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?
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 ????