Photographers, help me find a good camera

[B-mtrd]

I’m interested in finding a good camera for amateur photography.
I’m going through a bunch of YouTube videos and articles that outline the pros and cons of Mirrorless and DSLR cameras.
I’m wondering if anyone here has good recommendations of what to get? Best place to buy it?
I’m thinking of a start budget below $1000, not sure if that is even realistic.

 

[JesasaurusRex]

Are you replacing an old camera that you're just looking to upgrade or are you just trying to get started. The reason I ask is I think most people think they want to get into photography until the realize how much shit they have to lug around with them for pictures that are typically not much nicer than what the same person could have done on a high end cell phone.

Been down this path with my wife a while ago now. Bought a "nice" camera, which pretty much wound up collecting dust in the closet.

Not the answer to the question you asked, but this is barf.

 

[Brokenlink]

Agree with Jess. Decide what you want to do with it. When I went to Africa a few years ago I bought a Nikon DSLR with a 70-200 lens (and a 50 mm) for like 350 bucks. It took amazing photos and didn't break the bank. Some of the other folks had the mirrorless cameras and they were able to zoom in closer. But it was a digital zoom and when I ended up blowing up or zooming in the photos after the fact, mine had way better resolution.

That said, it mostly sits now.

 

[Climber]

You have to be more specific, it makes a big difference.

What kind of pictures are you planning on taking?
1. Sports? Indoor vs outdoor is huge. If outdoor, middle of the day vs under the lights.
2. Wildlife like eagles or hawks or some other critter that you won't be able to get close to?
3. Macro lens type pictures, close up?
4. Interior where you need wide angle lenses?

You can get pretty good setups used, if you have a patience.
Mirrorless is superior if you have to have fast shutter speed like motorcycle racers to stop motion.

Talk to us.

Then you'll need to decide...Canon, Nikon or Sony.

 

[cheez]

Nikon's D3500 is a solid starter body.
Canon's T7/2000D is also.
Sony and Panasonic also have good offerings.

If you pick a brand, you're basically setting a direction- if Nikon, you'll wind up with Nikon glass, if Canon, you'll wind up with Canon glass, etc. There are adaptors but there still ends up being a divide between the brand followings. Ask your friends who shoot- I'd suggest going whichever way the majority of your friends do- so you can borrow their lenses while you're working on amassing a suitable collection of your own.

 

[B-mtrd]

Are you replacing an old camera that you're just looking to upgrade or are you just trying to get started. The reason I ask is I think most people think they want to get into photography until the realize how much shit they have to lug around with them for pictures that are typically not much nicer than what the same person could have done on a high end cell phone.

Been down this path with my wife a while ago now. Bought a "nice" camera, which pretty much wound up collecting dust in the closet.

Not the answer to the question you asked, but this is barf.

Good question.
I’ve been doing drone photography and videos for a couple of years already so I’m used to lugging equipment. I’m sure it’s not the same but not new.

This would be my first real camera. I’ve been using my phone and a portable point and shoot canon for “ground level” photos but I’m looking for something a bit better. Not really looking to have a bunch of lenses and filters yet, just the basics.

 

[TylerW]

It sounds like you're maybe already at the point of moving past the basics, but I still wonder if the camera that's already in your phone is still holding you back - unless you really want to get into the weeds on exposure, focus, optics, depth of field, etc, the camera in your phone is very, very good.

Read some articles on shot composition and framing, stop always shooting mobile photos at eye level, and think like a photographer when you use that camera. You'll be surprised at what you can capture. What's best, it's already always with you so there's nothing extra to lug around. And it will probably also inform you what you enjoy photographing: landscapes, portraiture, sports, candids, etc. That will better inform us about how to advise you.

I have a couple grand in camera gear. Most of the time I don't take any of it anywhere unless its a commercial shoot and someone is paying me.

The nice thing about cameras now is that you can't really get a bad one. The bad thing about cameras now is that there are a LOT of good ones. The original heavy hitters of Canon and Nikon still hit heavy, but there's a little more choice now that Panasonic and Sony are making some really excellent consumer and prosumer gear. They're all great, though some are specifically great in particular areas.

 

[B-mtrd]

Thank you for the responses.

Let me give a scenario. Last weekend I went on a hike and took some good footage with the drone. While walking we found some awesome looking broken trees that my boys were climbing. I tried taking some photos of them with the phone but the photos came out very dull, even after playing with some settings. Then I pulled out the canon and even though they came out fine they lacked composition.
At the end of the walk we came across a pond with some lily pads and a crane. The crane was a bit far for the phone’s and canon’s digital zoom.

