 6000 but for a hobby I don’t think the higher price for a newer model is justified. I did get some great landscapes, flowers, portraits. I think it is a well rounded camera. Maybe just invest in a better lens then I got with the camera – but that was a couple of years back, so maybe in the US and years later the lens is better than mine was. I’m saving up for either of these two:
Sony SEL-55F18Z Zeiss (expensive but really good ratings) – should be found under this name on amazon.com: Sony Parent SEL55F18Z
Sony SEL-50F18 Portrait (cheaper, still good ratings) – should be found under this name on amazon.com: Sony SEL50F18F FE 50 mm F1.8.
I’m interested to hear what the professional fotographers have to say – but I am happy with my “in between solution” 🙂
I just bought a Sony Alpha 6000 as well after a ton of research. I really enjoy it as a newbie photographer. My focus is on bird pictures as opposed to flowers, but it’s comfortable to hold, fairly intuitive to use, and I’m really enjoying it.
Hi, I have a Canon Rebel T2i and it takes beautiful photos without being too big or heavy. There’s lots of settings or I can just leave it on automatic (which I mostly do) and it takes beautiful photos, and also video. It has a little pop-up flash but I bought a separate flash attachment (Speedlite 270EXII) that really softens the light and does a beautiful job. It’s the second Rebel I’ve owned and I love it, I’ve probably had it about five years now. I like that the camera body has a smaller grip because my hands are pretty narrow so it’s a comfortable fit. I think Nikon tends to fit larger hands, but it’s been years since I bought it so maybe all that has changed. It was also a reasonable price for a DSLR.
The Canon Rebel T2i is a great camera!
If you’re looking for a camera but don’t want to spend a fortune, I would try a pawn shop. My daughter had a camera, but needed more lenses. I found several sizes and models for half retail costs at the local pawn shop. No, there’s no warranty and you can’t guarantee how long it will last, but if you find that photography isn’t your thing, you can always pawn them.
So I’ve been using Cannon cameras since my first film camera. I’ve also used my phone camera with additional lenses, and I have a Panasonic point and shoot. My current Cannon is the Cannon EOS 7D. I’m saving for a mirrorless DSLR.
I use my Cannon for macro flower pictures, landscapes, building and lots of cat pictures. Oh I also use the Cannon to shoot video. You can get stuck in a camera brand because of all the additional lenses and equipment.
You might try the site https://www.borrowlenses.com You can rent lenses, cameras and equipment for up to 90 days.
I rented lenses from them when I did my Alaskan cruise and knew I probably wouldn’t use the lenses again. I’ve also rented lenses and cameras to see if they would work for me or be worth the cost before purchasing. I’m currently renting a power adapter for my Cannon so I can use that and my iPhone on Zoom meetings.
You can also try the site https://www.camerawest.com/ for new and used equipment.
I would agree that the cameras on newer phones are good and even with the addition of clip on lenses and tripods you can get great shots from your phone.
I do my photo editing and manipulation in Photoshop.
Sorry Cannon = Canon. I blame writing before my cup of tea.
Oh my…the choices are legion. The lenses for close up (Macro) photography can be simple (and expensive – like a dedicated macro lens) or complicated (and less expensive – using a simple lens with extension tubes). For pets and landscapes – the newest iPhone cameras are great. The reason I recommend something like an iPhone – is most people have them available when the photo muse hits.
I would recommend some online classes – basic photography, iphone photography and macro photography. Also, perhaps finding a local photography club for phone discussions and when safe – outings.
If you want to go with a DSLR (Digital single-lens reflex camera) – go to a camera store and hold a camera body with lens attached to see if you are comfortable with the camera grip and weight. Most modern DSLR’s can be ridiculously complicated – but have “simple” starter modes – so one can start taking photos right away.
If you want to go “big” in Macro photography – then something like a Nikon D780 ($2000) and a Nikon AF Micro-NIKKOR 200mm f/4D IF-ED Lens ($1800) along with a general 50mm lense (Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.4G Lens ($400)) would be an excellent solution. The 200mm gives you life-size 1:1 magnification and about 1.5 feet of “working” space for macro photos. If you chose something like the Nikon AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED Lens ($800) – that would also give you life-size 1:1 magnification, but you’d have to get closer to the subject.
So – a newer iPhone like the 11 for general, landscape and pet photography – especially since most people will have it on their person when the photo muse strikes and some level of DSLR for macro photography for macro walk-abouts.
Oh my…the choices are legion. The lenses for close up (Macro) photography can be simple (and expensive – like a dedicated macro lens) or complicated (and less expensive – using a simple lens with extension tubes). For pets and landscapes – the newest iPhone cameras are great. The reason I recommend something like an iPhone 11 – is most people have them available when the photo muse hits.
I would recommend some online classes – basic photography, iphone photography and macro photography. Also, perhaps finding a local photography club for phone discussions and when safe – outings.
I used to think that phones are waaay inferior to cameras, but then I found out that he newer samsung galaxy phones take awesome pictures. They have very good lens and some truly excellent photography software.
I have stopped saving for a camera when I bought the galaxy. It’s way more comfortable than carrying a camera, and the pictures are great. It is actually difficult to make a bad picture with that phone.
(Ok, the pics are excellent for a phone. A real professional camera is obviously much more flexible, but learning to actually use it to its full pontential can be a very long journey. Sometimes a one click app on the phone is the better choice. Especially for close ups.)
Go to a pawn shop and buy a Nikon or something else. Every expensive camera or lens we’ve bought have been from pawn shops. It’s one of the first things people sell when they need cash. I’ve got an old semi automatic 35mm Nikon that is my favorite. We have a Canon 35mm manual and a Nikon 35mm digital which takes beautiful photos, but with all the gear they weigh a ton . I also bought a Minolta Instamatic at Costco twenty years ago that has traveled well and I took some beautiful photos in Paris and London a few years ago and at the same time with my iPhone 5 and the color was so good. I really want the new iPhone 11 the photos taken from it that I’ve seen are amazing.
Taking pictures of my family and garden is one of my favorite things to do. Hope you find what you want. Have fun!
Have you thought about getting a nicer quality camera that’s been refurbished?
While I hesitate to offer tax advice (since I’m not a CPA), I would think that if you use the camera to take photos for the blog or to use for the Inn series, the camera and other equipment might be tax deductible. ????♀️ Thought that might help your frugal side to consider it a business expense. (But please check with your account.) Happy 25th Anniversary, whenever it is! ????????????????????????
I have shot with both Cannon and Nikon. It is really a preference to which feels more comfortable in your hands. Both have consumer level entry bodies. Each system has third party lenses which are less expensive. Tamron is a good third party lens. You might look in your area to see if you have a local camera rental company. If not, Lens Pro to Go who is who I have used to rent both lenses and camera bodies. I would suggest doing that even though there is an added cost to be able to choose what feels best for you without making a full cost commitment. Local companies will usually be less expensive and give you a longer rental period. For example, I live in the Midwest so I use RentGlass out of Kansas first because I can pick up and drop off there (at least before Corona). It also is usually 20%ish cheaper and I can rent for a week. Hope that helps!
Sorry about the duplicate entries
This is somewhat second hand, but I can confirm that, for people who would love to be able to paint landscapes and flowers and things like that but find it really hard to make their vision in paint, photography is an excellent outlet. My husband is just like you describe–he has an artistic impulse (especially with nature-inspired things), but he never could gain the artistic skill to make painting or sketching turn out how he wanted. He took up photography and has really stuck to it because he CAN make things look beautiful in the way he’d like. He favors photographing flowers and landscapes, but he has gotten pretty good at people, too :-). So, an encouragement that odds are in your favor that this won’t be a “try it for a month and never again” thing.
As far as tools go, having a real and high-quality camera has definitely been much better for truly having the artistic outlet (vs. using even very good cell phone based photo tools and add-ons, which he has also tried). I can get specific recs from him if you’d like (he’s outside building a railing on our exterior stairs at the moment), but truly, a mid-range quality camera like Canon makes is a good starting place. Remember, also, that lenses you choose to buy (and you’ll want more than the basic one that comes standard with a DSLR) may well move from one camera to the next with you if you’re careful when you select your upgrade-buy. He’s on his second camera, now that he knows more about what he really likes and that he wanted to keep improving, and I think this one won’t be upgraded for quite a while. You can also resell lenses (and even cameras) that you’ve outgrown, should that happen, and recoup some costs that way.
Our town’s camera shop has a rental program where you can try out different cameras and lenses before purchasing. Maybe see if you have something similar near you.
We have been really happy with a Sony a6000 mirrorless SLR. The camera body is small and the $750 kit came with two lenses (discontinued model – Sony still makes several alpha series cameras and the E series lenses are readily available). The current models can be purchased with kit lenses for a similar price (we purchased the outgoing model at a good discount). I find a telephoto to be required for a lot of pictures (our kit came with a 210mm telephoto zoom) of animals, landscapes, etc. This series of cameras are a great compromise between a full body SLR and a point and shoot. Sony (and others) make a bunch of lenses and accessories that fit them for any application.
To me the decision depends on what you think you will pick up. If you feel like you will bring the camera a good basic SLR like the canon or Nikon is amazing, and I find the 50mm 1.8 to be the most useful extra lens there. But I also find I don’t pick up my camera that often and end up using my phone (Google pixel) almost all of the time. The best camera is the one you will use and taking a few minutes to correct composition before the shot and through a photo editing tool can make a world of difference in what you can do.
I have a Google Pixel cell phone and its camera has a portrait mode that I think does what you’re talking about (I know nothing of photography!). Anyway I love the camera and it takes wonderful photos of our babies (human and fur). If you’re looking for a new phone perhaps you could check it out. I have the Pixel 3 but I know there are newer ones that have since been released. Good luck with your search and happy anniversary in advance 🙂
I took a photography class in college many years ago and used film and had to learn to develop it. While I enjoyed the technical aspect of developing my own pictures I didn’t always enjoy trudging around carrying a lot of equipment. I really appreciate digital cameras nowadays. With my eyes I make sure my cameras have autofocus. One thing I learned from photography class is take lots and lots of shots. I would be thrilled if I got one good photo on a roll of 36 and I could fix a lot in the photo lab. But the concept of taking lots and lots of shots is still a good one. Also when you learn to crop out extraneous stuff when you digitally edit it is amazing how many good shots you get. Good luck on your hunt.
I have a Nikon P900 that I LOVE to death. It may not have interchangeable lenses, but it’s got an absolutely amazing zoom capability (83x!!!), and you can find plenty of filter lenses (from various brands, all that matters is that it’s the right size) that you can screw over the actual lens for various effects. You can use it either as a general point-and shoot (which is what I usually do and have ZERO complaints about the quality), or as you get better and learn more about how you want to do things, you can of course play with aperture and all those settings. It’s technically part of the COOLPIX line of Nikons, but it’s a bit larger than the majority of them (still not a huge DSLR, but it’s also not the sort of thing to put in a pocket).
I’ve got a Sony A5000 with a few different lenses – the camera came as a deal with a standard and a zoom lens and I’ve bought a couple of others since then. If you’re going for something with interchangeable lenses it might be an idea to research the cost of the lenses first and work back to see how much the basic camera is. The best thing I bought, however, was a 3 session intense digital photography course at the local college. Everyone else on the course had either a Canon or a Nikon, which seem to be the standard choices. The course was last year but I’ve really been enjoying being able to get out with a camera during lockdown, it’s helped keep me sane.
You’ll get some great versatility from a Panasonic GH5. You can get a variety of lenses as you need them, or as your skills grow. It uses a format called “micro four thirds” for its lens mount (like Canon has their EF and EF-S lens mount, and Nikon has their whatever flavour). Lensbaby has versions in the micro four thirds format, so you should be able to find something.
Nice part is, the camera is larger like a typical SLR/DSLR, but because its mirrorless, its lighter, which is nice when on a long jaunt.
Lens are reasonable by comparison.
Hi, part-time pro photographer here. I think you’d probably like the Canon M line; I’d suggest either the M5 or M6 version one or two. I shoot the M5 myself, got it secondhand for about 400 euros, and use it as my main portrait and daytime camera. I use a Sony a7s as a backup and for low-light events, like when I need to shoot by candlelight or moonlight.
The cool thing about mirrorless cameras is that they give you fast live view, but can take real interchangable lenses and all sorts of adapters for old manual lenses. I already had a lot of Canon lenses and tried switching to Sony but found the adapters don’t really work well and autofocus is super slow if it works at all. Also, the colors straight from the camera are blander on (at least the older) Sony models and I just didn’t like them as much out of camera. There’s a lightweight full frame Canon called the EOS RP that initially got poor reviews but after firmware upgrades is supposed to be really good too. Full frame is better in low light and there’s a little something with richer color, hard to describe. Canon’s also announcing some new models, theoretically in early July, for its full frame mirrorless lineup and they look *fantastic*.
Anyway, if you like the lensbaby look get a mirrorless camera and whatever adapter you need to put a lensbaby on it. You can also get adapters for old lenses – I’ve got ones for M42 glass and old Minolta lenses. Mirrorless cameras can do “focus peaking” so when you manually focus you get colored dots on the screen where the camera thinks things are sharp – I had a blast this spring at a steampunk convention with a 50 year old lens and a tilt-shift adapter for it. And if you visit family in Moscow, you can get a ton of old Soviet lenses to adapt for that dreamy analogue look too (or just find them on ebay). Good luck!
Oh, one of the things I really like about the M5 is that I’ve got two adapters for it, one for “crop factor” EF-S lenses (usually cheaper) and one that’s a speedbooster/ magnifier for full frame lenses, so I can use both natively even though the M5 is a crop-factor camera. Crop factor means that the mm on your lens is usually 1.6x what the lens says – so on a full frame, 50mm is 50mm, but on a crop-frame it’s roughly 80mm. 50mm is about what your eye sees; 80mm is a bit telephoto and a good portrait length.
My husband is a hobby photographer and has a Cannon 5D full frame and I love every picture it takes. It takes gorgeous pictures. However it’s a beast and it’s expensive. He uses it for his macrophotography setup (bugs mostly), but it’s not our everyday camera. He now shoots with a Fuji X-T2 mirrorless for all of our family pictures and I’ve been really happy with the results. I also shoot my flowers with it and its great. It’s easy to use and lightweight. Both are an investment though.
If you’re not sure you want to invest $$$ in a camera setup or can’t decided between two cameras, I highly recommend renting a camera and lens kit. I had no idea this was a possibility when my husband got into this hobby, but we’ve done it multiple times and it’s awesome. I’ve had good luck with borrowlenses.com and lensrental.com. We rented an underwater camera for a Hawaii trip, multi-thousand dollar lens for a bird photography trip, etc. The Fuji is $63 for a week and a lens for it is about $50.
Also, there’s a strong re-sell market for cameras and lenses. My husband buys and sells lenses yearly as what he wants to photograph changes. He usually gets at least 80% of what he paid for the lens. A nice lens doesn’t go bad. And if the camera body is recent it will sell well. So if you buy and hate what you bought or don’t use it, you should be able to easily sell it.
IPhone. I never have my camera with me when I see something really cute but my phone is always there.
+1 for an advanced point & shoot camera. I have a DSLR & multiple lenses as well as an advanced point & shoot. The point & shoot is more convenient. It will also let you explore many types of photography without breaking the bank. Get one with the largest chip & most megapixels you can afford so you can crop photos and still maintain good resolution. A fast lens ( f/2.0) will give you nice pet photos with a lovely soft background. A tilt display so you can see the display without having to contort yourself to take close-ups of flowers low to the ground. Something like a Canon mark III.
*Canon G7x mark iii
No suggestions, but thank you for posting this, it inspired me to look into photography and cameras. I’ve thought about it in the past, but would love to actually try it. I will definitely be reading all the comments for there recommendations and will get a new beginner camera!
Pick a manufacturer (I prefer Canon, but Nikon is good too) and get a USED DSLR body. One good Wide Angle lens and play.
I still love my Canon 20D (which is ANCIENT now). More recent DSLR and a decent lens will give you amazing photos without even trying.
Heck, even $200 Point & Shoot cameras give you CRAZY good pictures nowadays – so you could try that route first. They’re awesome to just keep with you in case of emergency cuteness that must be captured – but you want something more versatile than what is on your phone (not that today’s phone cameras aren’t 100X better than digital cameras 10 years ago)….
I tend to recommend the phone or a simple point and shoot for beginners – in your case anything with a macro setting would work. If you want to get fancier, one of the Canon Rebels are good entry-level DSLR cameras with good auto settings. And definitely take a class – there are online ones from companies such as CreativeLive.
And later if you want to branch out, Canon and Nikons are also usually easier to find used lenses for than say, Olympus. That was my mistake with my first camera… I bought an Olympus that was great, but it was hard to find discounted used lenses for it.
if you want a good bokeh, get a lens that can have a large aperture. (which means look for one with a small number- the smaller the opening the bigger the number gets.) the newer cellphones have good lenses, but nothing beats a real camera with with a real lens. that being said, they are heavy. you need a steady hand or a good grip and brace pose.
i am partial to zeiss lenses many of the high end sony cameras have them on them without breaking the bank. i have an old sony rx10 i bought years ago for $650 that is still going strong through 3 cellphones. (and i change my phones every 3-4 years.)
i think the rx 100 is a good choice and the rx 1 is affordable used. never been a canon fan.
good luck!
It depends on how much you want to learn about photography. With that said I Have a photography degree also own a Canon 7D Mark 2 with interchangeable lens’. I use that camera when I take portraits, sports photos or want to photoshop something. I have different lenses and each have different capabilities. When I first bought it, I was going to school for photography. I would take it everywhere with the different lenses. They are heavy, bulky and I would recommended learning how to shoot in manual, what kind of lens you want for landscape or portraits and such. If you don’t want to go that much but still have a decent camera, I like the canon sx530. It’s light and small you can shoot in manual or use the scenes. On the other side of that, I have a new iPhone 11 pro max and I love the camera on it. My husband and I traveled in Europe in December and I used that for the majority of my pictures and my husband used his google note10+ and our photos turned out excellent. I don’t know if this helps or not but I hope it does. Enjoy camera shopping !
if you want a good bokeh, get a lens that can have a large aperture. (which means look for one with a small number- the smaller the opening the bigger the number gets.) the newer cellphones have good lenses, but nothing beats a real camera with with a real lens. that being said, they are heavy. you need a steady hand or a good grip and brace pose. the smaller the camera, the smaller the lens and the less bokeh effect you will get but your pictures will be steady.
i am partial to zeiss lenses many of the high end sony cameras have them on them without breaking the bank. i have an old sony rx10 i bought years ago for $650 that is still going strong through 3 cellphones. (and i change my phones every 3-4 years.) it is good because the lens is super high quality, does everything, but is not interchangeable. that means it is lighter.
i think the rx 100 is a good choice and the rx 1 is affordable used. never been a canon or nikon fan.
good luck!
