Choosing your first camera unit (For Beginners)

Can't decide which camera to buy? A lot of people are on the same boat as you and I myself have been there before.

When I bought my DSLR camera for the first time, I didn't have any criteria or preference. I didn't even ask anybody for an opinion on what's a good camera to buy. All I had in mind was "I just need a DSLR camera so I could get started with my dream career" and so that I wouldn't have to borrow my sister's camera anymore (which was a Canon 550D). To save money on lenses, I decided to just go with Canon as well. My father eventually got me a Canon 1000D, an already obsolete camera. Compared to the new cameras now, my 1000D didn't have any video capabilities, only shot at 10 megapixels, and the ISO only reached up to 1600. There's a limit to what you can only shoot and produce using old DSLRs but now, because of technology advancements, new cameras are now able to record 4k videos, transfer files through bluetooth and wifi, have built-in stabilization, and have weather-sealed bodies. Not just that, new cameras get all of these improvements in a more compact body.

More importantly, even without the technical background in photography and videography, anybody with a camera is just a click away to producing photographs and videos. How easy is that? This, I think, is why more people are doing photography and videography. The digital world has also pushed for the popularity of cameras. Businesses and companies now practice digital marketing where a camera is very useful. People post pictures and videos on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, while others create videos (or vlogs) and upload it to Youtube. So with all of the things that you can do with a camera, maybe you're confused "Which one should I buy?".

A lot of newbies are guilty in asking photographers "What camera are you using/What camera did you use to produce this shot?" and make it as a basis in buying their camera. Neither the brand nor the price should be used as a factor in choosing a DSLR camera (although if you have a certain budget then price would be a huge factor. I might make another post with price as the main consideration).

Here are the 2 questions that you should be asking when you want to buy a camera.

In choosing a camera body, ask: WHAT AM I GONNA USE IT FOR?

This question not only involves the purpose, but also the extent of knowledge in photography that you want to have.

(disclaimer: camera pictures are not mine)

1. Cameras for Beginners a.k.a "I just want to take decent photos with one click"

If you're not concerned with the technical stuff, like photo composition, and only want something that can produce decent photos for documentation purposes, then you might want to consider buying a phone or a point-and-shoot camera/fixed lens camera.

Sample phones with good image quality are iPhone, Samsung Note or Edge, and Huawei.

Sample point-and-shoot/fixed-lens cameras are Sony RX series, Canon g7x series, and Nikon Coolpix series.

2. Cameras for Intermediate a.k.a "I want to elevate my skills in photography"

If you want to elevate your skills in photography, you can get entry-level cameras. You want a camera that you can operate in manual mode because at this level, you should at least know how to operate a manual camera, know the exposure triangle, and shoot with different photo compositions.

Sample entry level cameras are Canon 200D, Nikon D3500, Sony A600, and Fujifilm X-A5. There are more entry-level to semi-professional cameras that you can search online.

3. Cameras for Professionals a.k.a "I want to turn this into a career"

If you want to make photography your source of income, buy a semi-professional to professional camera. What you can get from a professional camera are higher megapixel, faster frames per second  (10 frames per second), higher ISO capabilities, HD to 4k video capabilities, full frame sensor, faster auto-focus, and a more sturdy and durable body. These specifications will save you in rough times and get you the shots that you need even in low light situations and fast paced events.

PS. You can still make a living using entry level cameras! But these cameras are more likely to be used by professionals.

TIP: For portraiture, I recommend you get a full frame camera like the Canon 5Ds, Nikon D750, and Sony A7s. 

For street, sports, and wildlife, I recommend that you get a camera with a good focus and have fast continuous shooting rate of at least 10 frames per second like the Canon 7D, Sony A6300, and Nikon D5 or D500.

For landscape, you can get any of the cameras above, or opt to buy cameras with high megapixels like the Sony A7Rs, Nikon D810, and Pentax K-1. 

In choosing a lens, ask: WHAT AM I GOING TO SHOOT?

You can cluster lenses according to the type of genre you shoot.

1. Portraiture - For portraiture, fashion, and wedding, go for prime lenses. Prime lenses have fixed focal lengths such as 24mm, 35mm, nifty-fifty 50mm, 85mm, and 135mm, and have low apertures at f1.2-f2.8. These lenses produce the blurred, creamy, soft circles in the background and foreground called "bokeh", and also the shallow depth of field which separates the subject to the foreground and background.

(From L-R: Sony 35mm f2.8 | Nikon 50mm f1.8 | Canon 85mm f1.2 | Sigma 135 f1.8

2. Landscape - For landscape, you need lenses with wide focal lengths such as 10mm-35mm to really portray and establish the scene/environment in your photo. For the aperture, the lowest opening can be f3.5-f4 for daylight, and f1.8 for lowlight.

(From L-R: Canon 16-35mm f2.8 | Fujifilm 16mm f1.4 | Nikon 24mm f1.8 | Samyang 14mm f2.8

3. Sports and Wildlife - When shooting sports and wildlife, there is a considerable gap between the subject and the photographer so as to not disturb the subject. In this kind of situation, it's better to use telephoto lenses with focal lengths of 200mm and above with an aperture of f2.8-4. Using a larger aperture in sports and wildlife gives you more light to work with.

(From L-R: Sony 400mm f2.8 | Canon 500mm f4 | Nikon 500mm f4 | Nikon 800mm f5.6

4. Photojournalism, Street, and Events - There's a lot to cover when shooting photojourn, street, and events. The shots can range from wide shots to closeup shots. Because of this, I recommend that you get a zoom lens like the 17-40mm, 24-70mm, and 24-105mm, preferably with low aperture value like f4 and below. Using a zoom lens helps you quickly adjust the framing from closeup to wide without any hassle. 

(From L-R: Canon 17-40mm f4 | Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 | Sony 28-135mm f4

Is there an all around camera or lens that can do everything? 
For the camera body, I would say that the pro-level or high-end cameras like the Canon 1D-X,  Nikon D5, and such can be an all around camera, but those cameras come with a hefty price tag. On the other hand, I'm afraid there's "still" no 1-lens-fits-all that can do zoom, prime, macro, and wide.

There you have it folks. I hope this post was helpful in choosing your first camera/lens. If you know of a camera or lens that can do everything, then please do let me know :)