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Thread: starting need adivce

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    starting need adivce

    I've always loved taking pictures and looking into taking courses to become a photographer.... What is the best camera to start off with???? Please help !!!!!

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    Re: starting need adivce

    Quote Originally Posted by rogu26 View Post
    I've always loved taking pictures and looking into taking courses to become a photographer.... What is the best camera to start off with???? Please help !!!!!
    Not knowing your locale, may I offer some general suggestions: if you have a camera store(s) near you visit them, and depending on how much money you want to invest in a camera, comparatively shop the major camera brands. On this forum (CiC) the photographers that post use a variety of camera brands, and they all produce good results.
    My suggestion would be to determine (as stated above) is to determine what your budget will allow since cameras are like, in my opinion, stereo equipment. The more money you can come up with, the more expensive camera you can purchase.
    You may also determine what type of photography you want to get involved in which may assist the camera salesman to guide you to particular cameras.
    Even if your budget will allow it, I suggest getting a camera that will allow you to test the waters so to speak of your commitment to photography without breaking your budget.
    Also, as important as a camera body, if not more so, is the lens you purchase with your camera. Some cameras come as a "kit" that includes both camera body, and some type of lens that covers a variety of viewing angles. I believe that a lens that comes with a kit is NOT of the quality as a lens that you purchase separately. Again, this goes back to your budget.
    Certainly, other CiC members will respond since this is not meant to be all inclusive information.
    If there is not a camera store in your area (it would help if we knew where you lived), there are (in the United States) places in New York that you can contact that will assist you in making wise decisions regarding a camera/lens purchase. They are:
    B&H Photo-Video, and Adorama.
    Hope this helps.

    Bruce

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    Re: starting need adivce

    Quote Originally Posted by rogu26 View Post
    I've always loved taking pictures and looking into taking courses to become a photographer.... What is the best camera to start off with???? Please help !!!!!
    The best one you can afford that offers full Manual control and RAW capability.

    To advise you to anything more specific, you need to tell us your budget (and the currency that's in, because you're talking to an international group of posters and camera prices vary widely by country--which is why filling in at least a country in your profile is good), and what/how you plan to shoot.

    The job here isn't to find The Best Camera. It's to find the camera that's the best fit for you. Everybody's different, so there isn't a single answer that's gonna work for everyone here.

    To me, if your budget is US$500 or less, then interchangeable lens cameras are off the list. dSLRs and mirrorless compacts are going to cost thousands after you've bought the body, lenses, support and lighting gear, and other paraphernalia that goes into a system camera. While you can get the camera body for $500 or less, that's just the start of the spending. You'll probably need a self-contained camera. This is the ultimate in convenience, but possibly the most limited in capability.

    If you plan on shooting fast-moving subject matter, or you're going to be shooting full-time or as a professional, then considering dSLR cameras is probably the best step as they're the cameras with the largest and most versatile systems, but they are bulky and expensive, and not the most convenient or casual tools to be using for things like travel or street shooting.

    If you're willing to compromise on versatility for convenience, then mirrorless compacts may work for you. The systems are smaller and more limited than dSLR, but much smaller, lighter, and use more of a blend of technology from both dSLRs and P&S cameras, and may be more familiar to you if you're used to a P&S camera.

    If you want to slide the convenience even farther, but are unwilling to compromise on image quality, then there are large-sensored compacts. These are fixed-lens cameras, but have sensors that are larger than most P&S cameras, and can even have sensors as large as those in dSLRs. They will cost roughly the same as a dSLR body, but as you aren't buying a lot of additional gear, they're ultimately less expensive than a "system" camera.

    Right now, those are the major types of cameras out there. I'd say start with deciding which type of camera is the one you want to go for, and what you can afford to spend.

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    Re: starting need adivce

    There is a point of view that the best camera is the one that you have with you, whether that be the one built into your phone or something a lot more sophisticated. There is no best camera; that is why there are so many options out there and so many different companies that make them.

    If you are planning to take courses; the school that is offering the course will often have some recommended models and accessories that are viewed as being appropriate, so ask there. If you are just a beginner, then all of the controls and settings on an advanced DSLR are going to well over your head and you won’t likely use the features it ships with.

    The other issue to consider if you are planning to get into photography in a serious way is that you will need a computer and post-processing software to tweak and retouch the images that come straight out of your camera.