Nikon d3400(or whatever its equivalent is these days) and the canon equivalent are good starter dslrs. I got mine about three-four years back. I could probably up my game with better lenses but for casual photography the kit lenses aren’t terrible. Just don’t have the stabilization the same lenses have when brought seperately. That and it comes in red which is pretty
Apparently, the Sony a6000 is still available and would be an inexpensive entry point. Can’t go wrong for $650 with two lenses (definitely get both lenses). I have also included a recent review.
https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/reviews/sony-a6000-review
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Mirrorless-Digital-16-50mm-55-210mm/dp/B00NO1T55I
Buy an older DSLR with an older 50mm lens that has good light adjustments.
The 50mm will teach you and let let you make blurry fotos if you want to.
It is no witch work (german expression, probably doesn’t translate good into English ????)
And congrats to your new homepage ????
Ilona, I became a professional photographer a few years ago — and I know the effect (blur) you’re taking about… you don’t have to have a fancy lens for that since you already have some photoshop skills. (I can point you to some *phenomenal* short, free, tutorials on any subject in PS. I know three teachers who absolutely rock.)
Regarding cameras, you always want to buy something with the best light sensor you can find.
If you have a choice between a camera with a higher mega-pixel vs. one with a better light sensor, go with the better light sensor. You will save yourself a lot of bad shots.
Higher megapixels are good, but I’m still using my Canon Mark III, (I think they’re up to Mark IV now), and it’s excellent.
You ALWAYS want to buy a good lens; you probably know a lot of this already, but the kit lenses are kinda awful. Invest in a good lens.
My go-to favorite lens is the 24-70mm. My 50mm is my second favorite and I can get pretty close-up.
On the mirror-less vs. mirror cameras — the mirrorless is taking over the market for good reason — less weight. I have a Sony r7 and it takes excellent shots. I need a better lens-if I had more lenses, it would be my go-to camera.
IMPORTANT SUGGESTION: you can rent a camera and lens to try it out from a couple of national places. I tried out a couple of zoom lenses before making a decision and it was well worth it; I would have overspent without getting enough for it for the lens I was originally thinking of.
Also, you can buy from them (they refurbish and give warranties). Might be worth it for a starter camera.
I am putting up my website so you can see the photos I do.
Please feel free to email me any time to talk camera.
Well, after all that, I forgot the website: http://www.tonimcgeecausey.com
Your pictures are amazing. 🙂
So the kind of blur I saw produced with lensbaby would be difficult to produce in Photoshop. It’s a multidirectional blur with subject distortion. When she takes a picture of a flower, it stretches the petals in the background. I could probably do it by processing it for a couple of hours, but that would take the joy out of it.
Thank you so much for the camera suggestions.
🙂 Thank you! And yes, that wouldn’t be as much fun in PS.
Hi
I am an enthusiastic amateur and use a camera I bought years ago. I use a cannon eons d350 with the standard 18-135 lens also got a 70-300 I think which I got as it was on offer when I bought the camera. I only use this one for long distance cos it is heavy. I find the general lens sufficient.
Most DSLR have an auto setting (point and shoot) a manual setting (do everything yourself) But the also have in between settings including a close up setting for flowers etc. These give you the option for making some changes without going full on.
You can get a good second hand dslr body on eBay or somewhere Nikon and Canon are the top brands, for a fraction of the price which would allow you to experiment until you knew whether or not is was for you. I would start with two basic lens one standard and one wide angle then just enjoy.
If you’re willing to spend the money, you’ll get the best macro images with a good SLR camera with a fixed focal length (not zoom) macro lens with the widest aperture you can afford. You’ll also need a good tripod.
Fixed focal length lenses give crisper images than zooms in almost all cases. A wide-open aperture lets you take pictures at higher shutter speeds (crisper pictures, can capture movement of flying bugs/etc.) and reduces your depth of field to minimize distractions from the background.
Adorama or BH Photo and Video are my go-to sources for new or used equipment. You can get a hobbyist level SLR macro setup (say, a Canon Rebel SL3 body and 50 mm f/1.8 macro lens) for about $600. A good tripod (preferably a ball head with a quick release) will add another $80 to $120. FWIW, I’d suggest buying the DSLR body only, then picking the lenses you want on the side; the kit lenses usually aren’t the best quality.
I don’t know a thing about photography, but manias… My husband is all about his manias. Some, like woodworking, last for years (20+). Others, like collecting and playing various instruments (flute to tenor saxophone) only lasted a few years, and then he sold all the accoutrements and moved on the the next one. So, if you find you don’t enjoy photography as much as hoped, sell the camera and stuff and move on to the next project. ????????♀️????
I’m not a great photographer, but I do shots for my business, closeups of jewelry.
If you’re not sure you’re going to really get into photography, an expensive hobby, I would suggest trying a point and shoot first, much better than a cell-phone camera. (I’m a Nikon fan, having used Canon and Olympus before.)
Then, I would get a good photo editing software package to “correct” your photos.
Try the middle ground first, then move up as your needs become more defined.
DSLR’s are all well and good if you take the time and classes to learn them, but then you need all those lenses. My dad bought one when we went on safari, and took 5 years of classes. He’s really good with them, but just got a Coolpix for his retirement and he’s positively giddy – it’s way more automatic and user friendly and intuitive, and his insta is being flooded with close up bug shots that are stunning. I would go with a coolpix…
There are places you can rent camera’s to see what kind you like if you’re going to make a investment in it.
I got a Nikon D90 about 10 years ago, and I love it and still use it. I would say spend the money on a good camera with changeable lenses. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars unless you’re trying to make a career of it, but if you’re interested in learning more about photography, a decent DSLR is worth it. Cell phone cameras are nice, and a good camera doesn’t make a good photographer, but a good camera does make it easier to take good photos.
It’s nice to be able to learn about and play with the settings on a good camera, and there are some things that are just easier to do with an actual camera. If you mostly want to be able to take good, quick snapshots, then get a phone with a good camera. But if you’re wanting to get into more artistic photography, or print out photos at a larger size, an actual camera is going to serve you well. (And most phone cameras are good enough for quick snapshots now anyway, without the extra money on one that has a super fancy camera.)
You can spend a lot of money on lenses, but if you start with a basic lens, you can figure out from there what other lenses you might want based off of the quality of photos you got with the basic one.
My son likes Cannon but lenses and classes can get expensive both in time and money.
I have Nikon 3500 bought at Costco 499$ very user friendly as in it tells you on the camera how to take a specific type of shot.love it. Also have iPhone 11 Pro. Takes insanely amazing shots. I am not photo or tech savvy .I would upload sample shots but don’t know how on blog.
I wouldn’t say you are a lousy shot. I love the cat picture. If you like taking pictures of bugs, you should look into macro photography. It can be really beautiful.
Go for a camera. If you make prints, a camera is set to the correct matrix and the pixel saturation so all the cool photo software that is out there will give you amazing results. A phone camera is easier for lugging around but if you truly want to play with depth of field and lighting a camera is the way to go. Sad part is developing from film is becoming a lost art and I loved the darkroom part of the process. It’s all about light andshadows
I love hobbies, I would suggest using a phone camera until it will not do several things that you want to do. Become familiar with it’s shortcomings. Then google a camera that will do those things. This is not about money saving, today’s phone cameras are just that good, and the attachments, extensions, and filters you can get for a phone are infinite. If nothing else after a short time you will know what direction you want to go with a cameras. Many pro creative camera people are using phone cameras (google it ‘Pros and cameras’), not because they are a challenge, because they are handy, mobile and versatile.
I forgot to mention, my credentials. Back in the stone age, late 60s, early 70s, I had a Cannon, a Nikon. And, my own very complete dark room. Loved photography but like many other the 70s were way to distracting for hobbies.
You need to narrow it down a bit. Do you want something small and compact but good quality with some flexibility on settings? Sony and Cannon are excellent point and shoot with great panoramic, landscape and closeup (flower) modes.
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-DSCHX80-Point-Shoot-Camera/dp/B01CQEN2U2/ref=sxin_7_ac_d_pm?ac_md=6-0-VW5kZXIgJDQwMA%3D%3D-ac_d_pm&crid=QUYP2QO4KQIW&cv_ct_cx=sony%2Bcamera&dchild=1&keywords=sony%2Bcamera&pd_rd_i=B01CQEN2U2&pd_rd_r=514cb478-e284-40f4-9e46-adbe767e0257&pd_rd_w=Kkk1r&pd_rd_wg=UspiN&pf_rd_p=4ad7736a-c9f7-4bcd-8a16-bd943c26821c&pf_rd_r=67G851E2NDGKDRXAA43G&qid=1592082515&sprefix=Sony%2Caps%2C191&sr=1-1-22d05c05-1231-4126-b7c4-3e7a9c0027d0&th=1
If you want the next step I love my LUMIX Dlsr camera. My model is a few years old but something like this and gives you the option of changing lenses
https://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Mirrorless-Digital-14-42mm-45-150mm/dp/B07887SCFK/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=LUMIX&qid=1592082029&s=photo&sr=1-6
The next step you would be getting into high quality, very expensive body and lenses and would suggest you are sure you enjoy it before investing too much
Phones are great for sharing but if you want to print and frame nothing beats an actual camera
Have fun!
I’m a lazy photographer, have used a Panasonic Lumix point- and- shoot Z series for years, upgrading every 5-or-so years. Very nice photos with minimal fuss. Lots of zoom. (Seriously near-sighted, and have missed too many shots trying to focus my old 35mm.)
Probably less than you’re looking for, but lots of fun for a reasonable price.
Food for thought. Are you planning to go on photo shoot walks or expeditions? Many moons ago, I purchased an expensive camera which I still have today. It takes beautiful photographs..but it is heavy and considered valuable so I do not schlep it with me everywhere. I have missed many amazing pictures due to this limitation or perceived limitation. I later purchased a small digital camera which also took gorgeous pictures (not as good as the pro camera but very good in general)…it was inexpensive and I took it everywhere and got some amazing shots. It eventually died due to the abuse of being carried in my bag…. and due to budgetary limitations I never replaced it. I hope to one day. I suggest you investigate the tool that is so interesting to you and find out if there are inexpensive, portable options that would work for you. You may get more enjoyment out of the process if it is more or less worry free. Also, the photography class is a great idea. There are also some amazing adobe filters which will allow you to change a photo to appear as a painting. Editing and filters are an art themselves…at least I think so … Good luck and I hope you really enjoy yourself!
I’m not all that great with cameras either but have a digital Nikon Cool Pix S5 which I’ve had for years. What I like about it, it’s small – fits in my pocket – takes great photos, I can check the photo right away to see if it’s right, if not delete it, then later I download to my computer and send or print. I’ve known people with these big, bulky expensive cameras but I myself don’t want to be dragging one around and like my computer, I’m just not that tech savvy so this small one works for me.
I heard an interview with Julian Lennon recently who said some of the best pictures he’s taken have been with his camera phone because he had it right then and there to capture a moment. But that the quality wasn’t just there yet compared to a good camera (he’s a professional photographer). So perhaps starting with an upgraded phone and lenses and take it from there might be the way to go especially if you want to play with artistic software. Then buy a good SLR if you find you enjoy it. You’ll still always have the phone with you when a surprise opportunity presents itself.
My sister’s a pro photog and recommends Nikon cameras and lenses, but… You might want to try renting a camera to try it out before you buy—we do it all the time. Rates are usually reasonable and it’s a good way to make sure you’re getting what you want before you spend the big bucks.
I used to have a simple camera and always used it on manual. Them got a DSLR that came with a 125 pg manual. I hardly use it because it is just too much. I have to look at the manual to remember how to delete photos. Oy. I do like the lenses. Someone suggested holding various cameras- that can make a lot of difference in choices. Interfacing and weight makes a lot of difference. I know that Nikons used to be a preferred camera for press photographers because you could hit someone in the head and odds were good it would still work. Helpful when things get ugly.
I like doing candid shots, so I like a lens I can use from further away, but I also like closeups and macros. The lens that came with the camera is sorta useless for me.
Try to play with a couple cameras and lenses, and spend a little more if you have to to get the setup that you are happiest with. The wrong gear will just piss you off and leave you frustrated. Like me trying to make dinner with a dull knife. I am old and miss developing my photos. Too much of a Luddite to figure out all the new digital stuff. For you it should be a piece of cake. Enjoy. Happy Anniversary!
Amateur photographer. I like taking pictures of birds, landscapes and occasional portraits for friends.
I use a Canon 5D Mark IV as my primary camera paired with my 24-105mm F4 lens. It’s the best combo for my purposes. I usually bring back up lenses 35mm and 85mm for landscapes and good portrait photography. The problem with this combo is the weight.
As a backup camera, I have a Canon RP which is a mirror less. I also have a 24-105mm R lens which has proven to have even crisper photos than my original combo. The problem with this combo is the reaction time.
Sony mirrorless is also a recommendable option. Of all the mirrorless, Sony’s Alpha series is mature and has many lenses. It’s a great balance of weight and photo quality.
Nikon tend to be preferred by professionals. It’s a consensus that Nikon pictures produces more vivid photos. Canon is more user friendly.
Go to Best Buy, and pickup each of the cameras and try them out, pick them up and try the weight. If the camera you choose end up being too heavy and bulky, you will end up just leaving it at home. Defeating the purpose of getting a good camera.
Choose the brand carefully. Make sure the lenses can be used across the models. The lenses for the cameras is a huge investment. The body is important, but it needs to be upgraded and updated as time goes by, but the lenses, if cared for carefully, will last you a lifetime.
Canon EOS 80D recommended by a friend who does close ups of birds and scenery. She went with telephoto and wide angle lenses.
One thing we learned in planning our trip to Alaska several years ago is that there are camera shops that will tent camera bodies and lens. San Marcos May not be big enough for a camera shop that rents but, I would bet that San Antonio or Houston, maybe Austin, does.
Hmmm. The new iPhones do an excellent job with photos, plus you can read your email.. But for sheer flexibility, a digital camera with interchangeable lenses cannot be beat.. be aware, that like TV’s and computers, whatever DSLR you get will be obsolete in a year.. but still quite usable. I take pictures for social media with my iPhone and iPad.. for other stuff a Pentax DSLR…
There are a few great places out there that rent photography equipment (lensrental.com,etc) if you want to use something for a week and get a feel for it before committing. I’m a Nikon girl myself, but I started 20 years ago with an Olympus 35mm film camera, and nothing compares to holding the camera in your hands and using it.
Shoot, I really wish I had some sage advice for you, because I swear on this topic, we are sisters in desire. I’ve always wanted to be MORE creative, clever, artistic, MORE. So, as for the camera, go on the internet, ask one of your girls to ride with you for 2nd opinions, and see what pops up. I think, showing what you’ve already shot, Fabulous picture of Tuna, and Texas, you Have IT< and I would tell you to pursue your heart. Love your books, warm hugs in thanks.
Have you considered renting various cameras to try and then buying the one you like best?
I agree a mirrorless digital camera with a few lenses would be ideal in that they are much less bulk and weight and take fantastic images. But I found for 99% of the time I just use the camera I always have with me, the latest version of the iPhone.
I would just upgrade your mobile phone to the latest Apple, Google, or Samsung one. And it is fun to get one of those clip-on lens systems (like Olloclip) or go fancy with the Moment phone case lens system.
I prefer the immediate reward of cropping adjusting and posting with a mobile phone. Plus you can use a ton of apps to modify your image to taste. And no gear to fumble with (well a little fumbling if you go with the lens attachments you might need to dig into your backpack or purse for the small pouch of clip on lenses).
(long time reader first time poster)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtXs2Ivl_bD/?igshid=unbrgku97xdb
+1 the iPhone !2s are going to be amazing for blurring, macro, zoom. stabilization,
you name it.
I am a hobbist and on my second DSLR. As others have said, take your time choosing your main body, because you’ll be stuck with it. 🙂
I am a Canon person, but I have friends who are Nikon people. It’s really a matter of personal preference IMO (kinda like Mac or PC; one will probably feel more natural for you.)
Regardless of what kind of camera you get, take the time to learn how to use it–and I say that as someone who still uses only a tiny portion of my camera’s settings. Also learn how to take good pictures, because that will carry across whether you are using a DSLR or a cell phone. (Number one rule: stabilize the camera.)
You should also consider weight. (Immediately get rid of the camera strap that comes with your camera and get a wider and more padded strap.) I carry my camera with me when I hike, so when I upgraded it added more weight to my backpack. It was worth it to me, but it’s something to keep in mind. A camera around your neck can get heavy quickly. Carrying it in a backpack or bag means you have to stop to get it out when you want to take a picture.
And as others have mentioned, the lenses are going to often be more important than the body. Send the money on good glass. And get a tripod (or at least a monopod). That stability is going to make a huge difference in your pictures.
I have a fujifilm because the quality of their cameras is very good even in the medium price ranges. And they have many different types of lenses. But lenses are very expensive by the unit so I advise you to take a box with a camera and 2-3 lenses from the start, which will come back cheaper in the end.
Mine is a Fujifilm XT-100.
As you can see from the different, excellent, 100% spot on, conflicting advice, you do not need a camera, you need a Sensei to guide you in that choice, and further growth.
Hahaha!
I went to a camera store (yes in person) and they let me try a camera for a couple of days (I was buying a good, but used camera) they did this 3 times before I bought one…..I did not damage any, and they were already used…..you might look into this
I have a few really good cameras but end up using my iPhone most of the time. I found a few YouTube videos that have really helped me take really good photos with my iPhone and have helped me sharpen or soften my photos after I take them. I always have my phone on me for a quick photo.
Check out the Fuji mirrorless system. I’m an amateur photographer and was a die hard Nikon user for years. I switched to the Fuji mirrorless system 3 years ago and haven’t looked back. The cameras are lighter and smaller so more likely I’ll carry them around. The lenses are great and I love the Fuji Colors straight out of camera photos.
Check out Keh.com for vetted used camera options. I’ve found some great deals on camera bodies and lenses.
And finally I would highly recommend taking an intro online photo course with Click Photo School. http://Www.clickphotoschool.com The courses are typically 4 weeks long with an instructor that helps guide your learning. Lots of videos and material. It’s the fastest way to really learn how to use a DSLR.
Have fun on your photography journey.
