Newbie-Greenhorn Photog
May 11, 2018 07:43:54 #
Hello. All....
Beginner photography buff as of today.
Have read a ton of photography blogs so far....really lost now ?
Looking for advice of what to buy for a starter camera, but also something that I can grow into without trading up every year ?
Is buying a used camera worth the risk?
Where to buy it?
What lenses?
Budget could go up to $ 1000...is that realistic?
Mostly shoot scenery...sometimes at 65 mph, but also everything I come across out on the road
TY
Jack
Beginner photography buff as of today.
Have read a ton of photography blogs so far....really lost now ?
Looking for advice of what to buy for a starter camera, but also something that I can grow into without trading up every year ?
Is buying a used camera worth the risk?
Where to buy it?
What lenses?
Budget could go up to $ 1000...is that realistic?
Mostly shoot scenery...sometimes at 65 mph, but also everything I come across out on the road
TY
Jack
May 11, 2018 08:01:35 #
Welcome to the forum.
Deciding on a camera could be a daunting task.
You need to figure what you want it to be able to do, and what you want to be able to do with it.
(My Canon T1i kit was less than $1,000 years ago. It does well. Now they have the T6(i/s) maybe the T7i?)
Deciding on a camera could be a daunting task.
You need to figure what you want it to be able to do, and what you want to be able to do with it.
(My Canon T1i kit was less than $1,000 years ago. It does well. Now they have the T6(i/s) maybe the T7i?)
May 11, 2018 08:03:39 #
May 11, 2018 08:08:04 #
Welcome--a thousand dollars is very realistic. You might want to think about going with a mirrorless system, since that seems to be the wave of the future (the die-hard DSLR folks may crucify me for saying this). They are lightweight and easy to handle. Remember one thing--you don’t have to have a gazillion dollars worth of equipment to take good photos. You should be able to purchase a very good camera, mirrorless or DSLR, with a couple of lenses (usually a short and a long zoom) for your price range. You’ll probably have people tell you that Canon (what I have) or Nikon or Sony or Fujifilm or whatever is the only way to go, but they will be wrong because any of a number of brands will take great photos when used correctly. When you shop, look at refurbished systems as well as new; they can often save you a great deal of cash. Read a lot of reviews before purchasing to see what you’re getting into with a particular make or model. Size and weight are often significant factors when purchasing.
Happy shopping and shooting--we’ll look forward to seeing your work, whatever you wind up choosing.
Happy shopping and shooting--we’ll look forward to seeing your work, whatever you wind up choosing.
May 11, 2018 08:10:01 #
May 11, 2018 08:17:54 #
21812 wrote:
Hello. All.... br br Beginner photography buff as... (show quote)
Welcome, your budget will afford you to jump in with both feet, for used equipment check KEH, B&H Photo, or adorama, all are reliable outlets!
May 11, 2018 08:20:02 #
Welcome Jack! I have majority of my camera bodies and most of my lenses were purchased used. As you consider the ideas for a system, also consider online seller KEH.com as a source for quality used equipment. Anything rated EX or EX+ will seem link brand-new equipment except for the absence of original packaging. If you think there's a problem, or simply changed your mind, you have 2-weeks after receipt to send back for refund, no questions asked. Today's entry level DSLRs have the technology that make them easily the only camera you'll need for the next several years or more. Try visiting a big box store with a camera department to handle equipment from the various vendors and see how they "feel" in terms of size and weight and basic handling.
Yes, $1000 for camera and 2 or more lenses is a reasonable budget. You can spend less if creative or stretching your funds by buying used or refurbished. You can also spend a lot more. Stay true to your budget rather than suggestions from people who'll happily spend your money via unrelated suggestions as if that money was theirs ...
Yes, $1000 for camera and 2 or more lenses is a reasonable budget. You can spend less if creative or stretching your funds by buying used or refurbished. You can also spend a lot more. Stay true to your budget rather than suggestions from people who'll happily spend your money via unrelated suggestions as if that money was theirs ...
