This question, or some version of it, accounts for probably 30% of the questions posted to the photography boards that I participate in. Every person has some slight variation to their request, but it still comes down to basically this question. What camera should I buy?
All images by me. Top: Nikon Z5, FTZ, AF-S 50 f/1.4 Bottom: Sony a6000, 16-50PZ
Welcome! I hope the following pages will help you take your next steps on your personal photography journey. Why did I write this article? I wrote the first page of this article to help share general information and to provide context for the more technical parts later on. I wrote the technical part because I've read other similar articles and I found them to be too technical and too complicated. I also enjoy sharing knowlege almost as much as I enjoy taking photos.
Let's start with a couple of notes (disclaimers). I am writing based on my own personal experience, nothing more. I have shot Nikon since the 35mm days. I got away from SLR cameras for a few years because I had other priorities. Since getting back on this path, I’ve been shooting Nikon digitals for about 5 years. I am a hobby photographer, not a professional. I have not been compensated in any way by anyone to write this. (Though I’m open to it. Hello? Nikon...) Which brings up another disclaimer. My personal writing style includes some sarcasm. I will do my best to keep it to a minimum and put those remarks in (parenthesis).
Last, I want to share a quote from Ansel Adams. As I mentioned before, photography is a journey for most of us. This quote resonates with me and I think will add context and perspective to the rest of this.
I include this quote here because it’s a much more eloquent way of saying something I’ll say in different ways throughout this article. It’s not the camera that makes a great photograph; It’s the person behind the lens.
This is a living document. I will be updating it and making changes periodically as I gain new experience and learn new things. (Or find typos, buy new toys, etc.) I've shared a number of my pictures here and added the camera/lens information. I've added the camera information to demonstrate that you don't need to have really expensive gear to take great pictures. (EVERY picture I take is great. Not really.)
Image by me. Nikon Z50, FTZ, Tokina 11-20 f/2.8
Most people who ask this question are wanting to do more with taking pictures than they can do with a phone camera. Even the latest and greatest phone camera, with all of it’s resolution and fancy software and tricks, is inferior to a modern DSLR or mirrorless camera. When it comes right down to it, the physical size of a phone camera sensor is a limiting factor. Having the option of changing the optics (lenses) is one of the most common features that people want and you just can’t put that in a phone. By moving to a dedicated camera system you will see a noticeable improvement in image quality and gain flexibility that you just don't get from a phone.
WHERE TO START?
One of the first questions you should be asking yourself is: What is it that I want to do? Is there a limitation with my current camera, or, is there something else keeping me from what I want to achieve? If you can’t answer these questions, you should probably just stop here until you can. Your camera is likely to sit around collecting dust. These questions will also help answer the question of what gear you want. Note, I’ve said want in this paragraph, not need. There will be times where you need a specific feature to get a desired result, but most of the time it’s more like “it would be adventagous to have" a certain feature or gadget. (Or if you're like me, you just like shiny new toys.) The best news is that you don’t need to have a huge budget to make the jump.
As I mentioned before, I’m a Nikon guy. Some of my perspectives and recommendations are going to be Nikon centric. However, until I get to the page at the end titled “Let’s get more Nikon specific”, I will try to keep this generic. Any modern camera from any brand will take good, better-than-your-phone, photos out of the box. This is a place where your personal preference rules. Here are four specific things that I suggest you do to help yourself decide.
This one should be obvious. You can’t spend money you don’t have. You don’t need a huge budget. I’d plan on an initial spend of at least $250 if you’re looking at used gear. For new gear, a beginners camera kit is going to start around $400. (UPDATE: These numbers have changed a lot in the last year or so with chip shortages, etc. $700 is probably the minumum now.) It’s a great place to start and will take better pictures than your phone, even in automatic mode. If you’ve got a bigger budget ($800+), it gets a bit more complicated. In general, with a larger budget, favor spending extra on better glass not a fancier body. I’ll write more on this in later sections. Either new or used, you should also plan for another $50 to $100 of accessories such as a memory card, a bag and a UV filter for each lens. I suggest that you avoid the package deals on new gear that you frequently see online. The accessories they include are mostly junk. Do you really want to trust your $500 investment to a free bag or tripod?
Get to the camera shop and put hands on the cameras you are considering. In my opinion, nothing can replace this step. The best camera to take any picture is the one that you have with you. If you don’t like how much the camera weighs or how it feels in your hands, the ergonomics, etc., are you going to carry it with you or will it just sit in the bag on a shelf? And yes, with COVID going on this is more difficult to do, but this camera is likely a long-term, multi-hundred (or thousand) dollar investment. So take the right precautions and go do this.
While you are at the store try it out, even if you don’t know what you’re doing yet. Hold the camera. Try the menus. Push the buttons. Change lenses. Even if you don’t yet understand how changing a setting will affect the photo, make note of how many steps it takes to change the setting. White balance is a good example.
Image by me. Nikon D3500, AF-P DX 70-300
If you can, rent one. If not, make sure you can return it. Narrow it down to a couple of cameras. See if they rent those and rent one. If they don’t rent the exact model camera you are looking at, you've got a couple of options. First, rent another model from the same brand. Most brands will use the same user interface (menus, screen layouts, etc.) and have a similiar ergonomic design. It might not be exactly the same, but it will give you a good idea. Second, find out what the return policy is. Unfortunately many shops will charge a restocking fee so keep that in mind.
There's one last point I want to bring up here: lenses. I'll get into more detail about lenses later, but I think it's important to bring them up here too. No matter what camera body you choose, you will almost certainly upgrade it at some point. But lenses tend to stick around. Especially the expensive, high quality kind of lenses. When you look at your total costs, your glass will be a much larger piece of the pie than anything else.
The point of these steps is to make sure this is a camera you’re actually going to use. I can’t stress it enough. It’s not an investment if it sits around collecting dust. I've seen way too many people that are selling gear simply because they don't actually use it.
Let's cover some common questions that come up during the discussion. Should I buy a fancier model? What about post-processing? Should I buy new or used gear?
Image by me. Nikon D5600, AF-P 18-55
Image by me. Nikon D610, AF 28-70 f/3.5-4.5D