Thank you!
When I bought my good camera, I found there was only one I could use. The issue was my glasses. With one camera I could see through the lens with the glasses on. With the others, my glasses wrecked the clarity. You really need to try before you buy.
Unless you really enjoy learning new technology, and use it frequently enough to retain what you have learned, a fancy camera is going to leave you more frustrated than fulfilled.
My husband is a technophile, but my observation is that as the expense and complexity of our gear has gone up, the relative number of good photos has gone down. Too much fussing, setting, checking, instead of clicking, and the subject has left, turned away, the moment is lost. I use the gear infrequently, so can’t remember how to use it properly, which is frustrating and makes me less likely to use it.
I love my phone camera. It takes awesome picture, it’s always with me, and I don’t have to carry a separate piece of gear, there are external telescope, macro lens, and microscope accessories available, and I am much less likely to get frustrated with it.
My advice is to rent the equipment before buying. As with anything, I’ve found a great site and several so-so sites to do that. I’ve been an amateur photographer for 30+ years. The best investments I have made were After trying a lense or a camera body. I am a Nikon fan but Cannon is great too.
depending on how big a camera you want to deal with, you might consider the micro four thirds system (panasonic/olympus). the 180 mm lens you mentioned is a 90 mm lens in that system and correspondingly tiny.
there’s a fairly large variety of camera bodies (all the way from tiny to full blown professional grade)
the micro four thirds 45mm lens baby is mere 200$ and super tiny.
Given how much of an investment a camera is, I suggest renting a couple options through lens rentals or borrow lenses. You can test whether you want a dslr or mirrorless and what lenses make sense. I usually rent a camera and lens when I (used to) go on vacation since that’s when I need a camera and I didn’t want to upgrade every couple years.
If you are considering any DLSR camera, I’d recommend renting one first. They are relatively inexpensive to rent and it will give you the reality of carrying one around. I’ve had one, but it wasn’t worth the bother of toting it and I always have my phone.
I used to have a Fuji point and shoot. 18 time optical zoom. I’ve got a panorama shot of one arm of the Fraser River where a bridge is about 4 miles away. You can see the shape of cars on the bridge. Also did great macro shots. You can always go to a loacal camera shop and tell them what you want to use it for. If it is a good shop they won’t just sell you the most expensive gear. The main cameras I have now are all Canons including my XF300 which does broadcast rated video before it became 4 k Read up about the camera you think you want. Lots of reviews and tutorials online
Do you want the camera or the experience?
A higher end iphone has a very good camera, but not as good as a decent dslr or mirrorless. That said, it is a very good camera. You’ll be trading weight & convenience for quality & the ability to do more kinds of art shots. (You will also be locking yourself into always needing a high end phone when doing upgrades, but eh, whatever.)
What a lot of us crave, when we talk about cameras, is the experience of being the photographer. Of being the artist. The tactile weight of the camera, fiddling with settings, choosing a lens, framing the photo just right all add to the experience of taking the shot. The processing side is fun for me, but it lacks the tactile element.
On a practical level, if you go the camera route, you will need to decide between DSLR & mirrorless, how important is video to you, and what lens(es) you need. I’d hit up a camera shop to see how they feel in your hands, and I’d do it now, because of Father’s Day sales. (I like mirrorless better, because small hands, but if I did more moving target photography I would want a dslr.)
In the end though, do you want the convenience of a good camera that is always with you, or do you want the experience of shooting?
That’s great! I love photography. That will be fun to get a new camera! You have received a lot of good advice. Nikon and Canon have the best DSLRs and lens selection. You can’t go wrong with one of those. Check the reviews on dpreview.com. I have found their info helpful.
I have a Nikon D5300 that I have had for years and it is still great. It is good to have a mix of lenses. I love my Nikkor 18 – 140 mm and find I use that most often. It gives a good bokeh for portraits, and has a wide enough zoom range I can capture most shots.
Thank you for asking this question. Some day, I want a camer to do these types of pictures, too, and a trail? camera to watch what comes to the feral cat’s bowl.
I’d personally recommend an iPhone Pro because it has three lenses and can take an external additional lens. Plus use Camera+ 2 to take pictures with nearly full manual control. This has the advantage of always being in hand, and easy to sync to your computer. There are other phones also brilliant at taking pictures, too.
I have a Canon 60D. I love it. However I find I use my iPhone more than my Canon. I have an XS iPhone. The portrait mode is great. The close up of flowers is great. Landscapes look great. Plus it weighs way less than the actual camera. The 60D camera will provide me with higher resolution pictures for when I want that. I started with a Canon Rebel. I took some closeups of flowers with a macro lens attachment with the rebel. It did a great job. Start small dslr and work your way up. Or just get a new iPhone.
So to indorse what several others have said And add some new.
1) If you don’t carry it, it isn’t worth buying. Get the smallest camera body/lens that will do what you want. It may be your phone. My current favorite is the PEN-F by Olympus . It does all the things the bigger Cannons and Nikons do, just smaller and lighter. It is easy to drop into a purse.
2) Pay for the Image Stabilization. It will save many many shots.
3) Adorama And B&H Photo are both highly reputable and have good to great prices. Check them before you buy.
4) Get both a full auto and the ability to focus manually (this will add more $$ to the body). As you learn your camera you will want the manual ability to focus on the flower you want, and not the one the sensors want.
5). I do a lot of macro photography, but I seldom bother with a macro lens. When you can shoot a 20 megapixel photo you can just edit it to where you want it most of the time.
6). Buy some new terabyte storage, you will need it!
Hobby photographer here, not that serious about it. I just enjoy taking pictures and have decent results.
Way back when I had a SLR and didn’t really like schlepping the lenses around. I ended up having a most-purpose zoom on there and taking just that.
When digital cameras came around I went with point and shoot with increasing more zoom capability. They all have a macro setting that worked good enough.
I became a bit frustrated with the autofocus at times.
I had a chance to test Sony cameras last fall and that was awesome.
Sony has a leading autofocus system and the dirty little secret is that it’s the same software for the tiny camera to the big monster with the changeable lenses.
I found the big one way too heavy to hold for a long time. I splurged and bought the RX10 IV for most times and the RX100 VII for city sightseeing where I want to blend in and not broadcast tourist. It has tiny controls that take time to get used to.
I have since used the RX10 IV quite a bit. The zoom is great and when I take pictures of (wild) animals I have much better success with eyes and heads being in focus.
It has a macro setting, but it takes a bit of fiddling to get there initially. You can configure it for easy access.
There are a bazillion settings and I bought an ebook and found it very helpful to find my way.
Bottom line: try them out if you can and it doesn’t have to be a heavy DSLR.
HTH
I’m lousy but I have a friend online at glogirly.com who is fabulous and I believe as written about her cameras before. In fact: https://www.glogirly.com/p/photography-draft.html?m=1
I have a Nikon 4400. My son has a Nikon 3600 (3800?). My husband has a Nikon 5600.
All are 24 mega pixel cameras. The only difference is in the bells and whistles (and the photographer). My son’s camera takes excellent photos. My camera takes excellent photos and has Bluetooth so it syncs with my phone and uploads the photos to the internet. My husband’s takes excellent photos as long as he uses auto focus (or someone else focuses it) and his auto focus is better than the one on my camera.
If you want excellent photos of flowers, get a macro lens and a fast camera. Take some Photoshop classes. Good DSLR cameras cost about $400-$500 refurbished.
There are several companies that rent cameras and lens. I’ve always rented before purchasing. B&H Photos, Adorama. I’d suggest you check those out.
I’m a huge fan of Canon for digital. When I upgrade my current dSLR (which needs an upgrade; it has developed some sensor issues), I don’t plan to branch to a different brand. I also still shoot a 60-year-old Nikon film camera, and my dad uses a Nikon dSLR (this was not well planned; we can’t share lenses).
Canon has a lens affectionately known as a “nifty fifty” which is a really reasonably priced, sharp lens. Mine has gone missing, but is usually the lens that lives on my camera, and I recommend it for a primary lens. My recommendation is to start with a kit lens and a 50mm prime, and if you liked the lensbaby effect, get a lensbaby… and then use those for a while and see where you want to do more and what you like best. Do you always use your zoom lens (most kit lenses are zooms) zoomed all the way in? Then you probably want to invest in a good telephoto lens. Do you always use it zoomed all the way out? Invest in wide angle. Do you love the 50mm prime and use it constantly? Maybe zooms aren’t for you. Never use the 50mm because you’re always adjusting the zoom? Zooms are probably your thing. Personally I advocate for good primes; I’m not going to go into the dissertation of why I prefer prime over zoom but there are trade-offs between the two.
If you have a way to try out lenses at other focal lengths, try that too, because with my 35-70mm kit lens I NEVER zoom all the way out, but after trying a super-wide-angle lens, I knew I had to get one. I have a 16mm that lives in my travel bag and I’m almost never without it, and I ended up picking up a 24mm as well because while it’s not quite as wide angle, it is also one of Canon’s “pancake” lenses, which in a practical sense means I can fit it in my pocket while hiking with my dog.
And finally: don’t discount old glass. My sharpest lens is the 50mm prime from my grandpa’s Nikkormat, so I bought an adaptor and I use it on my Canon. It’s manual so only good for stationary subjects (it’s really difficult to manually focus with my dSLR; one of the reasons I need an upgrade) but still an absolute favorite.
I always loved photography and went back to school to learn how to be a better photographer at age 50! I own a Nikon D3500 and D90 which I love and use a 35mm 1.8 lens macro lens for flower shots.
However, I still remember my professor telling me that the cost of the camera doesn’t create great shots, the photographer who knows the rules of photography – light, composition, rule of thirds, does.
I use Adobe Elements to combine “painting” with a tablet and my flower photographs. Here’s a link of one photo/drawing I did. The flower was one photo that I manipulated many ways to get the final art work I wanted.
It was fun and looks great on my wall!
No link. 🙁
If you click on Raffy’s name you can see the image. 😉
I am a rare breed and shoot Pentax.
Most cameras these days are good. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, Pentax, Olympus, Panasonic, Leica etc.
When buying, consider the cost of lenses too. If you like blurry background ( larger sensors achieve it easier but are more expensive for lenses and camera).
Consider price of good 85mm or 100mm macro lens with aperture 2.8 or smaller number. It isn’t necessary but I think it would help you get the pictures you want most. ( Consider used cameras I believe KEH, Adorama, B&H all offer warranty.)
Most cameras 24mp or higher will help you achieve what you want.
Hope this helps. My two favourite lenses for my camera are 90mm 2.8. and 50mm 1.8. Here’s my Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/ambh15/
I just do it for the enjoyment.
Pentax rocks! I have two Super Programs I bought years ago when cameras used film, and I loved it. I’ve been looking for a good K1000 (?) that’s not insanely expensive, but they’re such good cameras people still use them today. I haven’t tried the Pentax DSLR yet, but I’m hoping to get one eventually. My darling hubby didn’t realize I could use my old lenses with a new Pentax, and bought me sCanon instead. It’s entry level but competent.
Check out the James Lavish channel/videos on YouTube. That’s Vicki Petterson’s husband and he’s a professional photographer. Very good information and easy to understand.
Lots of good hardware advice, so I’ll skip that part. But if you want to do close-up photography with a DSLR, you need to know how to use the DSLR. Classes are a very good idea, but there are also books with the basics. Here’s a very quick short course:
Aperture and shutter speed are crucial. Aperture (f-number) is the size of the opening for light coming in. Smaller aperture (larger f-number) means a longer shutter speed. There’s no escape from this trade-off.
Smaller aperture means greater depth-of-field. (Range that’s in-focus in front of, and behind, the focal point. For close-up, you want the smallest aperture you can get away with, but then you need to think about shutter speed, especially for hand-held photography.
Flowers don’t move very fast, nor do sleeping cats or landscapes. You can get away with the slowest shutter speed you can hand-hold without camera shake. A rough rule of thumb is that the shutter speed (always shown with the fraction denominator, 1/60 shows as “60”) should be no slower than the focal length of the lens. So for a 50 mm lens, that’s a shutter speed of 50. (Note that many amateur DSLRs have a smaller sensor, so you usually multiply the focal length by 1.5. For my Nikon D7100, I can hand-hold my 40 mm macro lens at roughly 1/60 shutter speed. For a 200 mm telephoto, about 1/300 shutter speed.)
If you have a steady hand, you can hand-hold at lower shutter speeds; you’ll learn through experience. And take more than one shot if you’re not sure how steady you are; unlike film, digital photos are free. Techniques for very slow shutter speed are the same as for shooting a gun. Tripod, monopod, or bracing your arms on something all help. Take a deep breath, let it part-way out, and hold, then squeeze the shutter release slowly.
Full exposure automation is not good for close-up work. Most DSLRs give you a choice between full automation (camera chooses both aperture and shutter speed), or partial automation. For close-up work, you want aperture automation, so you pick the aperture and the camera picks the shutter speed. (Shutter speed and aperture will display in the viewfinder.)
Above all, have fun.
So much good info above! My first camera was a Cannon point n shoot. My second was a Sony a-55 so I could learn manual settings and try more creative modes including different lens effects. And my current is a Sony a7R2. Camera gear can quickly go expensive, so in our photo communities we suggest the following:
1) Consider renting or holding the equipment before buying. Where you put your fingers and the menu logic makes or breaks a choice for some people. Sometimes camera stores will have events (at the local zoo or botanic gardens) where you can try equipment for free that day. Mike’s Camera in Denver does this and it’s a great opportunity to play with gear.
2) Are you going to carry that camera and gear around? in the city? on a trip? Then you don’t want the gear pack to be 15-30 lbs, that’s hard on shoulders and pricey to fly with. There are many more options for mirrorless or light weight camera systems now. When thinking about the long term gear collection, this is important. But for everyday use, the camera body plus one good lens from 30-100, 20-70 for example would give a good range for walking around, landscapes, work in the house, close up of flowers. Prime lenses are another good option with excellent sharpness and a fixed focal point. I really enjoy the “nifty 50 mm” lens. It’s lightweight, not expensive and fun to play with. The Lens-baby is also lightweight, non-expensive and easy to play with.
3) Consider a mentoring group or photography class where you can learn your camera and about Manual settings (particularly helpful if moving from a non-manual or camera phone). When I started with manual, I looked for a local small group photography class just so I got a good basic start (aperature, shutter speed, focal lengths, etc). Then I had the great good fortune to meet photographers on Google+ and participate in mentoring workshops and group scavenger hunts. Now we’ve moved on to FB and other social media venues, but I do have resources for photography mentorships if you are interested.
4) Photo editing: I believe you have photoshop already since you create excellent photoart covers for your books and blog. The discussion on photo editing (or over editing) can fall into distinct sides but clearly there are opportunities to create/translate photos in many ways. I learn Photoshop techniques for compositing and blending through free Youtube videos. So much great free stuff out there. Photo storage is another issue especially if you have a camera system and potentially large RAW file data.
Finally, what camera you get now doesn’t (and probably won’t) be your last camera, and perfection is not needed first time around. When asked “How many cameras should you own?”….the answer is “N plus 1”. hahaha
As I used each of my cameras, I learned what I can do with it and where the limitations are. Then I decide if I need a new camera/lens/gear to overcome that limitation to create. Still learning the Sony a7R2, so no new stuff for a bit.
I hope you find something that helps keep your creative mind happy. For me, photography and creating photo art is a wonderful balance to my real life work. I’m looking forward to hearing what you come up with!
Oh, and another thing.
Q: “What’s the best camera to have?”
A: “The one you have on you…with a full charge and adequate storage.” heh
Can’t tell you how many times I was glad to have my cell phone after forgetting (ahem) some important camera features.
That spare charged battery in the bag/backpack. We learnt the importance of that one. Also carrying a charge thingy when working indoors, so that the drained battery can recharge in a nearby electric outlet while using the spare.
Hope I’m not repeating something already in the comments, but some of the more high-service camera shops rent camera bodies and lenses. You might be able to rent something for a few days and try it out.
I have read through these comments with some fascination because I am thinking of switching my camera systems. I’ve used a Canon for years and graduated from amateur to professional. However I am now unable to handle the bigger heavier cameras like the professional Canons. So I’m starting to look into some of the smaller mirrorless cameras. I also have a Canon 70D that has been my carry around for everything for a while and it is an awesome camera for just that. I got a fantastic travel lens, because, you know, travel.
But for the artistic photos I now take to blow up nice art sized, I’d like a full frame with a bigger sensor. (which I’m pretty sure people have talked about in other comments) They aren’t necessary for everyone. My 70D takes the most fantastic landscapes when I’m traveling, often under some very strange lighting situations.
I tested out so many cameras, particularly their ease in the controls – because I hate reading directions. The results;
Sony controls tend to be less intuitive, but filled with tourists everywhere. If there’s a foreign tourist in New York taking a picture of his family in front of a strange person dressed as a Statue of Liberty, he’s probably shooting with the Sony. They are quite small. The new mirrorless systems feel like Point and shoots even in my small hands. At one point I worked for a major research Hospital as a cultural attaché and we did a lot of tours with Japanese and Chinese business people. This was the first time I had ever seen shoulder holsters for cameras. Kind of like weighted straps flung over each shoulder with a camera in a pocket on each side. Very cool. Everyone had Sony. To emphasize, not that intuitive to learn.
Fujitsu controls tend to be very….artsy oriented. For that guy or gal with skinny jeans and a colorful shirt and a driver’s cap on the head backwards doing street photography with fingers flying over all of the big obvious buttons all over the camera. If you’ve never had a different camera then you only have one learning curve.
Olympus, which several friends of mine have, is the guy in the bushes snapping pictures of beautiful birds high and trees and who travels to Costa Rica to go on a bird safari. They have some interesting lenses and easy controls but not as many bells and whistle‘s as other cameras. However, these are less expensive and you can have fun finding interesting lenses, Although there’s not a ton of them.
Nikon has gone full frontal video, There’s a few golden oldies that have been around forever but people swear by. I find them a bit heavy but —you get the young videographers now filming everything for the Internet toting around their boxes of lenses mounts and stabilizers for use at dance parties, proms, outdoor summer concerts etc. These are to go getters who saved their birthday money just for this purpose. And they are good at it.
Panasonic seems to be more for they keep it simple, keep it cool, interesting shots; Easy to work with and good lenses. However there are not that many lenses. I’ve been drooling over their micro 4/3 which is not that expensive for a micro 4/3 and takes great shots easy-peezy. They don’t get complicated with the bells and whistle‘s. I’d say they’re the secret weapon cameras or maybe secret agent cameras? I’ve had fantastic luck with Panasonic point-and-shoots that lasted for years and years, way beyond when they should have broken for $150. These became my kid’s starter cameras.