May 11, 2018 08:22:40 #
mizzee
Loc: Boston,Ma
Welcome to a whole new world! Do you have a local photography store, not Best Buy? They can be of tremendous help. My first camera was the equivalent of a Nikon 5300. You need to feel whatever you buy in your hands, you need some bells and whistles, but not everything. Take a class to learn the basics. I'm in Massachusetts and my go-to store, Hunts Photo, worked with me on my last two cameras without blowing smoke up my sweater. They also offer beginner classes and a host of other classes and workshops. Have fun!
May 11, 2018 08:23:34 #
21812 wrote:
Hello. All.... br br Beginner photography buff as... (show quote)
Welcome. As to your questions, first, $1000.00 is not realistic for a camera that will last you for a while without the need to upgrade. That said, I am a Nikon shooter, so I will recommend a Nikon D750. It is a full frame camera that will be great for landscape photography. I am sure that there is a Canon version that will work great as well as some other brands, but that is for someone who is familiar with the other brands to address. I recommend a full frame body for landscape because, in my opinion, a full frame camera is better for that type of photography. If you were interested in sports or other wildlife, I would recommend a D500, as I prefer a DX, or cropped sensor, camera for that type of photography.
As for buying used, I would buy reconditioned from B&H Photography, KEH, or Adorama. Make sure you do not buy "grey market". That means to be sure the camera and lens were targeted for the U.S. market, as the manufacturer will not honor the warranty or repair the unit if it was targeted for a foreign destination. Do not ask why, because no one really knows, that is just the way it is.
Lenses, the D750 may be purchased with a 24-120mm kit lens that is fairly good. When you start building up your extra lenses, 50mm, 35mm, and 24mm lenses are great landscape lenses. A 105mm macro lens is a nice specialty lens.
Good luck with whatever you choose and have fun with your new hobby.
May 11, 2018 08:40:31 #
For budget photography, the Sony a-mount can't be beat. The A68 has features not available in other entry class and works like mirrorless with evf and full time pdaf focus. used Minolta lenses are a bargain too. The 70-210 f4.0 beercan can be had for around $100. The mirroless 70-200 f4.0 is around $1100 dollars. The Minolta 70-200 f2.8 hs lens is usually around $1000. The e-mount equivalent is about $2500.
May 11, 2018 09:28:38 #
I second the thought that you will get all kinds of recommendations insisting that theirs is the only system or only brand worth anything, or that "settling" is wasteful and unprofessional. Well, it IS unprofessional, and that's a good thing! When I was shooting to pay for college, way, way back in film days, I had to buy equipment that was rugged, reliable, and top quality. If I blew a wedding shoot, it was pretty likely that I wouldn't get another one. And I had to have the "Best" lenses and flashes available, because negatives had to be close to perfection to make the prints that actually provide most of the profit margin for a pro working weddings, especially a young man without a long resume.
The good news is that you don't need to have those limitations, and that even a relatively modest system in this digital age can produce spectacular results, results that are as good as or better than the highest end stuff of forty years ago. Here's my advice:
1) Set a budget, not just for initial purchases, but for how much you think you'll be spending on your new photography hobby. Some people have already said you should buy the best full frame camera you can afford, and some have said an entry level "crop" camera system will suit you just fine. They are both correct, depending on how much you figure you'll be spending on this. Remember "spending" includes not only purchasing gear, but also printing, matting, framing, and travel for some "photo trips". If you buy a full frame semi-pro camera, you will be lucky to get one zoom lens with it for $2K, and that's a big investment before you've had much experience in differentiating wants from needs. But if you're the sort of person who really needs to have the latest and greatest stuff, you may really be dissatisfied if you don't have everything you want in each individual product. Having a budget will help you decide on format and system. Full frame SLR, crop sensor SLR, and Mirrorless systems all have their virtues and vices, and have strong advocates here, who will, no doubt, let you know. Ken Rockwell is a great site for an overview of what's available, and what they can do. Like anyone, Rockwell has strong opinions, but he's quite factual in describing actual differences in gear, and has tons of articles showing what's compatible with what. Figure your budget, read Rockwell and other sites, and make a decision on what system to go with. More good news - there is a thriving market for used gear, on eBay, on this forum, on Craigslist, and on other sites, so you can often trade up fairly inexpensively if you time it right and are methodical in your buying. You're not just buying a camera and lens, you're marring into a family. And while divorce is relatively easy, it isn't always cheap. Consider what you'll be shooting, how large you'll be printing it, etc., and make your own decision on the family you want to marry into. This brings me to the second point.