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    Re: starting need adivce

    Quote Originally Posted by Digital View Post
    Not knowing your locale, may I offer some general suggestions: if you have a camera store(s) near you visit them, and depending on how much money you want to invest in a camera, comparatively shop the major camera brands. On this forum (CiC) the photographers that post use a variety of camera brands, and they all produce good results.
    My suggestion would be to determine (as stated above) is to determine what your budget will allow since cameras are like, in my opinion, stereo equipment. The more money you can come up with, the more expensive camera you can purchase.
    You may also determine what type of photography you want to get involved in which may assist the camera salesman to guide you to particular cameras.
    Even if your budget will allow it, I suggest getting a camera that will allow you to test the waters so to speak of your commitment to photography without breaking your budget.
    Also, as important as a camera body, if not more so, is the lens you purchase with your camera. Some cameras come as a "kit" that includes both camera body, and some type of lens that covers a variety of viewing angles. I believe that a lens that comes with a kit is NOT of the quality as a lens that you purchase separately. Again, this goes back to your budget.
    Certainly, other CiC members will respond since this is not meant to be all inclusive information.
    If there is not a camera store in your area (it would help if we knew where you lived), there are (in the United States) places in New York that you can contact that will assist you in making wise decisions regarding a camera/lens purchase. They are:
    B&H Photo-Video, and Adorama.
    Hope this helps.

    Bruce
    Thanks for advice I will definitely take into consideration !!

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    Re: starting need adivce

    Thanks for advice I will definitely take into consideration !!

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    Re: starting need adivce

    What about this camera?

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    Re: starting need adivce

    [IMG]starting need adivce[/IMG]

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    Moderator Manfred M's Avatar
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    Re: starting need adivce

    It is a mid-range Nikon amateur camera; from all accounts it is a decent camera, the two lenses on offer are kit lenses (I own the 18-55mm) and are decent enough, but are not particulary robust (plastic lens mount; which is shared by the 55-300mm). Much of the rest of the kit that they offer with the camera (other than the spare battery and memory card) look to be rather low quality and low value and I would not want. You might want to look at pricing out the camera without the superfluous stuff to see what it the base cost of the stuff that you need really costs.

    If you are dealing with NYC based photo shops; I would highly recommend you compare prices at B&H and Adorama; they are very reputable dealers.
    The criticism of the D5200 is that it has a very good sensor and really needs fairly good quality lenses to get the most out of it.

    The question to answer is whether or not this is the right level of camera for you. It does have a "point & shoot" mode, if that is your level of comfort, but is capable of a lot more. A better camera does not make you a better photographer....

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    Re: starting need adivce

    I agree with Manfred that "A better camera does not make you a better photographer...."
    One can argue that a good photograph does not depend so much on the equipment (although it does arguably help) than whether the idea of the image "born" in the mind of the photographer is conveyed in the image that the camera/lens produce.
    In other words you can produce an image that is "considered a good photograph" with a less expensive camera, and produce a "picture" with a more expensive camera.
    It maybe my imagination, but on this forum, the question arises for more on technique of how a photograph was taken than the type of equipment used to capture the image.
    One element, probably the most important element is composition of a photo; composition is of your brain's making not your equipment's making. I learned long ago that a good photograph tells a story, and although better equipment may make telling the story easier, it does not "write it".

    Bruce

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    Re: starting need adivce

    to become a photographer

    rogo26,

    Editing your profile and adding more info like a name would help.

    Always a difficult question. Depending on you, your relationship with people, your financial position and your passion for photography. You can do it if you are driven by a passion for photography.

    If you wish to make a living from photography you will need to invest in the best you can afford.
    Starting out with the D5200 is not a bad idea if it is within your current budget. It is a good camera to learn with and it will take you a long way towards earning something from photography. It will not break the bank if you decide there is no future for you in Photography.

    When you start earning from Photography you will find the D5200 lacking a lot of features of the professional cameras. You will wish to upgrade to a Full Frame professional camera. With FF pro stuff you find yourself in the arena where everything is just much more expensive, for a reason.

    You can climb the ladder step by step, learning how to stay on the ladder, or you can jump on top of it and discover how far it is to fall from it. If you have the finance to do it, jump on top, if not start at the bottom.

    You can choose Photography as a career, it is demand for your work that choose you for a successful career in Photography.

    Even if you find you are not build for a professional career in photography the bug will bite you and you will use whatever equipment you invest in. Later you will upgrade and invest more and more in Photography.

    If you have a real passion for the craft, you will never regret investing in the best you can afford

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    Re: starting need adivce

    Your question is specifically about what camera you should purchase and I respect that. People on here have given you good advice about that. And you may have already thought about what being a photographer is beyond what gear you will own.

    But, maybe if you have not thought further than that the gear you want to own, you may find this quotation helpful, "When we start we are worried about gear and not about the creative process. As we learn and progress we realize that the creative process is the most important of the two. All it takes to get gear is money and a visit to the store. The creative process cannot be bought. Dedication and nurturing are required to unlock it." Alain Briot on http://www.naturephotographers.net/a.../ab0413-1.html)

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    Re: starting need adivce

    Piggy-backing on Donald's post, a Nikon executive once said (I am paraphrasing) "If you have any model recent DSLR camera and are not getting excellent images, the fault is not in the camera but, in the photographer!"