And then there’s Canon. Yes it’s true tons of wildlife photographers, adventurers tourists wedding photographers portrait photographers, everything in the mud photographers have Canons. They have fantastic lenses both in Canon and other lens companies. I do have a lens baby which is great fun but not for walking around every day.
The controls are super easy on all the latest models because all you have to do is use the touchscreen and you can find out information on all of your settings, sometimes with tiny lessons. Most of the good new cameras have this feature. I wouldn’t go with any of their full frames for your first camera and possibly one you might keep for a long time because in the end they do get heavy unless you go with the Mirrorless, like the R or the R’s baby sister the RP. She’s like the girl next-door, the daughter of your neighbor whose name you can’t remember but she does everything with a spring in her step and a smile on her face. The only problem with these mirrorless and with most mirrorless except Soni, is lack of lenses. Most companies offer conversion rings allowing you to use all of their old lenses on the newer mirrorless until they catch up.
Of all these I would possibly recommend the Canon 90D DSLR or the RP mirrorless. People LOVE these cameras with just enough, not too many, fun tricks and easy to learn controls. They are light and Not for bad weather, not professional in pixel count etc. but they will probably keep you going for quite a long time. Most mirrorless come in kits with a ring adapter so you don’t have to worry about adding that on. Then spend money you’ve saved not getting a $3000 camera on a $1500 zoom lens, and maybe a nifty 50 and a pancake lens. After you’ve ran around and shot a while, then decide if you want to get a Lenz baby.
Go out and have a blast. I found myself on an empty beach due to Covid a few weeks ago, and spent about two hours taking pictures of rocks. Just beach rocks on a rocky beach, that was it. It was so relaxing and they came out great.
After saying all this I admit that when I forget my camera my phone is my camera. I’ve been watching late-night celebrities all film themselves for their shows from their homes on their iPhones. I was particularly fascinated by Jimmy Fallon walking along with his wife with his iPhone on a selfie stick.
B&H cameras in New York have amazing customer service right now during covid and no tax if you are out of state. Not affiliated, but I swear these people know their subject inside and out, or working from home, and seem to really care about your purchase.
Last and finally least, I do not work for this company but I highly recommend the big long Udemy photo class. I don’t think I’ve ever had a better experience with a photography class online than these guys. It is actually really good. Again not affiliated in any way whatsoever.
My husband has said that due to the prevalence of cell phones there are some great deals in the pawn shops and some really nice equipment.
There is a company called BorrowLenses.com that does all kinda stuff out here in cali. As an unknown your deposits are SUBSTANTIAL but the mess around ability is great. Photog is my jam. LOVE composition lighting studied tons of mostly female peeps and they are mostly big-time crazy. One of my favs is Imogene Cunningham. I decided to stick to phones ring lights and those weird screw on lens. I am mostly solo and risk of losing nice DLR and bag of trix in mugging too much stress. I can crossbody bag my phone string my $20 tripod across my back use natural lighting good to go. Have fun. Sneaky quiet women take best pics. Ps great small doc by Adrian griener about 13-16 year old paparazzos in LA cruising camera shops. Good info there too,
When my wife wanted to buy a real film camera, then a digital camera, we discovered brick and mortar camera stores often sell used cameras, and lenses, at a decent price.
My dad used to do vehicle accident reconstruction. He had to do whole accident scenes, and close ups of wrecked parts. He decided on the Nikon cameras and lenses.
I know for his closer artistic photos – shadow boxes and hidden object photos – he added a spacer tube ( no clue name ) between the camera body and the lense to change the property of the lense.
Why is it a waste of money. A camera is useful. You can add all the extras if you like it. Just chose a on that can be added to.
So, I’ll just pile on to the “rent a camera first” club. My parents were both Nikon SLR folks, I was a Canon SLR person, but I always thought the better Canons were too big for my hands (as are most Nikons). After fiddling around with the Canons and some cheaper lenses, I ended up with the Fuji XT-10, which was a good starter mirrorless camera. After my dad died, I got into travel and photography in a big way and blew a big chunk of my inheritance on the Fuji XF lenses, extension tubes, etc. I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve become “that” person who has a separate roll on under seat suitcase that carries my lenses and camera bodies (I now have the XT2 and XT3) and all my accessories because I hate my camera backpacks but can’t bring myself to leave anything home. Je ne regrette pas de rien. I’ve made some interesting images that I like. I also have the LensBaby Trio, which is basically a rotating base with three different wide angle lenses that lets you do effects. What I think you are talking about is the LensBaby Twist. They make them in Portland and it’s a cool effect. Essentially, it’s a fun toy lens. If you’re using a mirrorless camera they probably make a mount that will work for it. I don’t think their image quality is great, but it’s neat to play with. Before you buy it though, you might consider renting it to play with for a week or two to see if its’ worth the cost. Before COVID shut down the world, we went to the Galapagos and I got to play with the Nikon P1000, which took shockingly good pictures and occupied much less real estate in her luggage. I’m thinking of buying myself one for future adventures where I need to be more mobile. I have aspirations of one day buying myself a medium format Digital camera for more arty stuff, but that will have to wait until after my car is paid off. So, it kind of depends on what kind of pictures you want to take, how much you want to spend, and how portable you want everything to be. I love photography – for me, it’s inspired some cool trips and adventures. My photos are my best souvenirs of most of my recent trips.
As you have probably figured out from the wide range of comments, there are a lot of choices out there regarding photo equipment. Lensbaby is a pretty specialized set of lenses designed for a particular effect. Make sure whatever system you get is compatible with those lenses if you want to use them, preferably without requiring a converter. As several people have pointed out, how a camera feels in your hands is very important, but the ultimate quality of your images will depend on the sensor that the body has as much as the lenses and techniques you use. DxO Mark has reviews of the sensors in different camera bodies, searchable by brand, price, and other categories (https://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/). DpReview has in-depth reviews of both bodies and lenses as well as buying guides (https://www.dpreview.com/). All of the major camera brands have equipment that will work well for the use you describe. I have been a professional wildlife photographer for nearly thirty years, using both Nikon and Canon film and DSLR systems. Have fun!
Hi. First of all, love your Innkeeper books with Dina. Keep up the good work.
Cameras, been playing with them for almost 30 years here. My go-to has been the Canon Digital Rebel. Only recently upgraded to the T6 from the T2 which is still functional. I would highly recommend the Canon digital rebels and you can get some of the slightly older models with good lens kits at Costco or off eBay very affordably. A 20-80mm lens with macro capability isn’t all that expensive and has been my favorite lens for almost everything that isn’t a half mile away. The macro allows you to do serious up-close shots of anything, even tiny things like flowers and insects. As to the blur effect, smearing a bit of petroleum jelly around the outer rim of your lens or the areas that you want out of focus works as do some of the free photo editing programs out there to save you from buying a fancy lens that does what some easily cleaned off jelly will do.
How do you clean off the petroleum jelly when you’re done, Deonet?
Definitely a DSLR. Next decision is full frame or crop. Both my daughters are photographers. One likes Nikon and has D500 crop for speed and a D750 full for macro and portrait. My other daughter likes Canon she uses 6D Mark III full for portrait, macro and landscapes. Then you can choose lens
Have you considered renting a camera?
borrowlenses is a decent rent by mail website and there is lensrentals as well.
If you don’t like the camera then return it and get another. I recommend trying at least three styles before deciding. My camera tends to have one PHD (push here dummy) button while my husband likes the kind that you need to have several thick guide books to operate.
There’s is a shop in Austin on West Anderson called Prescision Camera. My mom wanted to take photos but knew nothing about cameras. We took her there and they helped us get the right camera for her and they had classes she took which taught her how to use the camera. There were only a couple of classes, but she learned everything she needed to know to figure out how to use different lenses and take great shots.
I’ve heard that a good strategy is to rent the type of cameras you’re interested in buying to see what they’re like in real life.
Hi! I would reccomend a Pentax K70 camera. These are a few years old now so they are pretty cheap and the “kit lens” (a general purpose lens that you can buy as a starting point with the camera) is very good. A kit lens is like a jack of all trades: you can do a little landscape photography with it, a little portrait, a little action, etc.
I bought the camera, kit lens, camera backpack, and various gear for $800 about 3 years ago. I’m sure such package deals are even cheaper now.
More importantly, I’m recommending these cameras because they were built to resist water and dirt and don’t break or scuff easily. So the camera should have a long life and you can carry anywhere in any weather, no stress. As someone who saved for years to buy my own “good” camera, this was personally the most important thing ????♀️ (Other camera manufacturers have weather-resistant models, too btw! They just tend to be expensive pro gear in my experience.)
If you want to do cool close-up shots you can buy a second lens, call a macro lens. Any camera has a couple options for these!
If you want to take really crisp, portrait-style photos of your family and your pets, I would recommend something called a prime lens. The 77 mm prime lens is great for the Pentax K70. But just like the macrolens, any camera you buy will have an option for you!
Please buy a camera, you will love it! Think of it less like a luxury item and more like a good pair of jeans that earn their keep because you use them so often.
Try renting then if you like it vpbuy
Hello. I felt compelled to respond, even if it is highly doubtful you have a chance to read this far down in the comment section.
I bought The basic Nikon kit from Costco. It has 2 decent lens and a camera body. I regret not buying one of the more advanced kits, but like you, I have trouble putting money into a hobby. My bff gifted me with a Nikon 200 – 500 lens for my b-day. I use that lens almost exclusively. It was $1200, but takes the best pics. My interest is mainly flowers, birds and animals in genera. I cannot underestimate the importance of a good lens. It is more important than the camera body, IMO. I find the 500mm lens is so good, I don’t need a macro lens. You can also rent lens to test them out or to take on a trip.
I live in Delaware. While I do not recommend the state as a whole, there are great places to take pictures, if you are looking for places to play with your camera. I highly recommend Longwood Gardens is in Kennet Square, Pennsylvania. It is one of the best public gardens in the country and I feel so blessed to live so close. The best time to visit is mid-April thru May, but you will find good camera opportunities year round. Be there when they open at 9am. The flower walk and conservatory are unparalleled and a ton of fun to take pics. Another place to take pics is Bombay Hook NWR. It is great for birds, especially in the spring and fall during migration. Another unusual spot is the Conowingo Dam. Bald eagles spend October-February at the dam fishing. On a good day, there can be 50 – 70 in the area.
I recommend finding an instructor to help with the basics in the beginning. On my bucket list is to spend time with Capital Photography Center in Washington DC. They have field trips!
Good luck. Don’t let your hesitation at the spend stop you. It did for me for years and I regret it.
I read all comments. 🙂 Thank you for your suggestions.
I’m a Canon girl and agree with trying them out. You can get good deals on lenses on B &H camera or KEH camera. I just got my granddaughter a Rebel 6 kit with two lenses. Canon and Nikon both have online demos.
Ilona, I just spent an intense half hour with my husband discussing this question. He is now, post-retirement, a professional photographer, after thirty-odd years in industry following a degree in chemical engineering with a minor in art. Like you, he started out taking photos on his iPhone, using the built-in editing options to crop the image and so forth, then moved up to a proper camera when he decided he ready to be serious.
Bottom line: whichever camera family you start with will be where you stay, because once you start investing in lenses and things they can’t be used with a different family.
The three camera families are Canon, Nikon, and Sony. Sony is best for video, which doesn’t seem to be what you are interested in. Nikon is slightly better for low light situations like rock concerts, but when my husband and his fellow photographers get together they agree that it doesn’t matter that much. He happened to start with a Canon, so you’ll have to figure out the Nikon equivalents for the following. He started with a basic Rebel T5 kit. He quickly added an 18-200mm telephoto lens for the rock concert photos for which he has become known, a setup that met his needs for a couple of years, and easily produced professional quality photos, especially once he moved up to Adobe Lightroom for editing. He subsequently upgraded to an EOS 5D Mark IV with fancier lenses, a more expensive transition than originally planned because none of the lenses he’d bought for the T5 would work well with the new body. But he is convinced that if he had not spent time honing his skills on the basic camera, he would have chosen all the wrong things for the upgrade — and now he has the first camera as a back-up, to set up for a second fixed camera when videotaping, to share with a newbie friend eager to pick up tips as they photograph together, to hand down to our daughter following in his artistic footsteps. Or he could sell it, I suppose, as someone else has suggested. 😉
For you he recommends a mirrorless body rather than a DLSR like he started with, because it is lighter, quieter, and less bulky, so it will be easier on your hands and less distracting when shooting fur babies. It also happens to be better for video, but that is incidental. In the Canon family he recommends specifically the EOS RP if you are willing to spend more upfront without regard to whether it becomes your final camera (without a lens: https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/cameras/eos-dslr-and-mirrorless-cameras/mirrorless/eos-rp), because any lenses you get for it will still work should you get an upgraded body later, a major cost saving versus the path he took. 😉 Key is that it has a full frame sensor (CMOS) rather than a crop sensor (APS-C) like the cheaper M200, the mirrorless equivalent of the Rebel (kit: https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/cameras/eos-dslr-and-mirrorless-cameras/mirrorless/eos-m200-ef-m-15-45mm-is-stm-kit). If he were starting now, he said, he would start with the RP.
He suggests that a good quality prime lens with a lower F-stop in the 1.2-1.8 range would be better for close up shots in addition to whatever zoom lens you get.
I hope that’s useful — I’m sure whatever you decide will bring you pleasure and send you back to writing refreshed.
My daughter uses a Nikon. She produces beautiful pictures with it. She enjoys close ups of insects on flowers, flowers, wildlife and the moon. I’ll ask her what model – her husband got it for her.
How fun, I’m excited for you. If you have a good old fashioned camera store around, call them and ask when they’re the least busy, and go in then to look at and hold all of the cameras. You know you’ll get professional advice, which may be a crapshoot if you go to Best Buy or something. If you find one you like, go home and find the best price ???? Good luck, and have fun!
Another vote for holding a few and also renting before you buy. Body and lens rentals might seem like throwing money away but good modern lenses with image stabilization can be quite expensive and reviews may not really give newcomers a good understanding before plopping down hundreds or thousands.
You may find you enjoy certain lenses and bodies more than others based on grip, weight, aesthetic, size, button placement, color profile, or sensor size. You might also find you don’t use a dslr because you don’t carry it with you (too heavy/big, forget it at home, hate post processing or transferring photos). There are very good mirrorless and large sensor compacts these days, too.
It might be possible to stretch your budget to both dslr + new phone, especially if you end up liking an entry level dslr and 1-3 bang-for-buck lenses to get started with. The best camera is the one you’ll use 🙂
Ilona, I started with a Canon Rebel and I had a great time taking photographs even tho I was a complete novice. I wouldn’t call myself anything but an intermediate photographer even after about 20 years of taking mostly landscapes, fur babies, and other critters of any sort. I graduated to a Nikon D7000 about 10 years ago. It still takes great photos but is developing some issues so I’ve been trying to decide if I should go mirrorless cuz we travel extensively and the weight of my nikon with 2 or 3 lenses (even tho they are not primes) gets really old when your hiking for about 10 days in a row. I have looked at a couple of different good ones and from someone who is not a pro, I don’t find them very user friendly. Now that may be that I am used to a big camera that I know what all of the buttons and functions do but if you do go check out a mirrrorless, really look at that part of it. Much of the fun to me of photography is using all the different settings, learning to shoot manual and being able to get different looks with your camera. That said, I think Trailing wife above has some really good points from her husband. If I could figure out how to use a mirrorless with the same success as I’ve had with my nikon, I’d go that way. A good lens for the type of photos you want to take is imperative. A 1.2-1.8 gets those fast shots and low lights.
A good true photo shop is a Godsend. The folks in all the ones I’ve ever been in want to share their craft and help you on your journey. Ours in Nashville just closed after about 35 years in business (darn Covid) and we don’t have one anymore. There is nothing like being able to go in and actually see and play with what you are buying. It is not a cheap hobby (or profession for those that are blessed to do it) but it is a lot of fun and has given me many years of joy! (And lots of pics for my house!) Happy Hunting!
First, do you want to do the education and the work to get into a DSLR? That’s what the pros and invested amateurs use. A couple of my friends use these and they are the ones where you can adjust pretty much everything.
If you don’t want to go that far, a good “point and shoot” works. A good one isn’t entirely point-and-shoot; it will allow you to adjust some of the settings. My old one (I cannot find it!) was a Panasonic. People thought I’d used a DSLR for the pics. It had a Leica lens — very good lens. You may be very happy with a very good camera of this type. They are more expensive than they were when I bought mine (um, 2007) — their price has gone up far more than inflation. I suggest looking on one of the tech review sites for recommendations, but I have always liked Panasonic and Olympus cameras.
That’s my two bits. I have used a DSLR with a pro lens because a friend of mine is a professional photographer and when we went birding he’d let me use his third-tier camera. The camera was probably still worth $3K and the sense I used was worth $10K. Lenses cost more than camera bodies. Oh yeah, that’s the thing about DSLRs — you generally need more than one lens.
+ 1 on Panasonic. I just posted about my Panasonic Lumix, which has a Leica lens.
+ 1 on having a point and shoot … with a few options to adjust settings.
I have a Canon T2i, which I love. It’s about 10 years old now (can’t believe it’s been that long…) and there are several newer versions, but mine is still in great working order, never had any problems. It’s simple enough to use that you can use it almost like a point-and-shoot, or you can go manual on one of several features with the camera adjusting the rest, or you can go entirely manual.
I originally bought it with a kit lens (in this case, a basic wide-angle zoom lens that is useful for a variety of things) and I bought a telephoto zoom lens with it. A couple years ago, I bought Canon’s EFS 60mm macro lens, which I adore. I mostly take photos of animals (domestic and wild, including bugs) and sometimes flowers, and this macro lens is great for that. Despite the lack of zoom, it’s all I use most of the time these days.
I know others who prefer Nikon cameras. It seems to be mostly what brand someone started off using; both are good, as are others. One thing to keep in mind is that lenses are not always interchangeable across brands (for instance, Canon and Nikon lenses turn in opposite directions – or at least they used to). You can often get an adapter and make a lens work on whatever camera, but they don’t always work as well as they do on what they’re designed for. So if there’s a particular lens you’re interested in, check which cameras it will fit. Lensbaby says they make lenses to fit both Canon and Nikon cameras, but you should check on the exact models you’re interested in.
Good luck!
I was wondering if you could rent some equipment first, and I see others have mentioned that and a nice shop. Now if any of the BDH knows of a similar place in the general Birmingham, AL area, I would be grateful for the info.