2) It is okay to marry someone who's already been married - in other words, buy used. But be careful. The dealers mentioned above, KEH, Adorama, B&H, Hunt's, etc. are all terrific. Honest folks, easy to deal with, and willing to stand by their products. Buying from eBay has become much safer in recent years - you can often get a warranty from PayPal, and it's easy to read through past feedback to see if someone has a history of deception and failure to perform. I wouldn't let one or two bad reviews throw me off, it they're general and poorly written - there are some obnoxious and entitled customers out there - the kind who basically blackmail a seller with the threat of giving them bad feedback. I think you can get a pretty good sense from reading their feedback, and how they respond to it. I've been buying a variety of stuff (not just photo gear) on eBay for years, and I've only gotten one piece that went defective quickly. And even that was my own fault; the seller offered a refund, but after three weeks I didn't feel entitled to it, especially as I could have purchased a warranty. Even in that instance, I lost only $200, so it wasn't a financial death blow. Used prices can often be half or less than new or refurbished, so you earn a few Mulligans from the overall savings. Shutter count is an important indicator of how lightly or heavily used a camera body is - you can get 200,000 or more shutter clicks out of most of today's equipment, so buying one with a count anywhere under 10K should give a pretty good lifespan. Refurbished cameras are also a good choice for many, cheaper than new, but more expensive than an untested used camera on the open market - you can find them on the websites of some manufacturers, as well as at the dealers listed above. We bought our most expensive lenses new, from a local camera dealer, who was quite willing to match Amazon prices, but our bodies and other lenses were all used, and our flash equipment and peripheral gear came from eBay (used) or Amazon (new). We even found ourselves two used $500+ camera bags priced between $100-$200 on eBay - sometimes being patient and waiting for a bargain is all it takes.
3) After you've decided on a system to start with, try to find a quality lens that covers the moderate wide angle to moderate telephoto lens - that will be your "walking around lens" for a while, maybe quite a while depending on where you go. Depending on what you learn to like as you shoot more and more, you can go in several directions: A longer telephoto, a compact wider angle, or upgrading the speed of your basic lens. Agai, you'll find a ready market for anything you're no longer happy with and want to sell. Another thing that's changed since my film era photography is that non OEM lenses are much, much better than they used to be - in some formats they are better than the original Nikon, Canon, Fuji, etc. models in some focal ranges and distances. The best non OEM lenses, in my opinion (others are sure to differ!) come from Sigma, Tokina, and Tamron. You can't really go wrong if you buy one of those. Most amateur lenses come with one or two "kit" lenses, which are decent quality, but aren't as fast or as well built as the upgrade lenses. Wait a while before you upgrade or add - you'll quickly find yourself saying "I wish I had a faster lens for low light" or "I wish I had a longer lens for sports and wildlife" or some other variation on that. Get experience with your basic lens and then decide on the next step. Remember, when you're doing your initial research that the effective length of a lens depends on the format, and that lenses suitable for full frame and crop systems have inherent differences. Check Ken Rockwell on this as well. A full frame or 35 mm camera produces an effect that is about 1.5 times the same focal length on a crop camera - in other words, a 200 mm telephoto on a crop camera is the equivalent of a 300 mm on a full frame or 35mm system. I started with the kit lenses for the Nikon crop system - an 18-55 mm and a 55-200 mm, but found a faster Nikon 18-70mm, which is now my walking around lens.