    That said, I have found that some cameras are easier (for me) to use than others. The Canon 20D to 60D and 7D model cameras are easier for me than the more basic entry level cameras to use because they incorporate a two dial system which facilitates rapid changes of shooting parameters.

    Additionally, some cameras have faster and more accurate auto focus and better high ISO capabilities than other cameras.

    Finally, IMO, the choice of lens or lenses is more important than the choice of cameras. I did very well with cameras several generations old (Canon 30D and 40D) because I used top-line lenses (17-55mm f/2.8 IS and 70-200mm f/4L IS). The excellent quality lenses provided better IQ on the 30D and 40D than cheaper lenses would on a more recent and more expensive camera.

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    Re: starting need adivce

    I would suggest that you should not look down on kit lenses as at this stage of your development as a photographer you are unlikely to notice anything deficient with them. You could do a lot worse than read the thread "I'm in Love, with a G15" and follow him. It would be an excellent camera to start with, produces great results when used properly, could be used to train with, and then when you know something about this activity you can look for other cameras ... we all tend to advocate what we personally use which may not be what you would pick if you knew what we know

    edit Thankyou Dave [ who added the link ] ... yet to learn how to do it
    Last edited by jcuknz; 25th July 2013 at 09:24 AM.

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    Re: starting need adivce

    I have read advice that one should not buy a 'kit' such as offered in #8 becuase they foist a whole lot of stuff which you may not need while not including essentials such as lens hoods ... they perhaps are standard with the lens, I would hope so, but they are not in the advert photo.

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    Lens hoods...

    Unfortunately, the "Canon Gods" have deemed that lens hoods are not necessary (Or, they have found a way to squeeze some extra money from customers: take your choice!). Anyway, Canon only provides lens hoods with their "L" series lenses (and possibly one or two other models). Even the very expensive 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens doesn't have a lens hood included and Canon OEM hoods are ridiculously expensive...

    The way to get around this is to buy a third party lens such as Tokina or Sigma but, that is a drastic solution since Canon offers some pretty nice lenses. Another option is to purchase a Chinese knock-off hood from eBay. I use this type hood with my 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens and have had absolutely no problems with it. These Chinese hoods are a fraction of the Canon OEM hood prices.

    OTOH... I totally agree that many companies package less than sterling equipment into a grouping and sell these for high prices. However, often Canon (and I suppose) other companies will package a camera with a decent lens as a kit at a very good price. Sometimes the "kit" lens is a medium quality item like the 18-55mm which can do a very good but, not outstanding job. Other times, they choose to package an excellent lens such as the 24-105mm f/4L IS lens with a full frame camera. These packages are often at a less expensive price than the individual body and lens would run and might be a deal to think about if the body and lens suit your needs.

    CAVEAT: Canon still (for some ungodly reason) distributes the 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS lens as part of some of their kits. This lens doesn't produce as good IQ as the 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS or even the less expensive 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS lens. I would not consider this lens as a good deal, no matter the price...
    Last edited by rpcrowe; 25th July 2013 at 05:11 PM.

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    Re: Lens hoods...

    Quote Originally Posted by rpcrowe View Post
    ... CAVEAT: Canon still (for some ungodly reason) distributes the 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS lens as part of some of their kits. This lens doesn't produce as good IQ as the 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS or even the less expensive 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS lens. I would not consider this lens as a good deal, no matter the price...
    Well, if you're stony broke, it is less expensive than the 55-250 IS by about $100. I bought the 75-300 III (non-IS/non-USM) back before Canon had come out with the 55-250 IS, and it was certainly worth the $160 I paid for it just for all the lessons it taught me in what I don't want in a lens, and how it got me by necessity into good telephoto shooting habits. If I'd started with the 400/5.6L USM I now use, I really doubt I'd have ever learned about stopping down for sharpness.

    I do agree that the 55-250 IS a much better training-wheels lens these days for someone with a crop camera, but as training wheels lenses, both the 75-300 and 55-250 IS are very likely to be upgraded from to one of the white Ls if you get really serious about needing long glass, and you can use a 75-300 III on a full frame. And like its little brother, the 18-55, it's not complete garbage that renders all your images ugly, even if there are more able lenses about.

    starting need adivce
    Canon XT/350D. EF 75-300 III. @300mm, iso 1600, f/11, 1/1000s. handheld. SOOC JPEG.

    Just saying. Same limitations/cost as the 18-55 kit lens, so not that surprising they get put together as a low-cost twin kit.

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    Re: starting need adivce

    Quote Originally Posted by rogu26 View Post
    I've always loved taking pictures and looking into taking courses to become a photographer.... What is the best camera to start off with???? Please help !!!!!
    How much money do you think can you allocate?
    Where do you live?
    What courses have you looked at?
    What subjects do you want to Photograph?
    What cameras have you ever used? (all of them please)
    Do you have a close relative or close friend who use a camera often - if so what camera is it?


    WW

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