Dear Ilona, I hope you have much fun with it, whether you rent first or buy ????
First question: are you planning to make physical prints, or enjoy photos just on the computer?
It is possible to do this sort of photo with an iPhone if you want onscreen only. But for higher quality, especially if you want to frame a print like a painting, you would be better served by a camera.
With the iphone approach, I would go with a lens system that allows you to attach high quality lenses to a case for the phone.
With the camera approach, I would go with a mirrorless camera for a number of reasons, but especially for macro and lensbaby photography. A solid choice would be a Fuji X-T4 with the Fuji 80mm macro lens, and you could also buy whichever Lensbaby appealed to you.
Once you get into the world of macro photography, you will find that the fuzzy part of the picture (out of focus) is very dominant. The quality of the fuzziness (bokeh) from the Fuji 80mm lens is exceptionally good.
This is obviously just a single suggestion, and considering factors of cost, weight, features, and quality could point to a different choice. Please let me know if you want to discuss in more detail.
I also recommend a real camera for the best pics. I took a class, researched the cameras on the market, and found a point and click that worked great.
But my day to day experience showed me that I cannot carry that (along with my other junk) on a day to day basis. I ended up leaving the camera at home and used my cell phone for the random weirdness or awesomeness around me.
The real camera ended up being a fancy dress; it’s taken out only for special occasions.
Cameras are a thing thats easy to resell, so if you dont like it you resell it for less money to someone and the money you “lost” its like an investment in camera education and “rent” of the camera? That’s how I pick up new hobbies, currently making stone jewerly, and since the silver was EX PEN SI VE I’m using river stones that I took from a construction pile. Yay free agates.
First question: are you planning to make physical prints, or enjoy photos just on the computer?
It is possible to do this sort of photo with an iPhone if you want onscreen only. But for higher quality, especially if you want to frame a print like a painting, you would be better served by a camera.
With the iphone approach, I would go with a lens system that allows you to attach high quality lenses to a case for the phone.
With the camera approach, I would go with a mirrorless camera for a number of reasons, but especially for macro and lensbaby photography. A solid choice would be a Fuji X-T4 with the Fuji 80mm macro lens, and you could also buy whichever Lensbaby appealed to you.
Once you get into the world of macro photography, you will find that the fuzzy part of the picture (out of focus) is very dominant. The quality of the fuzziness (bokeh) from the Fuji 80mm lens is exceptionally good.
This is obviously just a single suggestion, and considering factors of cost, weight, features, and quality could point to a different choice.
As an amateur that takes photos of similar things. I got started with an entry level Nikon DSLR and 2 cheap kit lenses that came with the body. This worked well for me because first I needed to learn how a camera worked and then how to use the different settings—and the more expensive the camera, the more difficult the learning curve. Another way to go would be a point and shoot camera with a lot of extras—the Nikon Coolpix P900 or P1000 come to mind. If you become really interested in what you’re doing, take pictures every day and read about how to improve your photography, you will move up to the more expensive cameras within a year or two and by then you will have a good idea of what kind of camera you want from your reading and your discussions with other similarly minded people. If not, well, the P900 is a great camera and costs less than $500.
I have an Olympus OMD which I love. And then about a year ago I bought a Huawei P30 Pro phone because it was 30% off (this was when the US had started ramping up pressure on Huawei). The camera on this phone is incredible and my OMD is now collecting dust. The macro function and night shots in particular are unbelievably good. I don’t know anything about the iPhone OlloClip, but the photos taken by my daughter on her iPhone don’t even come close to the Huawei.
I have two pro-spec DSLRs (Sony A99 and A99 M2). I use Sony because when cameras went autofocus I went with Minolta and Sony bought Minolta and still use the same lens mount. I recently bought a micro 4/3 camera to replace the point and shoot I was using as a walking about camera. Two belt pouches instead of one but much higher image quality. Some of the posters have already given the link to dpreview and I would strongly second the idea of looking at their sample galleries for anything that strikes your fancy. If you can get hands on time that would be ideal. For each person the ideal camera balances size, weight, image quality, and flexibility. Unfortunately the physics of photography favours size. I have been very impressed by the performance of my micro 4/3 camera (OM-D EM10 III) and feel I get 70 – 80 percent of the photographic capability of my big cameras in fraction of the size so think for many people micro 4/3 is a good place to start. It is system so you would find extra lenses and gubbins can quickly mount up. The second belt pouch I mentioned earlier contains a telephoto lens. This is the opposite problem to point and shoots where because you cannot change the lens afterwards you have to be confident that the one you choose will cover your needs. This means most people buy cameras wit high zoom factors. Getting a high zoom into a small body generally means a smaller sensor which reduces image quality and a lens less well suited to low light and portraiture (it is harder to throw the background away). This doesn’t mean they can’t do a good job if your subjects are suitable. Which comes back to please make sure you look at sample galleries for whatever takes your fancy and particularly at examples of the type of photo you are interested in taking.
Hello! firstly, congratulations on your upcoming anniversary! 🙂
I like taking photos of nature too! I am amateur and like you, I haven’t found the courage to commit to a proper camera for it. I have been using phone camera( Oppo) to practice my composition of photographs before moving on to a camera.
My family has Panasonic Lumix GF10 which I brought to my Tibet trip, only to use my phone because of my comfort with it. Because of my comfort with phone, I had photos with great composition on my phone but higher resolution ones with my handheld camera, very few pictures too, due to all the fiddling with settings.
That being said, the options for camera is wide and huge. Having dictated time just to take photos with your chosen your equipment is always a must. We always have certain types of photographs we gravitate towards.
I am a Canon fan, but buy good lenses for it. You can keep them from camera too camera.
I have a Pretty old now 7D.
I can get pics on canvas too 1,2m×1m sizeand more with it.
I take nature pics and sell some.
In my day to day I use my phone.I want the new Samsung but it cost the same as a Canon camera house.
Good hunting.
Georgia O’Keefe. Not George. She is awesome and not a guy.
I bought a camera from my first payment. I know nothing about photography 4 years later XD I chose a Canon for 350€ it was perfect for me to try it but I realised it’s really annoying to carry the camera with me all the time. It’s heavy after a while und you can’t put it away if you are one a sightseeing trip that easily. So I stick to my phone and only use the camera on family gatherings etc.
Hope it helped 🙂
Hi, amateur photographer here, I would +1 agree with buying/trying an advanced point and shoot. I have had the Sony RX V3 (I think they’re up to 6 now) for many years and still haven’t felt the need to upgrade. Starting out, getting the hang of manual settings and working out what your camera can do was hard enough for me without having to change big and annoying lenses! The Sony does great macro (with the blur) and has enough range for me to do landscape and astrophotography too. Lots of automatic and manual options for you to play with. Photo quality is perfect. If you don’t want to invest in a really expensive camera just yet I would highly recommend it. I have also heard good reviews from other people about the Lumix. Good luck!
Throwing in my two cents here from a NOT photographer, but someone who shared exact same feeling/fear you had a while back when trying to figure out whether to go for a DSLR or stick with upgraded phone.
In short, I did buy a camera because I really wanted to be able to take better pictures on special occasions, but what I ended up using all the time is still the phone because it’s what with me all the time.
The camera I got was Canon M50. I wanted something small (small-hand person here) and not too heavy (so it doesn’t feel like a burden to bring along) with changeable lens. It got good reviews from vloggers/bloggers I follow so that’s something. I also got the lens that would let me blur out the background in addition to the one that comes with the camera. And lastly, the camera bag — I went with Elecom’s (https://www.elecom.co.jp.e.gj.hp.transer.com/news/201601/dgb-s023-s025/index.html) — because my photos might suck, but I can say that I have all the gears ;D.
Pretty much most of the pictures on my instagram are taken with my phone (iPhone with portrait mode and lots of help from photo apps). As I’d said, it’s with me all the time so that’s what I use. I think I only took the big(ger) camera with me to the grocery store once right after I got it and I felt a bit ridiculous (heh). It might sound funny to some, but I take pictures of stuffs I find interesting at the grocery store all the time. Phone camera works well enough for this and less conspicuous.
Not going to be much help. My camera was a cannon powershot….loved it, and if my brother hadn’t dropped probably still use it. Stabilize mode so it didn’t matter
If I shook, I would still get great pictures. Got other cameras but none seem to work as well for me as that cannon, didn’t even like the upgraded versions. Lol my phone supposedly is better then what that camera was, but for some reason the older pictures from the cannon look better, or is that just because the subjects are not as young and I don’t go out on the hard hikes anymore? Nay that couldn’t be it. Good luck on what you decide to get, highly recommend holding and talking to someone who knows cameras.
Upgrade the phone. Most new smart phone take brilliant pictures. It’s the camera that you can carry with you all the time.
There’s is lots of apps etc that allows photo manipulation.
I love my Nikon entry level. It’s no longer available and over 10 years old now so it doesn’t have the megapix of the newer ones but I like the format and what not. I still use it. It’s not a true DSLR but has that style of body. I wanted a camera with a good zoom, nice megapix, and could go in a pocket so I found a Sony (my sister had a Sony that took good pics) that I like quite a bit as well. My thing is I like a true view finder. They are surprising hard to find. I don’t always use it, but sometimes when it’s really bright out, you can’t see the screen and need that viewfinder. My Sony has a popup view finder (I had never realized that was a thing!) and it’s great.
The best suggestion is to actually go look at them, get your hands on them. Specs and reviews are great but a camera is something you want to feel good and comfortable in your hands. Even if a camera has the perfect specs, if it is clunky to use, you won’t use it. It’s like a car, you really need to test drive.
I have nothing to add to camera suggestions. But for anyone looking to learn about digital photography, this is available.
https://www.diyphotography.net/stanford-professor-puts-entire-digital-photography-course-online-free/
At this time, the youtube link at the bottom seems to be the one working source.
(Drat it, I almost posted without the link again.)
Hi, personally I like Canon, but Nikon and Sony are good too. The semi-professional cameras normally come with 2 ways to use them: Manual and Automatic. First one is the one that will give you the most artistic/personalised photos, but if you don’t find it (manual) to your liking the automatic is pretty decent too. With the manual function you have control of the focus and exposure to the light. Normally these cameras come also with the video fuction so even if you decide photography is not really your thing you still have a very good camera for family time and vacances. Extra lenses are more expensive, so I don’t recommend buying them right away, first see if you like your camera, then buy more, a micro lens of 40mm is good for flowers and insencts. If you go to a just cameras shop they should/usually have second hand ones that are less expensive (in good shape that come from people who decided photography is not their thing), if you decide to go for one of these instead of a new one, make sure that the are clean (on the inside) and work properly and you can give it back and get another used one if there is an immediate problem they are not showing you at the time. Good luck! Hope you have fun 🙂
If you’re afraid of spending too much, then I would suggest purchasing either an entry-level Canon or Nikon DSLR, or you could get an entry-level mirror-less camera from Sony—these cameras tend to be more lightweight compared to DSLRs, so they’re easier to hold for long periods of time.
Also, you could buy used camera bodies and lenses to cut back on how much you want to spend. These could be found at Adorama, Hunts Photo and Video, B&H Photo Video and other credible retailers. However, when purchasing a used camera body you just have to be aware of its shutter count. I would make sure to ask a customer service representative about the camera’s shutter count and research the maximum shutter count that the camera has before buying it. If my explanation has confused you, then think of it as purchasing an used car: lower mileage means the less it was used, and a higher mileage means it was used a lot and is closer to the maximum mileage it can go before no longer being able to function.
If you feel like you do not like photography and have exceeded the return date for the camera, then you could trade it in at one of the credible retailers above. They buy used camera bodies and lenses all the time, and it’s even better when you can go into the physical store to do it. I traded in my Sony a6000 mirror-less camera with the kit lens, and a lens that I had purchased separately. I believe I received $300-$400 back for everything combined. So if you purchase a new camera and no longer want it, then this is one option for getting rid of it.
I think the best thing you can do, is go to a camera store and ask the people who work there if you can test their cameras and ask them questions. I had a tough time figuring out what camera I wanted for the longest time because it’s such an expensive hobby—I was in college at the time too, so I was penny-pinching as much as I could already. I researched information about cameras online and in-person for a whole year before I even purchased my Sony a6000 with the kit lens.
Hope these suggestions help with your purchase!
Nikon and Canon make very good cameras, and if you can wait until near Black Friday, there are usually camera body and lens deals to be had. (I realize this may not coincide with your anniversary.) Last years deals for reasonably priced midlevel cameras ran about $400-600 for a body, regular lens, and one more powerful lens.
A friend who does photography as a side job/hobby suggested looking into camera rentals to try one out before buying; it’s an excellent idea that I have not yet tried to research. You may want to see if you can do that; you’d get the chance to test drive without the larger financial commitment.
Best of luck!
A camera person will swear by them but really for amateur photography and the resolution modern phones can get you’re much better off with a good phone which you’ll have with you all the time and get used to using it a lot. You’re never going to catch the best candid photos when 90% of oportunities have passed you by if you have to get a camera out for it. Most artistic lens effects and a bunch you cant with lenses you can apply later (and perhaps a better use of $ is editing course/software).
To capture the full colors of sky/sea you will need a nice camera. You can usually get the base for under 1k and then the lenses are where you basically blow money depending upon what types of shots you want. But if you want to get the exact reddish pink of the sky or a great picture of the rolling sea you are going to need an OK lense. You should be able to get started for ~1.5k or so for a camera and a lense. Good luck.
I was going to mention that author Chuck Wendig seems to do a lot of the type of photography you want to do and so went on his blog to see if I could figure out what he uses and found this post about a new lens he’d bought: http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2018/06/11/macro-monday-is-now-zoom-lens-monday-to-hell-with-your-laws/
And then I died laughing because the lens he said he’d just bought was $2,200 when I followed the link to Amazon. That was just the lens and not the camera itself. But I share in case you’re up for that level of expense.
John Scalzi also posts a lot of photos and I found this post from him about his latest camera: https://whatever.scalzi.com/2020/05/06/meet-the-new-camera/
He has other posts about the tech and programs he uses that might help, too.
Apologies if this is has already been mentioned, but there are lenses that you can purchase for smartphone cameras. Not something I’ve looked into in great detail, but I know they’re out there.
No camera recommendations, but I brought a used DSLR when I wanted to get started on photography. I am so glad I did because I tried it a few times and realized as much as I loved taking pictures and trying to capture the views I see in my head, I really really disliked lugging around a heavy DSLR and lenses, especially on (hiking) vacations. So I suggest renting or buying used to see if it’s something you will actually use enough to justify the cost. (full disclosure, I was dating a photographer at the time and he found the camera for me, good condition and good price)
I ended up buying a Canon M100. I’m not big on photography but I do enjoy it as a hobbyist and ambushing my kids. The lens is interchangeable as far as I know but I’ve only used the one it came with. It takes amazing pictures. At least, amazing to me. LOL. Usually I vlog with it since it does video too. It’s pretty lightweight, easy to use. You can do manual settings or just point and shoot mode where it does all the things for you.
The comments are excellent. Throwing my 2 cents in here: I was on a photography trip a couple of years ago. Most of us had traditional cameras. However, one woman shot the whole trip with her iPhone. Her photos were lovely. There are several good online iPhone photography courses. If you do decide to purchase a camera, go to a reputable camera shop. Best thing I ever did – my several year-old camera has a lens I love and still takes great pictures.
You could try renting cameras and lenses to see if you like them as a whole and brand. Less money output and you can try different brands and models
The iPhone 11pro takes great photos. The clip on lenses are hard to use if you have a protective case for your camera — a necessity for some of us. Moment makes great lenses for smart phone and a case which the lenses screw into. Good luck
I know you are outside of austin. I would go to precision camera. They have tons of cameras and find one to fit your need. They also have used cameras in good condition that will fit you need of not wanting to spend tons of money.
Check out lenserentals.com we love this site and use it often!!
You can rent a really nice camera and see how you like it. My husband loves taking photos but the really nice cameras are hideously expensive and change so quickly that you buy something and a month later something better comes out.
I second a prior suggestion for Moment lenses. Bang for the buck, the Tele 58mm, wide-angle, fisheye (fun!), and macro lenses are the best solution for so many of us who dabble in photography but can’t quite justify dumping money into all the (super cool but expensive) equipment. Moment lenses are relatively affordable, super portable, and produce images that are pretty dang impressive. Also, I believe they’re on sale this weekend for Father’s Day.
I don’t know why you say you’re not a good photographer – those are lovely pictures. And I’ve known more than one professional – they take many many many pictures to get the good ones they sell.
As someone who is iffy on sticking with hobbies long term, I have two thoughts for you.
I like photography as a causal hobby. I have a camera, but I find I am way more likely to use my phone because it’s always with me wherever I am. I just don’t think to take my camera with me routinely. Also, as I have an iPhone and an iPad, my photos are easily transferable. I have considered getting an additional lens for my phone, but haven’t done so at this point.
If you can rent cameras and lenses for a reasonable price, that would give you the option to try different cameras to find the one you like best or decide you aren’t interested.
Good luck!
I love my Nikon D3400 not too pricey and it takes wonderful shots. You can expand it with lenses and filters if you want but it comes with everything you need. I’m a hobbyist and if you want to see the types of photos it takes that is all I have on my instagram @lufftocraft
Pentax cameras have long held the benchmark for Lens quality. I have an old Super Program with various lenses. If I were to buy a new Pentax dslr I could use that same lens set with the digital camera. It’s very intuitive. Not sure if that’s helpful. Prolly not. Move along.
I just read the two chapters of Emerald Blaze and the hook is set good and deep! Definitely looking forward to the publish date and as I don’t have to be to work until 4 pm, I can read it right away. I just had a salad with tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumber out of my “garden.” Everything is growing in pots in my second parking spot in front of my condo. It should be interesting as the vines get bigger and expand their territory.
Having a good camera is great but I can tell you from my experience both personally and as an Apple employee, the best camera is the one you have with you. I have gotten some amazing shots with my iPhone 11 Pro and the previous models as well. However, if you go that route I would recommend the moment lenses over Olloclip. There’s nothing wrong with Ollo, moment is just higher quality.
I have the iPhone 11 Pro. It takes professional quality photographs. It is a good phone. It get a camera that can take equal quality photos, you’re looking at around 2k for all the same features.
If budget concerns you, I recommend the iPhone 11 Pro. If you want a dedicated camera, I can go ask my photographer friends, but… I get the feeling you’ll be happier with something that can still do great pictures while also serving another purpose.
