Photography Tips for Beginners and Camera Recommendations

Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the best cameras to buy for beginners! Most of my friends have asked because they are either running a small business, have young children, or an epic vacation coming up. So this blog post is going to give you some insight if you fall into one of these categories.

Before I dive in to all of my recommendations, if your budget is less than $1000 I suggest getting the newest iPhone. I know this may not be your favorite advice, but trust me, the iPhone’s camera has come a long way! The cameras on these phones are getting better and better with each iPhone update. Plus, we always have our phones in our pockets or purses. The larger iPhone 7+, the iPhone 8, and iPhone X have two lenses with one being a telephoto that’s great for those things a bit further away.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED

For those of you who want the “real deal”, let’s discuss exactly what you’ll need: (1) the proper gear and (2) some photography tips that will help you get the great photos you will be proud to share. I’ll share my beginner photography tips in a later post. Today I want to give you my gear recommendations.

We are in holiday season, so I encourage you to read this post and get your shopping on asap to get some deals on your new beginner photography gear.

Buying your First DSLR Camera

Budget-wise, you may spend $1,500+ for a decent camera and lens. This investment will be worth every dollar, I promise. The photos you take will last a lifetime and are essentially priceless in my opinion. Also, the gear I’m recommending will last for many years of your photography journey. I encourage taking the financial plunge if you’re serious about taking your photography to the next level.

I personally use Canon because it is very user friendly. When I started out, I used a Canon and I was able to learn how to shoot in manual mode (with lots of practice.) I think Fuji, Nikon, and Sony also make incredible cameras, but speaking from experience I can confidently say that Canon cameras are a great investment for beginners.

If you check out the links below you’ll find a decent beginner DSLR camera by Canon. In the past, many people recommended the Canon Rebel T3i, but since it’s not manufactured anymore, I strongly suggest the one linked below as the next best thing for beginners.

There are obviously higher quality cameras, like mine which is quite a bit more expensive. But I truly believe that the cameras I’ve recommended below are a good way to start and are also very affordable.

RECOMMENDED CAMERA AND LENS COMBOS

As mentioned, I shoot with Canon. You can find everything that I use here.

For Canon users, here’s the a most inexpensive Camera I’d recommend for beginners. Although, that camera comes with a lens, I suggest using it in your first year, to get the hang of it, but save up and then upgrade asap because the quality of the kit lens is not great. If you’re looking to upgrade from this then I would suggest this camera next.

Things to Consider when buying a lens

If you already own a camera and want to buy a new lens keep reading. I’ve recommended lenses below based on a few things.

Aperture: When I started out, I upgraded my lenses first before upgrading my camera body. This is the best way to make a huge change quickly. There are many lenses to choose from. The rule is this: The lower the f/ (f-stop) is, the better for your photos. For example the lens that comes with the cameras has an f/ 3.5-5.6 – the ones I recommend below has an f/1.8, 1.4, or 2.0. I always recommend getting a lens with the lowest f/ that also fits your budget. A low f/ means more light, and more background blur (aka bokeh).

Size: The lenses that I love are not big and bulky in size.

Focal length: I prefer and recommend prime lenses, which is very different from the lens sold in the box which is a zoom lens. Prime lenses have a single focal length and are generally better for beginners, in my opinion. (Keep in mind that on a camera with a cropped sensor, you’ll have to get a lens that is around 23mm to get an actual 35mm.)

My favorite lens for beginners who are interested in portrait photography is this one here. If you’d like to upgrade, than I’d recommend this one – on a full frame sensor. For people shooting portraits and other things like travel, events, or food you may want to consider this lens or this zoom lens (it has a lower f/)

Mirrorless Camera Options

I also believe that Fuji and Sony have some amazing cameras as well. The benefit of the Sony and Fuji models are that they are slightly different because they are mirrorless cameras. All that means is that they are smaller than DSLRs and are preferred among people who need a camera on the go. Plus, they are compact and easy to carry around while traveling. I’m definitely interested in using these during my travels.

For Sony here’s a Camera recommendation and a prime lens OR a zoom lens recommendation.

For Fuji here’s a Camera recommedation and a prime lens OR a zoom lens recommendation.

If you have more questions, about anything here I also offer one-on-one mentoring sessions. Or if you are looking for a professional level camera and have a budget over $2000, I’d be happy to provide further advice, feel free to email us at sam [at] samanthaclarke [dot] com. Stay creative!

~Sam