4) Finally, have a plan and stick to it until/unless you decide you're heading in the wrong direction. If you love doing this, you'll find yourself wanting camera bags, tripods, flashes, etc., depending on what you enjoy most. These all have to be accounted for, and can get quite pricey. Two years ago, my wife and I decided it was time to jump into DSLR photography with both feet. We started, by accident, finding a Nikon crop sensor camera with two lenses in our local pawn shop for $150. We already knew the type of photography we wanted to do, as we were both experienced from the film era, so we had a plan of what we wanted to buy and what we could afford. We budgeted two grand over two years, and decided, after using that initial pawn shop find, that we could get what we wanted as well as what we needed, for that budget. We will probably spend another thousand a year on upgrades going forward, leaving that much more for travel, printing, etc. We're in our sixties, and don't have that many years, at that pace, to acquire stuff. If you're interested, here's what we planned and how we achieved that goal: http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-526467-1.html
Good luck! And above all, keep taking pictures!
Andy
The good news is that you don't need to have those limitations, and that even a relatively modest system in this digital age can produce spectacular results, results that are as good as or better than the highest end stuff of forty years ago. Here's my advice:
1) Set a budget, not just for initial purchases, but for how much you think you'll be spending on your new photography hobby. Some people have already said you should buy the best full frame camera you can afford, and some have said an entry level "crop" camera system will suit you just fine. They are both correct, depending on how much you figure you'll be spending on this. Remember "spending" includes not only purchasing gear, but also printing, matting, framing, and travel for some "photo trips". If you buy a full frame semi-pro camera, you will be lucky to get one zoom lens with it for $2K, and that's a big investment before you've had much experience in differentiating wants from needs. But if you're the sort of person who really needs to have the latest and greatest stuff, you may really be dissatisfied if you don't have everything you want in each individual product. Having a budget will help you decide on format and system. Full frame SLR, crop sensor SLR, and Mirrorless systems all have their virtues and vices, and have strong advocates here, who will, no doubt, let you know. Ken Rockwell is a great site for an overview of what's available, and what they can do. Like anyone, Rockwell has strong opinions, but he's quite factual in describing actual differences in gear, and has tons of articles showing what's compatible with what. Figure your budget, read Rockwell and other sites, and make a decision on what system to go with. More good news - there is a thriving market for used gear, on eBay, on this forum, on Craigslist, and on other sites, so you can often trade up fairly inexpensively if you time it right and are methodical in your buying. You're not just buying a camera and lens, you're marring into a family. And while divorce is relatively easy, it isn't always cheap. Consider what you'll be shooting, how large you'll be printing it, etc., and make your own decision on the family you want to marry into. This brings me to the second point.
2) It is okay to marry someone who's already been married - in other words, buy used. But be careful. The dealers mentioned above, KEH, Adorama, B&H, Hunt's, etc. are all terrific. Honest folks, easy to deal with, and willing to stand by their products. Buying from eBay has become much safer in recent years - you can often get a warranty from PayPal, and it's easy to read through past feedback to see if someone has a history of deception and failure to perform. I wouldn't let one or two bad reviews throw me off, it they're general and poorly written - there are some obnoxious and entitled customers out there - the kind who basically blackmail a seller with the threat of giving them bad feedback. I think you can get a pretty good sense from reading their feedback, and how they respond to it. I've been buying a variety of stuff (not just photo gear) on eBay for years, and I've only gotten one piece that went defective quickly. And even that was my own fault; the seller offered a refund, but after three weeks I didn't feel entitled to it, especially as I could have purchased a warranty. Even in that instance, I lost only $200, so it wasn't a financial death blow. Used prices can often be half or less than new or refurbished, so you earn a few Mulligans from the overall savings. Shutter count is an important indicator of how lightly or heavily used a camera body is - you can get 200,000 or more shutter clicks out of most of today's equipment, so buying one with a count anywhere under 10K should give a pretty good lifespan. Refurbished cameras are also a good choice for many, cheaper than new, but more expensive than an untested used camera on the open market - you can find them on the websites of some manufacturers, as well as at the dealers listed above. We bought our most expensive lenses new, from a local camera dealer, who was quite willing to match Amazon prices, but our bodies and other lenses were all used, and our flash equipment and peripheral gear came from eBay (used) or Amazon (new). We even found ourselves two used $500+ camera bags priced between $100-$200 on eBay - sometimes being patient and waiting for a bargain is all it takes.