I used my iPhone (can’t remember if I had the XS or the 11) when I went to England, but the pictures were wonderful and the video quality was great… and I didn’t have to worry about one more device. Just grabbed the phone and went.
The 11 Pro knocked the socks off the XS and previous phones on camera quality.
@RJ – the iphone 11 does amazing photos of stuff that’s close up, as it was clearly designed for portraiture, but when doing shots of things that are more vast, or have more distance to them like landscapes, it falls very flat compared to a more traditional camera. Especially if you have any plans to print the content. But it has a point and shoot set up, so ease of use is pretty nice there. It’s also easy to find a huge range of apps that do extra post editing features easily for pictures too on a cel phone.
I have had zero complaints about my distance photography on my iPhone 11 Pro. (Not the 11, the Pro. They use two different camera systems. If you are using the 11’s camera, it is NOT the same as the 11 Pro’s camera, which has a third lens and significantly extra distance AND a landscape mode.)
I am only talking about the 11 Pro’s camera.
It really depends on what you want out of it. I have been very pleased with the landscape photography of my 11 Pro. It also has the best ‘capture in motion’ lens of any camera I’ve ever used, including my Very Expensive Canon. Now, the Canon was nice and I loved using it, but it just couldn’t do “You’re driving at 60 MPH, snap a picture quick.”
The 11 Pro does so beautifully. I have tricked people into thinking the photograph was staged with tripod when in reality I was in the car snapping pictures of mountain landscapes.
Just… can’t do that with most cameras I’ve used.
I used to keep a dedicated camera, but it’s just not as convenient, they didn’t do as good of a job in some ways, and… yeah.
I’ve also printed a few of the pictures, they printed fine at 12 inch range. Maybe a professional might be able to tell, but for the average user? I don’t think they will.
I’m attached to my phone because I have aphantasia so I have no visual memory. A dedicated camera can’t stand in for my visual memory.
I’m sure a super expensive camera will do a better job, but… yeah. Just what I said. It does an amazing job all around, especially if you want or need to be able to actually access the pictures frequently.
Dear @Ilona
Canon Rebel’s series is good to play with. (I recommend the rebel t#i over the t# (a t3i versus a t3, a t7 versus a t7i). The “i” while the camera is still a crop sensor (better for portraits, not as good for landscapes), it mimics more the type of shots you can get with landscapes on a full sensor. (sensor being the computer component of the camera that takes in the image you are shooting).
The rebel is Canon’s entry level model where you start to move away from point and shoot, and can start using manual features so you can control your shot more and start changing out lenses. That being said it still has some powerful automatic settings, that can help you. And if you want to stay in automatic mode you can. (Btw, the secret to great skies and great landscapes is shooting in manual and having a good crisp lens, tripod, and trigger release/remote trigger to avoid camera shake).
You don’t need the latest version (Canon rebel t7i), you can buy a used and refurbished kit of an earlier iteration for a lot less. (camera body, 18-55 mm kit lens, and the 70-300 mm kit lens). I won a national award on the much older Canon rebel t3i. You don’t need top of the line to get amazing shots.
I took this shot, using the kit telefoto lens (70-300mm), on flower macro mode (an auto setting) on my t3i rebel.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1WtaxZn4DS/ (I changed the brown mud background to teal in photoshop, but the rest of the shot is what I got in camera).
You don’t need a lens to blur your shots as lensbaby does, you can blur in post processing easily enough, or get a cheap clear lens filter to screw onto the end of your lens, and smear with vaseline on the edge, or wrap plastic wrap around the edge to give it that effect. Also some similar effects can be achieved by adjusting your camera settings to shoot bokeh depending on distance between what is in focus, and other elements in your scene. (This shot on my more recent gear is an example of bokeh, there were several feet between the person and the trees in the background with christmas lights in them, and this was the result: https://www.instagram.com/p/BxPFW6nHHgn/ )
And that’s achieved by changing your aperture, it’s more a camera setting, than any feature of a lens.
Here are other photos I took on my old canon rebel (some of these in auto mode)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWCb9qVgdXd/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfXjLccDi–/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1XUgUDn8Ka/
Camera gear is expensive, and I would never recommend a gimmick lens for that reason, when the effect is easily, and more economically achieved elseways.
That being said, I don’t want to discourage you from your fun. Photography to me has been my therapy through the loss of my sister, and stress reliever, and it encourages me to get out of the house and explore. If that’s all you ever want to do, have fun at it, but if you think you want to shoot other things, get a more standard lens, and then there’s easy hacks for cheap to get a similar effect.
If you have a camera body already that would work with that lens, there are lens rental sites, so you can try it out, and see if you even like it before you buy it.
The down side with DSLR (modern digital cameras that let you control settings and interchange lenses) is the weight. There’s starting to be some nice mirrorless options, and mirrorless options are a lot lighter to carry around. I haven’t gotten a mirrorless set up yet, because of lack of certain lens sizes. Though there’s starting to be more variety there. Since I just did a major upgrade, it’ll probably be 5-10 years before I upgrade again, and by then mirrorless should be more widely supported for my specific needs. But for your needs, it may now be worth looking into.
There’s also camera clubs around the state, some of the better camera stores actual do outings, and workshops, and classes, there are meet up groups, and facebook groups. I also recently started the nascent Texas Women’s Photography Group on facebook, because whether at museums, or in the workplace ONLY 10-14% of photography on average comes from women [Sources: ArtNetNews, InOtherWords, AlreadyMade]. (It’s less than one percent at some of the world’s leading modern art museums too). Texas Women’s Photography group is a place for amateurs to professionals, we have some meet-ups planned, including milky way if the weather holds. https://www.facebook.com/groups/TexasWomensPhotographyGroup/
There’s also a million and one how to tutorials for free on youtube.
It’s hard to know where to start though, you can definitely get information paralysis. Feel free to pepper m with any questions. I’m a canon user, so I know canon best. Nikon and Sony also have some good options too.
And if you make the jump to a camera with manual controls you can learn how to take pictures of the milkyway (this shot on my newer equipment, a Canon 5d mark iv).
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBWU9VTncH_/
The Milky Way shot is gorgeous
@Vonnie – Thank you ????
Other ways to get artistic blurred shots is purposely moving the camera while taking the shot. Especially rotating your wrist. Hard to keep the centre of the picture in the centre, but stunning when it works out.
I’m a Canon person but I have also use Nikon. Both are good brands. However I prefer Canon.
There are some places (usually camera specific places) that will let you rent equipment. That might be a good way to test different cameras and to also see if this is something you want to get in to.
The Sony line has some great cameras at lower prices, That doesn’t mean cheap.
For what you want, I would suggest an A line camera and an assortment of lenses.
You will get your best prices on ebay. To edit I would recommend AcdSee. They have classes for free for owners of their software. The learning curve isn’t nearly as bad as photoshop. I’ve been using both for many years and now have a selection of both lenses and cameras. The advantage of Sony is (After they bought Minolta) they produce a camera which is comparatively reasonably priced with professional quality.
Watch a couple of You tubes on iPhone 12 (max) and pro. I think they will answer
the macro question without needing the clip. I was going with the 11s until I realized it is middle of June already and the 12s will be out shortly, at the same price. Buying it for the camera, as I get about 1 legit phone call a week, have data only for emergencies when outside the home (iPad and MacBook pro at home) which is easier to see.
Annie Leibovitz said of the iPhone4s that it is her snapshot camera of choice and that the best camera you have is the one you have with you.
When you see how it’s as much about software as lens and that # of pixels is an advertising gimmick, you may see great value for the money.
You can still add the clip later, if you still think you need it.
We have a nice little Nikon, But we never have it with us when we need it.
Since you live close to a larger city, look and see if there is a place that rents cameras and lens. It might be a good option to see if you like certain features before purchasing. A basic photography class online or even YouTube could also be a major help with learning how to change settings to get the photos you want.
Just imagine Ilona, you do this, and you can then make your family act out the book scenes for your camera lol.
Or, you can try this, which made me LOL: https://metro.co.uk/2020/04/21/wedding-photographer-creates-hilarious-shoot-daughters-dolls-bookings-cancelled-12587187/
Other readers who need a laugh should check it out. It starts all normal-seeming, but by the time Ken doll goes crazy, you’ve seen a great many hilarious shots.
Soooo Funny! Made my day.
Hulk grabbing bridesmaid and throwing Ken out ????????????
Oh, here’s a better link so you can see what is possible. It may join knitting as a new free time activity lol: https://www.facebook.com/Agnieszkamarshphotography/posts/1146876178994651
B&H photo video is an excellent store online based out of NY. They sell new and refurbished cameras and lenses and staff is very helpful.
My daughter in law has a new cel phone that takes such great pictures they left their canon camera in their luggage when touring Ireland. The phone has three cameras,and when you take a shot the phone selects the best of three or combines the shot. The pics they took of Yellowstone are amazing. And the phone fits in her back pocket. It is not an iPhone. I think its aSamsung.
So I thought I’d talk about my rather limited experience with photography. I too have listed after beautiful photos done by professionals that highlight the beauty of the world and drooled over expensive cameras. I’ve learned I know enough about the field to realize I know very little. But I do know that it often takes hundreds of photos to get that single outstanding effortless one. I did take a class in college it was an introduction one day I hope to go back and take other classes because it was fun. But we used basic cameras with basic lenses and shot with actual black and white film, and learned how to develop up and print after cropping and touching up the photos possible even without fancy computers. (How you used to photoshop.. did you know that nose grease is useful in the darkroom in certainapplications? )
Then my brother goes out and drops some 40G on this super fancy digital thing with stabilizes and lenses and lights says he is going to film Male makeup videos… but all I know is it took him like at least 15 minutes to take it out and set it up for a quick photo. And probably an hour assembling or dissembling it for travel. Too complicated for me. I think one day I want to get one of the canon rebel series with the interchangeable lenses. You start with the basic body and say a 50mm lens and add a telephoto lens for later when you are comfortable with all the buttons and focusing, shutter speeds etc. From there you can customize all sorts of shit but it’s a lot of stuff to juggle in your mind when you are trying to line up a shot, and if you are trying to learn it all on the fly just start simpler and get something customizable.
Anyway I think the Rebel Eos is a good one for new enthusiasts and it’s got an auto mode to ease you into the camera feel. Well anyway its what I want to get one day when I can justify the expense maybe the next vacation.
Buy a used Canon (or Nikon if you must) lens. If you don’t like, you can resell it for nearly if not exactly what you’d paid for it. It’s the body that doesn’t hold value, especially the consumer grade ones. I’ve had Canon L lenses that I can resell years later for almost what I paid for them.
There’s also the rental option. Try a few, see what you like.
I am – or at least was- a professional news photographer. I do not have “the eye” some of my beasties do but here is what I know. Most important is quality of lens. Cell phone lenses are very good these days – although they have their limits.
I recommend you take one or more of the excellent on line classes from a reputable company on how to take professional quality photos with your iPhone. This will help you identify your fav photo taking nitch. And also help with the purchase of a regular camera. Just because a camera can do it, doesn’t mean you will ever use the extra which cost you dearly. Also do go to a shop and get the feel of the cameras. It really can matter. I’ve owned Nikons, Canons,Leicas,Richos,Olympus etc. but my go to return to has always been Olympus as it just feels right. And go more than once and preferably to a different store. Just to see if the feel is right both times. Probably more info than you wanted. But I do this when ever I get the new camera needed bug! Good luck. It’s fun! And no pesky film to develop to see if your shot is what you want!
PS I love your books!
My first comment is something I got from my cousin’s wife, who is a very well know photographer (she was the head of photography on the “A day in the ….” books back in the 80’s that were so popular), kind of person who has endorsement deals from the big camera companies. She said a couple of years ago that this is a time when you can do amazing things with almost any camera or the phone cameras (and this was several years ago, mind you). The biggest thing she said and I agree that a lot of photography comes down to technique, not the equipment. She was teaching classes using the Iphone back then and she said it could do things high end cameras not all that long before couldn’t do, and that a lot of it comes down to technique. Her biggest advice was if you really want to enjoy photography is to take classes on it, these days there are probably good online ones, and many camera stores and community colleges and the like offer courses people can take and I agree with her, it applies to a lot of things. Itzak Perlman can take a student violin and make it sing while a student playing a 5 million strad won’t sound all that much better than they do on a more modest instrument; what Perlman can do with a strad is the equivalent of what a pro photographer can do with a high end lens and camera setup/collection. It certainly won’t hurt to look at courses on using your current phone, you might find out you can do a lot more than you thought, and it won’t cost all that much, especially if there is stuff online. My thoughts, summarized since others have made the same points:
-You don’t need to choose, you have your phone already, and if you find that the phone doesn’t fit all your needs, there is nothing wrong with having both (and if you find the phone, even with special gizmos, doesn’t work for what you want, sell the gizmos, prob can get back more than a bit of what you paid for it). You will likely still take pictures with your phone, as you likely will have it with you, for those moments like recently when a buzzard was having its dinner in our side yard (okay, my wife and I are weird, we like all kinds of birds and think Buzzards are cool).
-Point and shoot cameras are great and thanks to things like digital zoom, you can do a lot of things the ‘big boy’ cameras can do. They aren’t expensive, and can take great pictures. I also found out the hard way that at some events, they will allow cameras with a non removable lens but won’t allow a DSLR (we had this at a football game at swamp stadium here in NJ, where you can’t have ‘professional equipment’ (it was a Nikon DSLR with a 70-300 zoom on it, not a camera with a 1500mm Zeiss lens on it). Point and shoot IMO, though, don’t really take better pictures than phones do these days, the only difference is a P&S feels different in using it.
-With DSLRs it comes down to preference and yes, cost. My cousin was actually working wth Olympus gear (endorsement), and she told me that Olympus cameras have an advantage, they are aimed more at the amateur market, they really don’t have a “professional line” with stratospheric prices the way Canon and Nikon do, as a result she said you get a lot of value for the money. She also said Olympus cameras are lighter, it is possible she was referring to a mirrorless one, which Olympus tends to be cheaper than other brands. I also wouldn’t overlook Fujii if you are on a budget, their gear isn’t bad, the downside might be finding lenses for it.
Canon and Nikon make great cameras all along the range, and they kind of have ‘camps’ of people who swear by them. My take, having worked a bit with both in the past and from talking to my cousin, is they are both great cameras, their lower end DSLR’s are great cameras, and it really comes down to preference. I would personally rate Nikon’s lenses a bit higher than Canon’s, but that is just me, they both make great lenses, and third party lenses do a great job, too, like Sigma and Tamron (? Spelling). I don’t have experience with Sony cameras, but looking at their specs and their prices to me they cost more on a price/feature benefit than Nikon/Cannon/et al, and the choice of lenses is more limited (not even sure third party companies make lenses for sony). Like the video gear, Sony offers Zeiss lenses which are sort of the gold level of lenses, so that may offeset the prices they charge (that I can’t judge).
-I agree totally about buying at a camera store, they will let you try different cameras and some do allow rentals to be able to try them out and see. They also generally have things like classes you can take and will offer support and repair if needed. Going to best buy for a camera is a mistake, for a lot of reasons, IDK if they offer commissions or not, but honestly the ‘expert’ there is gonna try and push you into either what they have, or try to go for the most expensive, telling you things like “that is the best”.
If you can rent cameras, there is no better way to see what you like. Cameras these days offer a lot of features, from full manual control to practically making you a marguerita at the end of the day, and it is like test driving a car. Things like the grip of a camera, or the weight may be huge, my cousin’s wife is now in her late 60’s, and she said she favors lighter equipment and ones easier to grip for example.
One thing I would recommend is if you find a store where you like the service and they really were helpful in finding the right camera, to try and buy it there. Camera store prices are not that much more expensive than a discounter would be and if they gave good service and seem to be a decent place (looking at ratings online never helps; another trick is to compare their listed prices to what other camera stores advertise it at, if they are charging MSRP, don’t even bother going in or if their prices are ridiculously higher than a discount place). Keeping a good store in business is a good thing for you, if they back up their purchases, and being local it means having them there going down the road if something goes wrong, you have a question, etc (if the store offers poor service, just tries to push the most expensive camera on you, etc, while shopping, I wouldn’t feel too badly about walking out and buying it elsewhere). Doesn’t mean you are a bad person if the local store gives you great service but the prices are ridiculously high (though this these days is pretty rare, other than stores catering to foreign tourists in NYC, with stores being on the internet as well as selling in their own store, they know it will be pretty easy to see if they are overpriced), then go where you can get it at the best price.
Even if you have the budget for a really expensive setup, I would start with the modest priced DSLR kit in the 400-600 buck range. One of the nice things about camera equipment is if you find out later you want/need something more high end, you can often trade in your existing stuff or sell it for a decent price and then buy the more high end stuff. Again, the big thing I think is deciding what you want it for. You may find that a camera phone with a gizmo works fine with the right training on how to use it, but you also might find a camera works better for you. I use my phone for pictures these days, I don’t have a DSLR and it works fine for what I want, and I always have it, but I also do want to get a camera again soon, for me there is nothing like using a great camera, the feel of it. Put it this way, the phone I have, a Pixel 3, just fooling around with it takes much better photos than the Nikon SLR (film camera) I had and still have could ever do with me using it:)
We have a great camera shop in Lexington, KY, which offers not only classes, but also rents cameras and accessories. I am sure that there will high class camera stores (not Best Buy type of stores) that offer both rental equipment and classes in your area too. You might take a look around and see if you can find one that is conveniently located. Then you can try out various brands, models, lens, tripods, etc. to see what exactly suits you before you invest in large amounts of cash.
The other option I would suggest and I see a lot of suggestions here from people who know cameras is just try a simple little point and shoot camera. I do see a lot of recommendations for various cell phone cameras but cell phones are by their nature extremely limited. A point and shoot camera is designed for taking pictures and nothing else and because of that you generally get more quality (larger megapixels) which makes editing easier and I know you know your way around photoshopping so you know if the background quality isn’t there it just gets blurry when you mess with it. A point and shoot in my mind is a step up from cell cameras and they generally have other features and lots of auto adjusting, but you can often find one with some manual settings to play around with adjusting focus and shutter speeds etc. They have the advantage of being smaller, lighter and less intimidating than an SLR or DSLR camera. Because you literally take it out, turn it on and “point and shoot”
You might want toGoogle “7 movies shot on an iPhone”. These are real “movie theater” movies. Also, many iPhone reviewers shoot their You tube reviews on the phones they are reviewing. Watch a couple of them and you will see that you simply can’t get more professional than the iPhone 11 or 11 Pro. I would suggest watching Rene Ritchie You tubes explaining how a larger number of pixels doesn’t necessarily mean anything, because it is usually accomplished by cutting 4 large pixels into 16, a quarter of the size, for example, and because it’s all about how the pixels work with the software.