I’ve been reading a bit on manual settings and I’m starting a course later in the fall. Nothing fancy, just something that can walk me through settings, etc.

I’m also doing some minor editing using Lightroom and Snapseed.

 

[N4teTheGreat]

Sony's A series cameras are pretty darn good, relatively compact and they will accept all sony lenses which means if you get really into things and start buying fancy full frame lenses you'll be able to use those on a higher end full frame body in the future. I bought a used A6000 a few years back and spent about the same on a few lenses as I did on the camera, I won't be getting published anytime soon but it takes pretty good photos and it's relatively portable.

 

[N4teTheGreat]

Also, check out photography online (YouTube) they have a TON of content on how to take advantage of these cameras.

 

[cheez]

Pro Shot for iOS/Android gives a lot more control over the camera settings, it might be something to try first.

 

[Climber]

Thank you for the responses.

Let me give a scenario. Last weekend I went on a hike and took some good footage with the drone. While walking we found some awesome looking broken trees that my boys were climbing. I tried taking some photos of them with the phone but the photos came out very dull, even after playing with some settings. Then I pulled out the canon and even though they came out fine they lacked composition.
At the end of the walk we came across a pond with some lily pads and a crane. The crane was a bit far for the phone’s and canon’s digital zoom.

I’ve been reading a bit on manual settings and I’m starting a course later in the fall. Nothing fancy, just something that can walk me through settings, etc.

I’m also doing some minor editing using Lightroom and Snapseed.

What phone are you using?

The newer iPhones (11+) are incredibly capable and well beyond what you're describing. If I wasn't doing sports photography with my DSLR I would likely just stick to using my iPhone to take pictures, but I need the low F-stops to get the shutter speeds that I need, which is one of the few arguments for getting a purpose built cameral, these days.

 

[ctwo]

I think for a $1k budget your phone should be just fine.

I was OK with one of Canon's Rebel DSLR but that was not good enough for product photography. The body is the cheap part. It's the glass that seems to matter.

 

[Blankpage]

Dragging around a DSLR and swapping lenses gets old real quick. No one wants to pack that shit around.

 

[B-mtrd]

I have an iPhone 12pro. And I just realized I had Proshot already installed, I’ll start playing with it.

I briefly looked a while ago for iPhone lens adapters and filters but I wasn’t sure if they were really worth it or just a gag.

 

[N4teTheGreat]

That's why I like my Sony A6000, affordable, mirrorless so it's pretty compact and relatively light and it has way more capabilities than I do.

 

[TylerW]

Dragging around a DSLR and swapping lenses gets old real quick. No one wants to pack that shit around.

If you can commit to a single lens for a walkaround day, a body / lens / coupe of batteries really isn't too bad. And the constraints of a single lens forces you to get creative.

I have an iPhone 12pro. And I just realized I had Proshot already installed, I’ll start playing with it.

I briefly looked a while ago for iPhone lens adapters and filters but I wasn’t sure if they were really worth it or just a gag.

I think there's some people who dig them, I always thought they were a little goofy. I do appreciate a clip-on macro lens though. Sometimes getting really close up on something is really good for the 'grams.

 

[B-mtrd]

Also looking on Adorama I see there is a section with used cameras. Is it a good idea to get a used camera that you haven’t had the chance to inspect?
I see they offer some sort of warranty based on the condition the camera fall under (D,E+,E,E-,V and G). Others have a 30 day return policy but no warranty. Some sale is final.

 

[Charles R]

I hobby shoot with a Nikon D700 and about $5k in lenses. I'm looking to replace this older unit with a new one, and probably going to commit to a mirrorless camera in the future.

That said... the vast majority of my pictures are still taken with my iPhone 11pro. The Nikon came before the iPhone, and the older phone was not even close. And while I've still bought new lenses during my iPhone ownership... I do most of my shooting with the phone because most of the pictures end up online anyway. No real need for more. At this point, the DSLR typically only comes out when there's funky lighting, intended long exposures, or when I'm certain I'm after a larger printable image.

 

[cheez]

Dragging around a DSLR and swapping lenses gets old real quick. No one wants to pack that shit around.

This is the real truth. My wife's got a Nikon and lots of glass, but she won't tote it around- she prefers her Leica for lightness and breadth of capability with the fixed lens- and also uses the phone camera a LOT.