3) After you've decided on a system to start with, try to find a quality lens that covers the moderate wide angle to moderate telephoto lens - that will be your "walking around lens" for a while, maybe quite a while depending on where you go. Depending on what you learn to like as you shoot more and more, you can go in several directions: A longer telephoto, a compact wider angle, or upgrading the speed of your basic lens. Agai, you'll find a ready market for anything you're no longer happy with and want to sell. Another thing that's changed since my film era photography is that non OEM lenses are much, much better than they used to be - in some formats they are better than the original Nikon, Canon, Fuji, etc. models in some focal ranges and distances. The best non OEM lenses, in my opinion (others are sure to differ!) come from Sigma, Tokina, and Tamron. You can't really go wrong if you buy one of those. Most amateur lenses come with one or two "kit" lenses, which are decent quality, but aren't as fast or as well built as the upgrade lenses. Wait a while before you upgrade or add - you'll quickly find yourself saying "I wish I had a faster lens for low light" or "I wish I had a longer lens for sports and wildlife" or some other variation on that. Get experience with your basic lens and then decide on the next step. Remember, when you're doing your initial research that the effective length of a lens depends on the format, and that lenses suitable for full frame and crop systems have inherent differences. Check Ken Rockwell on this as well. A full frame or 35 mm camera produces an effect that is about 1.5 times the same focal length on a crop camera - in other words, a 200 mm telephoto on a crop camera is the equivalent of a 300 mm on a full frame or 35mm system. I started with the kit lenses for the Nikon crop system - an 18-55 mm and a 55-200 mm, but found a faster Nikon 18-70mm, which is now my walking around lens.
4) Finally, have a plan and stick to it until/unless you decide you're heading in the wrong direction. If you love doing this, you'll find yourself wanting camera bags, tripods, flashes, etc., depending on what you enjoy most. These all have to be accounted for, and can get quite pricey. Two years ago, my wife and I decided it was time to jump into DSLR photography with both feet. We started, by accident, finding a Nikon crop sensor camera with two lenses in our local pawn shop for $150. We already knew the type of photography we wanted to do, as we were both experienced from the film era, so we had a plan of what we wanted to buy and what we could afford. We budgeted two grand over two years, and decided, after using that initial pawn shop find, that we could get what we wanted as well as what we needed, for that budget. We will probably spend another thousand a year on upgrades going forward, leaving that much more for travel, printing, etc. We're in our sixties, and don't have that many years, at that pace, to acquire stuff. If you're interested, here's what we planned and how we achieved that goal: http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-526467-1.html
Good luck! And above all, keep taking pictures!
Andy
May 11, 2018 09:35:03 #
Thank you very much !
Appreciate the advice!
Will let you know what the choice is...
Thanks again
Jack
Age is only a number !
Appreciate the advice!
Will let you know what the choice is...
Thanks again
Jack
Age is only a number !
May 11, 2018 19:54:44 #
May 11, 2018 22:56:47 #
$1000 will buy you a nice camera and lens. Shooting anything at 65 mph is going to get you nothing worth keeping. Get a couple of introductory books on photography. When you do buy a camera read the owner's manual from cover to cover. I know, pain in the neck. But do it anyway. Keep the Getting Started booklet handy.
May 12, 2018 04:31:01 #
Wow...how valuable is this. What great advice from everyone. Thank You to all of you for taking the time to comment, it has given me new valuable information for more research, however going to jump in here shortly and buy a camera. Was really leaning towards the Canon just because more lenses available ? But truly...how many do you need anyway ? So I think back to the Nikon
Once again...thank you to all ..really appreciate it !
Once again...thank you to all ..really appreciate it !
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