Of course if you want to blow the picture up large enough to wallpaper a wall in your house, then the number of pixels may be relevant. Otherwise it’s more of a sales gimmick.
Rene has done several in structural videos on the iPhone 11, 11 pro and previews of where the cameras are going with the 12 and and 13 models.
I think if you see the videos and stills you will be truly astounded! You can go from still to video and back, blur the background and light all while shooting and/ or during editing.
Because it’s already the middle of June, many experts are suggesting that if your phone is working, wait till Sept. or Oct. when the 12s and 12 pros come out. A least you’ll get a discount on the 11’s if you don’t want to spend the money on the 12s (which are coming out at the current 11 prices).
I’m not a professional, but I have been using DSLR cameras and a variety of lenses as a hobby for about ten years now.
There are lots of ways to take that kind of picture – don’t get hung up on the specific tools that photographer used, that’s just personal preference. The key word for what you described is “Macro” – that means a lens intended to focus at very close ranges. You can get dedicated macro lenses, but many multi-purpose lenses also have macro capability. You can even get a clip-on macro lens for your cell camera, but I don’t recommend that – it’s hard to get a good picture with those even for a pro.
As others have suggested, go to a camera shop if you can find one anymore. Any good camera with interchangeable lenses should do. Both Canon and Nikon have a range of cameras and lenses for beginner / amature that won’t break the bank. Don’t buy expensive cameras and lenses until you have enough experience to know what you like and want.
I have to admit, I only read about half the posts ahed of this. My apologies if someone else has already made this suggestion.
Consumer Reports has reviewed cameras, SLR cameras, mirrorless SLRs and cell phones, including the cameras therein. If you don’t take the magazine, your public library almost certainly does. There’s an index in the back of every issue that tells you when the item was reviewed and what issue that would be.
Read the comparison report if you can, check out the specs, and decide what 2 or 3 devices you want to look at. Then go to the camera store and see which one you like.
Personally, I like to have the option of a viewfinder – because I hate having to guess what’s on that washed out screen…
I know zip about cameras but your pictures were beautiful.
Wow I’m amazed at the expertise here! Is there any topic that would stump this community? Lol
Good luck with camera hunting! We’ve always used Canon. In the early days of digital I liked Olympus. Biased bc I’m a lab person and used Olympus microscopes. Currently enjoy a Canon Eos…hubby added zoom lens and it does take lovely nature shots!
Not a photographer here, but love to shoot my Texas sunsets out my back door ???? and my pets and grandson ❣️
Maybe try Costco, they usually have everything in warehouse or online and you can return everything for any reason ????
I always wanted a Canon EOS, bought one finally, paid big bucks for it, never looked back. Trouble was, I wasn’t the one who packed stuff, so no idea where my best lens went, but they have a little gizmo that has a flower on it for those close shots of flowers. It also comes with a book to teach you how to use it. Yeah, I didn’t read it. I’ve had it for 10 years, as of last month. My grandchild turned 10 in April, so you can see why I have it. It does everything I want it to do, and I can turn on or off the auto-focus thing. Many people I know swear by Nikon, but I do love my Canon. As everyone else has already told you, it doesn’t really matter what camera you buy. They’re all pretty much the same. But it’s what makes your heart sing when you pick it up that counts. Also, with digital, it’s free to take pictures and see what you got. If you want prints, you can either use your printer or go to a store and have them printed. But lenses cost a bundle. Still, you get what you pay for, right? If you just want snapshots, your phone works. If you want artwork, you need a good camera. My only problem with the Canon I have is that I can’t change the focus if I want to do a movie. Mine’s old, of course. Good luck.
How old is your old iPhone?
I would go for a new one. I bought a new phone when I went on a, safari last November. Because I didn’t want to walk around with a camera around my neck. Didn’t want to loose time with changing the brightness, etc on a camera. And if I use the button for automatic Foto, for what do I buy a camera I have no clue and proba9no patience to use.
I wanted to be ready any time zo take a great shot of animals, people, whatever. And what do you carry with yourself all the time? Your phone.
I agree with the try it before you buy it. I have a ridiculous little point and shoot Nikon that I took to India with me and got AMAZING pictures of birds. There were people there with huge lens and they might have gotten some pictures that were better, but most of mine would compete with their pictures. In addition, I could tuck mine into my jeans’ pocket, so always had it on me. It is a good way to start and see if you like it. My camera is a Nikon Coolpix S7000 with a 20X optical zoom.
You did Kathleen Clemons Flower Photography course! Isnt it a delight! So inspiring, she has a very artistic style.
Re hardware, like most are saying, find something that feels good in your hands. But i will add a caveat. I have a lensbaby velvet 56 and a 100mm macro lens. Make sure the body you get has the ability to have the lens choices you want. A lot of the smaller lighter mirrorless bodies have quite limited lens choices.
I went with canon because they have an extensive range of lenses, and they are more affordable at the lower end. If you intend to print big, a full frame may be a consideration especially if you want to explore the full range of lensbaby products. Some give their best result on a full frame.
You will also have to learn to edit, and LIGHTROOM is probably the most common choice and for good reason. But photography is complicated and any program will take a bit of coming to grips with.
Good luck, and remember to have fun. That will seem hard at the beginning but if you stick with it, it gets easier.
Howdy!
I have enjoyed several different cameras over the years and my favorite is the Sony Alpha 5100 mirrorless.
I have considered a DSLR, but they are large, heavy and expensive.
The Sony Alpha is none of those. Total: $500 or so.
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-16-50mm-Mirrorless-Digital-Camera/dp/B00MHPAFAG/ref=sr_1_13?dchild=1&keywords=Sony+alpha+500&qid=1592163303&sr=8-13
When shopping make sure you are buying the body and lens.
After a year I made an additional purchase of a macro lens for flowers.
Feel free to contact me with any questions.
OMG! I had no idea something like alloclip or moment lenses existed! Knowing myself ( and my experience with even point and shoots) it is phone camera or no camera- but I will definitely be trying out one of those!
Hi Ilona,
Amateur photographer here. First I’m going to start by saying, don’t sell yourself short. You have a good eye. Your photos always convey great emotion and subject matter! The technical skills will come.
I’ve been snapping photos for my whole life, but only got into serious photography about 3 years ago. And I’m on a budget. A few of my overly researched/experiential points:
1) Go mirrorless. The body will a bit be more expensive, but it will let you use vintage lenses. This is important, b/c you can try more technical photography on the cheap. Ex. I just started wildlife (birds) photography. I can’t afford a new digital lens, but I can afford an old manual 300mm Cannon lens from ebay for ~$100 + my $40 adapter that I already had.
– Bonus for me, it turns out I love the vintage look manual lenses give!
– Bonus bonus, mirrorless cameras are smaller and lighter than DSLR’s and there’s no quality sacrifice.
2) If possible, buy your camera second hand at least one generation below latest. I got mine off of ebay and I have no regrets even though it’s now 3.5 gen’s below the top.
3) Top choices for mirrorless systems are probably Cannon, Fuji, and Nikon which are all pretty comperable. (I’m a Fuji girl. I’ve always loved their colors and I’m still in love with my XT-1 which I recommend). The biggest difference is that fuji is very proprietary with their lens integration, which means you don’t have 3rd party options for digital lenses.
4) I chose my XT-1 because I knew if I had to search through obtuse menu options to operate my camera, I would give up before I started. It’s why I recommend the XT system. However, the choice must be right for you. Do yourself a favor, and take a “getting to know my camera” course. There are litterally dozens of these both in-person and online. It will get you started on how to navigate your camera’s menus.
5) Don’t fear the third party lens. Rokinon makes some pretty great lenses (https://rokinon.com/ the company is also known as Samyang). I have the manual 12mm (second hand) which is really fun! Sigma makes some great lenses for Cannon systems. Zeiss is beloved by art photographers, though it is expensive. Laowa specializes in affordable Macro lenses https://www.laowalenses.ca/ . And so on…
6) Troll photography blogs! I’m happy to recommend a few I follow and I’m happy to share more of my experiences if you think they will help.
Have fun and good luck!
Further to my other comments, don’t panic too much about the price. Short of running over your camera with a car, they keep a good resale vale. There is a very robust market for second (third, fourth)-hand cameras!
Cheers!
I’m into photography as well still learning, I feel you on the investment. But you could honestly buy a Nikon or Canon, there are cult followings for both used for a decent price. With digital you don’t have to worry about wasting film. Then, if you stay with it upgrade to better models and purchase more lenses. A base kit will run you about $300
I like my Panasonic. It has a Leica lens, they do the best. It also was not over 300.
I echo all the Nikon-Cannon nods, they are the top two camera makers. Sonys are good as well.
Personally I’m a Nikon girl. I have one of their older mirrorless and I love it to bits. I would suggest looking at the various mirrorless options as they are a bit more compact but still have the quality of a full DSLR. They typically have specific lenses, but you can buy an adaptor for most lens types to be compatible with other lens mounts so there is some ability to share across brands. Good glass (lenses) tend to end up being the most expensive part of camera shopping.
Definitely hit up a local camera shop and get a feel for the options. I’d suggest getting a body and lens kit and then look at the options for Macro lenses for the type of photography you’re interested. Maybe take a class or watch some online basics, then get out and just play with the camera. Take the same photo using all the different settings. Have fun with it 🙂
My one big tip would be this. Buy a UV filter for every lens you purchase, screw it on the front and leave it. The filters are pretty cheap, UV won’t change the photo much (They help reduce the blue cast of sunlight), and protect the much more expensive glass from damage. The lens cap and other filters will stack so you never have to take it off.
If you’re going the DSLR route, Invest in the Lens, not so much the camera.
I have always loved photography. While I am not a pro, I just like taking pictures. I used a Pentax for years until it died. Then I switched to Nikon , love my Nikon !! I bought a D3500 . I gave my great niece my old Nikon, oddly enough she now has a part time job taking pictures of show horses, something she loves. I guess we are both Nikon girls. For really close up I use the flower setting on my camera. Gerogia ‘ O Keefe is a favorite of mine too.
I love Sony mirrorless cameras for the weight. They are super light the images are sharp and they work incredibly well in low light due to having a killer sensor. I work as a photographer and use a Sony a7iii. If you’ve got a bloody big budget these are an incredible camera.
Not sure anyone has mentioned this but there are plenty of places that allow you to rent different types of cameras and lenses. You might be able to try that out and see if you like it without paying thousands of dollars for something you might not enjoy
Hi Ilona,
I like to take the same photos as you and for years I used a Sony digital with a moveable view finder, updating the camera every 5 years or so. Then my son said I should try a DSLR. So I bought one for my birthday and got a couple of extra lenses. And it’s still sat in my office. Maybe I’m too old to change now? But I got as good results with my digital Sony using macro setting as my son got with his expensive SLR set up.
And then along came iPhone and gradually I stopped using my camera. I now have an iPhone 11 and TBH, most of the photos are as good as I used to get with my digital camera. I took a photo of a 2.5” wasp today, it was on the window which makes getting it in focus quite difficult. But it’s a brilliant picture – I’d show you if I could post pics!
I think what you use depends on how hard you’re prepared to work at using new tech! A phone is much easier to carry round and to get spontaneous photos – which often works really well for animals, bugs, plants etc.
Enjoy the decision making process ????.
Optical zoom vs Digital zoom. Optical zoom depends on the adjustable length of the lens on a point and shoot. The pictures are generally clear, not counting hand shake, and can be enlarged without loosing much in details. While digital zoom occurs after optical zoom is maxed out. It crops the edges of the picture and enlarges the centre, but the picture starts loosing detail and cannot be enlarged as much.
I might be inaccurate about this, but I think Macro lens’ are good for things that are tiny, ant size, while the Macro setting on a standard camera will take pictures of things that are simply small, beetle sized.
Interchangable lens’ are good for things that sit still, but if you like taking photo’s of restless creatures, you would be best working with a single lens that will cover your best range of settings.
A camera body that has the connections for interchangable lens’, then that could be useful in the future.
An alternative to classes, is to find some moving water, or something that is moving at a consistent speed but is still stationary, and take a series of photos where each photo has a different setting on it.
If you like a camera but find it is a little too heavy for your hands, there are a wide range of tripods to look into. From tripods with flexible legs that can be positioned on a car window to the full sized three legs ones.
The main rule, as so many other have said, is to make sure it feels good in your hands.
Hope you are happy with whatever you choose.
If you buy a camera I can only recommend Nikon because I haven’t had any other.
Still love my D40 and now have a smaller point and shoot with integrated lens which is nice too.
Actually both are kind of user-friendly point and shoot, because usually a motive doesn’t wait for you to ready your equipment. But both have various manual options if indeed you have the inclination/time to set up a shoot and fiddle with the different parsmeters.
If you go for a DSLR I second the UV/Haze filter which you screw onto the lens before first use and then forget about (unless you get a scrstch in which case it’s great if it is only the cheaper filter that needs replacing). I have a travel lens which covers close ups/zoom as well as landscapes which suits me.
If you are thinking about a particular model actually handling it is what finalized my decisions- it needs to feel comfortable in your hands and you need to be ok with the menu. Some cameras nowadays can become quite bulky and heavy especially with lenses.
Cannon Rebel – easy to use and easy to go fancy when you want – Highly highly recommend it – I love mine
It depends on how much futzing around you want to do/learning curve tolerance. If you want to learn what a DSLR can do, go and see how different models feels (when the stores are open and it’s safe). If you just want to take better pictures easier, upgrade the iPhone.
An in between option is to get an easy to carry point and shoot. I swear by my old Canon, even though I have a nice-ish Nikon DSLR.
I love taking photos but am more on the creative side with a sprinkle of lazy. The whole having to pack, lug around and swapping camera bits in unknown environments got old after a while. And then there was the time airport security opened up a camera and stuck their fingers and poked around. (You can’t beat the quality or trying to puzzle out the perfect settings tho!)
I suggest upgrading your cell phone and playing with the portrait mode on the newer iPhones. Play with the different functions like portrait mode (lazy pet models are perfect) and get a portable lightbox to play with pseudo macro shots (cut flowers/small plants/food on portrait mode and crop the heck out of it. There’s also time lapse, which is lots of fun for night/light photos. Add on a few apps that’ll fine tune your photos or have filters to play with.
Find some composition classes/tips, look at awesome photos and see why you like them, etc. and go from there. You’ll appreciate a more professional set up and can compare better from there, and possibly not cry about the money.
Splurge on a large digital art frame (like the smaller Aura and Apple Watch slideshow best for ease of use) as part of your present instead?
(Otherwise, would second dpreviews, mirrorless cameras and leica lenses as middle ground.)
Are you interested in using a separate camera, or are you looking for ways to upgrade your current phone set up?
If you’re looking for a separate camera, I would recommend a Canon. I use a 5D, with a few different lenses. One is my everyday lens, which goes from a wide angle to a zoom. I also have an extended zoom, which is fun for wildlife shots. I need a macro to really do good close ups. Here’s a link to a package to show you what I mean. https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/eos-5d-mark-iv-ef-24-105-f4l-is-ii-usm-lens-kit
I got mine from Costco. I would bet that Sam’s Club has them too.
These are digital cameras, so you can move all of your photos to your PC or the cloud. They will function as a point and shoot camera, where all you’re doing is setting the zoom. They will also allow you to change up all kinds of settings, for different effects.
A friend of mine swears by Nikon, as another option.
Haven’t kept up with 35mm cameras recently I love my iPhone and it does a lot. But I miss it not having a macro feature where you can get really close. My Mom loved Nikon. However my new iPhone does pretty close, portrait mode will blur background and it has a great non distorting wide angle with many tricks in editing. I go to the Apple store and take classes and have learned a lot.
About the expense: my husband bought his first camera (a Nikon) many years ago. Although it seemed expensive at the time, it’s a small price to pay for the enjoyment he’s gotten out of it. And I get beautiful art for my walls.
Your library might lend cameras, especially if it has a makerspace. I have a Canon Rebel with an 18-55mm zoom lens. It has an anti-shake setting for my unsteady hands. It’s an SLR with enough fancy choices so that I can choose different lenses and play with speed without having to spend so much. However, it’s large enough that I frequently opt to just go with my phone’s camera. So, I’d think about your willingness to lug anything you’re testing. Also, I found out the hard way that a lesser lens can really slow down your fancy camera. Happy hunting!
Oh heck yes buy a camera!!!!! They’re computers! And you are a whiz at computers ! They have menus where you choose sunsets, bird watching , moon pictures,people portraits , backlit, pet portraits, panorama, fireworks , museum etc…The Macro setting may be in the scene menu or have its own dedicated button. Or switch to auto and point and shoot. We’ve got a NIKON COOLPIX P900. It cost around 500.00 a couple of years ago . We love using the macro setting to get close up detailed pictures of flowers and bugs.We use the zoom to bring far away (birds mostly) in close.More pixels =better picture. It’s really fun to see your pictures on the TV. Go for it! And Good Luck!
Regarding the Iron Covenant series and it being “dark “and therefore difficult to write to, I just wanted to say (tongue firmly in cheek) that I haven’t yet managed to forgive Hugh for the death of Aunt Bee (and so much more!!!) So as a faithful , loyal reader I want you to know if the story calls for Hugh to lose an arm, leg or eye I won’t cry buckets like I did when Aunt Bee died.
I love the Olympus micro 4/3 line – smaller then old-school DSLR, but good quality and a great range of lenses. I started with the kit lens that came with their entry level PEN about five years ago, and gradually upgraded to a nicer zoom and dedicated portrait lens for less then $100 each – they both greatly expanded the kinds of pictures I could take, and I’m still using them now (among others) with my newly upgraded slightly fancier Olympus body. It’s been a great system to learn on.
Uh – since I am someone who only seems able to photos of the ceiling when I want the floor and the floor when I want the ceiling, I think your photography is FANTASTIC!!!! I know that’s not the feedback you’re looking for, but it’s what I have to offer.
I would suggest starting with a basic Canon DSLR camera such as the EOS 4000D.
This is a basic, beginners SLR designed to help you get started and to find all the things it can do!
It has interchangeable lenses (which you can use on other Canon DSLRs if you decide to upgrade later), and a full range for features. Most importantly, it won’t cost the earth. Give it a try.
It was a revelation to me when I got my first DSLR and I had a gret deal of fun seeing what it could do, and what I could do with it.
I am a Nikon fan, and as a DSLR starting up, and if you have a good budget, I would try the Z50. It has a feature to focus on pet’s faces, so right up what you are looking for! Hope this helps 🙂
I’d suggest a super zoom class camera, which generally cost a lot less than the SDR models with replaceable lenses for different levels of zoom. I like the Cannon line, personally. I can catch photos of my kids in the marching band from way up in the bleachers, or hit the macro button for a bug or a flower.
I suggest a DSLR. Mobile phones are good but are limited in their zoom as it is digital. Also the speed of focusing and speed of zoom can be an issue with the all in one and the powered optical zoom uses battery. The speed of focusing and zooming can be a problem trying to take a photo quickly eg as passing by in the car or object moving fast. Also some do not allow the flash to be turned off so places where flash is not allowed you cannot take photos eg of historical documents in museums or locally photographing penguins at night. With a DSLR you can change the speed for night photography if necessary but the image has more grain.
With the DSLR I suggest a light weight model which are often the cheaper models. I like the Nikon D5x00 series (D5500, D5600) but their D3300 is full of features and uses a similar or the same sensor all with high resolution. See which features you like and may need. I have an earlier D5200 and am very happy.
Why the Nikon over a Cannon and others is that Nikon have two 18-300 lenses so you cover almost the entire needed range with one lens so no requirement to change lenses. You can go from wide angle to zoom very quickly and by not removing lens reduces (stops) ingress of dust into the camera’s internals if left permanently attached. Their disadvantage is that they don’t do macro so the close-up of small objects eg insects will not happen but you can take good large detailed pictures of a single flower. Of the two with this range I choose the cheaper as it is 280g (over ½lb lighter) and only marginally slower at one end of the range. (These lenses are equivalent to a film SLR 27-450mm: ask at the camera shop). Any lenses should have vibration reduction (or in the camera body – some Sony) but not digitally as the trade off is reduced resolution.
Get a second battery, the same as the camera’s when you buy. This as mentioned by others allows you to have a fully charged battery at all times. My Nikon’s charger is 100-240V 50-60Hz so can be used anywhere in the world with just a plug adaptor(s) (when we can travel again).
Contrary to others I recommend one large fast memory card eg ScanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC1 64GB (or greater, now up to 1TB), speed 170 or 95MB/s UHS-I compliant or 300MB/s UHS-II compliant (the later may be beyond the suggested camera’s needs/ability). I leave the memory card permanently in the camera and download at the end of the holiday or photo session. I do this to avoid any possibility of damage or wear to the contacts. The 64GB I use allows me to take literally thousands of photos (4,000 over six weeks less than half full at 28GB) on a holiday all at the highest resolution JPEG (6000×4000, up to 7MB each) and even taking multiple photos in quick succession the card is able to keep pace downloading.
The cameras suggested come with a built in flash that is perfectly adequate. If you find that what you photograph often requires a separate flash you can buy later and there is a plethora of choices from each camera manufacturer.
The one disadvantage of any of the digital cameras: DSLR, phones or all in one is that they can loose some of the mood as they pull as much light as possible to create the picture so a dull day may appear much the same as a good day. The advantage is they often enable you to take a photo that you could not with a film camera.
Whilst the suggested DSLRs will take good videos but if taking many videos a dedicated video camera is a better choice. The issues may be maximum of half hour per recording and not able to change zoom and focus during recording.
My husband just told me about a review he read that praised a simple phone
app that will turn a picture from a smart phone into one that will rival anything
out there including really expensive cameras.
Of course he couldn’t find where he read it( might even have been you tube) but you can google it.There are several out there, and several are free to try.(Maybe you could try a free one on your present iPhone just for fun.)
Again, we always have our phones with us, but rarely remember to take the Nikon. because it’s so hot (Florida) in the car that it isn’t a good idea to leave the camera in the trunk, etc. while running errands, any more than you would ever leave a
cellphone sitting in that kind of heat.
I try to walk about an hour every morning and am constantly snapping shots of flowers and wildlife.But I would never lug along the Nikon.
Your website looks absolutely fabulous, BTW.
You are truly amazing having the longest to do list in the world, every day, and doing it all so amazingly well. Not just Super Woman, but Super Duper Woman.
I have a variety of cameras. All digital, but fancy ones with the lenses and a smaller water proof one for macro shots and the rare occasion I go scuba diving. But time and time again, if I’m packing to go someplace and traveling light -or if I’m hanging at home I grab my iPhone 11 pro. They have made huge improvements in the camera software over the years and especially this time around. It takes great shots, you can use the “live” feature which actually takes a few frame shots at once, so you can use that to get a better picture. Good for pets that don’t want to sit still. I’d start with that and then if you lose interest you’ll at least have a faster phone. Or can really jump off the deep end into photography.
Hi Ilona and Gordon,
Congratulations on your new website. I love the Lion beside your pen name on the top of your page but after reading Kate Daniels series in my mind the lion represents Gordon and Kate represents you.
I thought it would be cool to have a woman beside the Lion to represent both of you;)
So I’m not a photographer though I used to love taking pictures of landscapes. A previous boss and my sister-in-law are very into photography. They both have really great cameras snd lenses. My boss bought used. My s-i-l got hers new as an anniversary gift. The difference I’ve noticed is that my boss took his hiking and only used his for nature shots. My s-i-l takes hers everywhere. She loves documenting all family occasions and her trips with my brother. Neither are iPhone users and got their cameras before the upgraded phone apps got so good. Both take beautiful pictures of the things they love. I thought about getting the newest iPhone and editing when I got my current phone but I don’t really have the time to dedicate to it right now and thought I should wait because I didn’t have a burning desire to take up photography so the extra expense wasn’t justified for me. I did know however that I van barely keep track of my phone so carting around a camera case wasn’t in the cards for me. Whatever you choose, I hope you you get to take some great pictures. And congratulations on your silver anniversary. ????
I tried a friend’s Nikon D90 and I fell in love with it. I am still mostly illiterate with camera settings, but I can get amazing photos out of it without knowing what I am doing. Bonus: I can hand it to my sister and she can get great family shots without doing anything to it. I know I am using like 1% of the features, but it makes me feel good to see my pictures printed on canvas or on posters and hung through out the house. I have bought a few lenses, a remote, a tripod, and a couple of travel bags. It was hideously expensive when we purchased it 10 years ago, but my husband gave it to me as a present when we had our first child so I felt better about it. I hope it gives you the joy it gives me! I have little to no creative talents(no drawing, painting, music, etc) – computer programmer here. I am not even a great photoshop user. I am mulling a new lens or two for my camera – a telephoto for all the birds my husband is feeding or a macro to capture the flowers my children are always planting. Just to enjoy the things that they enjoy, that gets us away from screens and outdoors is a win.
A few years ago I bought a fully digital micro four thirds camera. I really like it it has similar options to a DSLR camera including changeable lenses. They are cheaper and much lighter than a DSLR but the image quality is similar. The only downside I have discovered so far is that you absolutely always need to bring a back-up battery. As everything is digital the camera uses more power than a DSLR so the battery drains faster. Depending in your budget this might bei a good Option.
I’ve used the early generation lensbabies, which are harder to use but still cool. The effect is amazing! But it is limited and not worth the money if you don’t do extensive photography. I would recommend getting the phone attachment. I’m pretty sure that you can find one that fits your current phone, so no need to upgrade.
However, if you want to get a dSLR, Canon has 100mm macro lens, which isn’t as good as the 185mm, but has served me well. I have the basic version, not the L (luxury) version. The first few photos on the link below were taken with the 100mm lens.
Oh goodie! I’ve been hanging out on the website obsessively hitting refresh waiting for new Ryder chapters and trying to find free fiction I haven’t read yet. Or any full books I haven’t read yet (I failed there).
Patience ain’t my strong suit. I’m trying.
I am a massive camera geek and been working in photography on and off for the last 10 years.
Based on what you want to do I would recommend an APSC sensor DSLR camera (or a mirrorless equivalent of the same). Also known as cropped sensor (the alternative is a bigger ‘full-frame’ sensor but to start it would be overkill. Also full-frame macro lenses cost as much as a kidney). I’m very PRO-Sony on this (so something like the A6400 for example) because their dynamic range is great. That means you can capture both the shadows and the highlights in an image without the camera throwing a fit. This is usually key for landscapes as toward sunset the land is quite dark and the sky is still vibrant and bright.
I shot Nikon APSC for years and I left the system a year ago as I felt they weren’t really catering to the consumer and their dynamic range used to be shit. I felt like I was spending way too much time trying to save photos from grain and digital noise. It was just TOO MUCH WORK.
Canons I’m not a fan of ergonomically but they are great cameras AND with everyone upgrading to mirrorless you could pick up a pro Canon camera and some lenses used for a steal.
Before you buy I would recommend to go into a store and handle some. B&H in my experience are usually great if there is one in Texas where you are. Then look at camera reviews on youtube once you’ve narrowed it down a little.
If weight of the camera is an issue I would recommend mirrorless cameras like Fuji (make sure you can swap the lenses as some Fuji cameras come with a single fixed lens) or sony (cropped not full frame, sony full frame lenses can be used to clobber someone).
Finally, because this is slightly scattered (in Europe, it’s been A LOOOONG day of meetings) please reach out with any and all questions, I LOVE talking about photography and would be delighted to provide any guidance I can (and link to resources that explain things way better than I do).
You’re about to embark on a wonderful creative journey, I wish you well.
Jump with both feet. 🙂
If you are looking for a point-and-shoot, I really loved my Pentax (Ricoh) WG series camera (I think I had a WG-3 or WG-4. They have a super macro setting which I used to take some really cool close-up shots. I used mine for taking pictures of flowers, fish and tiny sea slugs (nudibranches). Small camera, easy to travel with, waterproof (it says to 45ft. But really it should be treated as safe to snorkel with, as it’s not really meant for diving – as I found out ????), and you don’t need a separate lens set up to switch between macro and wide angle, which is nice. I found I took more pictures with it than with my DSLR, just because I was more likely to have it with me.
There is a camera shop in San Antonio that I rented a few specialized lenses from when I lived there. Much like others, I recommend trying a camera out. I used to take some amazing pictures with a point and shoot system, then switched to a DSLR and was a little disappointed with the learning curve. It’s worth it in the end, but if you can find something that works for you now and will let you grow, then so much the better.
https://www.cameraxrentals.com/
You know I found that in thrift stores you can find awesome high quality lenses cheep.
In 2013 I bought a Canon EOS Rebel T8i EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Kit on ebay at a good price, and found many Canon lenses in thrift stores in great shape.
I even found a a great close up lense for bugs & flowers the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM (which runs at about $900 on the Canon website) at a shop for $50. I was able to get a few wide lenses as well from the same shop.
Wow so much excellent advice on cameras here, I love clicking away on mine, I have a Nikon DSLR love the pics I get, but I’m often wanting the different lenses too. I alsohave found with my health issues I will often just use my Samsung phone camera. Due to its light and it’s at hand, charged and ready to go
I am a hobby photographer. I think I take decent photos.
I am actually on my 2nd DSLR. I got the Canon EOS Rebel SL1 shortly after that model came out. I liked it. It was very light for a DSLR. I just got to a point where I wanted more. My current camera is a Canon T7i.
They both have crop sensors, but that is fine with me. Yes, a full frame would be nice, but I can’t afford the price that goes with it.
Did you know there are places that rent cameras? I haven’t tried, but I have been tempted. It is an option if you like a camera, but don’t have a camera shop to go feel out the different models. And even trying in a store, there might be things you don’t like afte you spend a couple days with a camera.
Weight does matter.
I reread what I typed. It doesn’t really flow. Oh, well.
Did you know you can rent a camera? If you want to try before you buy, might be worth checking out.
Hi Ilona,
Not a professional but the good camera lets you take shots that are almost as good as real life. Support your local camera shop to try out the cameras (fit and how many buttons!) and ask about rentals. If they don’t rent they can probably point you to who will. This is very helpful when considering buying a pricey lens after making a camera determination.
Your local camera shop is likely to have somebody who will happily walk you through all of the insane things you didn’t know your camera (TBD) can do. Mine was able to point me to a series of online camera activities and they could then walk me . . . though the how did you get your finger in the picture of that if you were using the camera in a non acrobatic manner?
Apologies in advance for being off-topic.
Is there a good way to take a photo of a spider on its web?
I fell in love with a beautiful Joro-gumo (yes, after reading Ilona’s “Magic Dreams” novella) who lived no our porch, but could never get my iPhone to focus on the spider and web.
Are you familiar with macro photography? You would need a lens that can focus up close and create 1:1 or greater images, for best results. Here’s an example (although not a spider or web): https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1647865
I travel 2-3 times a year and spend half my vacation taking photos of everything that seems remotely interesting. Drives my boyfriend crazy :))
Have had a mirrorless Olympus for years and never felt the need to upgrade to anything. They make lightweight, reliable cameras at a lower cost than the bigger brands (Cannon, Nikon). I have dropped it several times because I am a klutz and it still works perfectly.
Another easy option is to get clip on lenses for your phone – they have wide angle, macro, etc, and it’s pretty cheap (~$20). I’ve gotten really good macro photos with my pixel 2 this way.
Late to the party, I think handling the camera is good advice as you probably don’t want something super heavy. My husband chose a Canon DSLR the last time we got a new camera. It is a few years old our daughter actually shoots movies on it. One thing you might want to look into is a tripod, ours converts to a monopod too. Have fun choosing!
Welcome to the wonderful, fun, and incredibly expensive hobby of photography. After 12 years of this hobby, I’ve amassed a lot of equipment. I just switched from Canon DSLR to Sony mirrorless for some stability especially since it is lighter weight. However, Sony lenses are on the more expensive end. Mirrorless cameras are a really great option though because of how much easier it is to hold. Lenses are worth the cost as they really make a difference in quality.
I live in Bulverde and would totally be willing to show you around your new camera (we met at the library in Feb). Have fun and be patient!!
When I first got into photography, I was fortunate to run across Fredmiranda.com. Fred was a gorgeous male model but he loved being on the other side of the lens. He built a wonderful website, with different forums for every type of photography. You might find it interesting to go there and explore the different forums and see what people are using to get the shots that you are drawn to. The site has changed a lot (buy/sell forum would no longer be my first choice, I prefer Adorama now or buying refurbished directly from Canon), but there are probably still helpful people who will teach you how to use whatever you do get. DSLR for the win. You’ll be able to see things the marvelous human eye can’t see, and then be able to manipulate the images in powerful ways with various software. Rather than jump into expensive software (and subscription plans that just keep going up), look into GIMP. Free alternative to Photoshop. Lots of info on YouTube. Regarding the camera itself, the glass is far more important. So figure out what you want to shoot first, then what glass you will need, then camera body. I was shooting horse shows, so I needed a full frame camera with zero shutter delay, reliable autofocus, and a powerful zoom lens on a Winchester sidekick, mounted on a strong ball head and tripod. Weather sealed and in camo of course, so as not to spook the horses. 15 years later that camera is hopelessly out of date (still shoots great images, just can’t blow them up), but the glass is still excellent. And even more expensive today. I stay with Canon because I have a lot of L glass, and I like their color rendition, but I also have a Fujifilms camera for less conspicuous photography. If you want to do macro, that’s a whole world in and of itself, with specialized lenses and gear. I really should write a blog post instead of going on and on here. Have fun!
seconding GIMP! It has almost all of the functionality of Adobe Photoshop, and it’s open source, and I have had a good time using it, even if there is a bit of a learning curve. Like Elle says, there’s a lot of YouTube tutorials!
Got to agree with previous posts. Camera store, hold the camera and talk with someone who knows the features. Some cameras have so many bells and whistles you’ll never sort through them all. If you don’t have a lot of patience you want it to be easy. I shoot Nikon (big pro camera), but once you’ve invested in lenses you don’t often switch. A good wide angle to medium range lens 24-70 or a macro to 70 (fun) and perhaps a 70-200 is all you really need.
You can rent cameras to try them out. Check out the mirrorless cameras as they are so much lighter. That’s where Sony shines.
I am on similar quest. Before you get the lensbaby you will want to get comfortable with depth of field and focus and using manual settings on the camera. I have a canon rebel, it is lighter than the full frame cameras. The lenses are cheaper. I have a prime lense and a macro lens. The macro is great for portraits and close ups of flowers. See my insta #jpartainorcross. Also, you can rent all the fancy lenses to see if you want them. Professional photographers rent their stuff and get it shipped to the shoot location. You can book trips with pros who will help you storm chase or do night photography or bluebonnets. I went to Big Bend and did a photo workshop with Jason Weingart. You learn a lot and get chances to take some great photos. The larger frame cameras are necessary for the landscape and night sky stuff.
My friends who are professional photographers say that some of their best photos were taken with their iPhones. If you can the iPhone 11 Pro or any of the other major camera phones should be good enough and you have a phone too!
I have an old manual Cannon.Does that date me? I also have a digital Cannon Sure Shot. Finding a camera that feels right is good. Make sure that you go through a tutorial or at least read the owner’s manual. Don’t be surprised when your children borrow said camera and you have to go hunting for it so you can use your camera.
Today, July 7th Kohl’s.com where you can score this Canon EOS Rebel T6 DSLR Camera Kit for just $299.99 shipped (regularly $749.99)!
Description: This camera kit lets you capture highly detailed, vibrant photos and videos, plus you can use the built-in Wi-Fi to upload, share and print your photos. You’ll find everything you need to bring your photography to a new level, including the camera body, a 18-55mm and a 75-300mm lens, a shoulder bag, battery pack, charger, and more!
Hi! I’m a professional photographer who shot Canon for years, but switched to Fujifilm about 4 years ago. I haven’t regretted it for a moment. More vibrant colors, and incredible glass, which is what will give you that bokeh look you are referencing. Overall, it’s a lighter system so it’s easier to just grab and go. They’ve just brought out the XT4, so there are very good deals on the XT2’s + XT3’s right now. If you are even vaguely considering shooting any video, check out the XH1 because it has built in camera stabilization which is essential for video. Pair any of those camera bodies with the 35mm 1.4 lens and you’ll be in love with the Fuji system in no time. Bonus? The XT series has a really cool retro look with ISO and shutter speed dials sitting on top of the camera like the old school SLR’s. Aperture (which is what gives you that soft focus look) is on the lens. Have fun and let us know what system you choose!
Almost forgot one of the coolest Fuji X series functions. In camera, you can choose different color profiles which emulate the Fuji film stocks (Provia, Astia, Eterna, etc). It will give you an incredibly polished look straight out of camera (aka SOOC), but still allow you to have a “style.”