Introduction
Let me start this blog by telling you that I am nowhere even close to being an expert in photography. There are many famous and not so famous photographers who you can find on the internet or YouTube who are experts or at the very least, very experienced photographers with years of knowledge and experience under their belts and photography is their life and career. But even the most famous and well known photographers in the world had to start their journey at the beginning when they bought or were gifted their 1st camera. My goal here is to help those of you who are thinking about trying photography as a hobby and hopefully guide you through my thoughts on the best way of getting started. To take the step from a smart phone or point and shoot camera to a camera which can give you more control over the photographs you are taking and allow you to take photographs you can be proud of and show your family and friends.
From a young boy I myself have always liked taking photographs but not landscape photography, or any other photography genre. I would use a point and shoot which my Dad had and I would use it and just snap away on family holidays or trips, shooting anything I felt like without much thought regarding what the end result would be. The only photographs I was capturing were memories rather than photographs I could be proud of or frame on a wall. Later when I had a job and was earning money I would buy a small point and shoot, but again for trips or holidays only. For me buying a camera then was about convenience, small (pocket sized) so it was easy to carry when out on trips or on holiday, before smart phones existed with their amazing cameras they have today.
I never actually found an interest in serious photography until about 10 years ago, and by serious I mean actually trying to control the camera and planning for an image which I would really like as opposed to just clicking away. It was Landscape Photography which really sparked my interest. I used to spend quite a bit of time on YouTube and the internet looking at the amazing photographs created by other photographers and this inspired me to give this a try for myself. To this day I still mainly shoot landscapes, but sticking to one photography genre can be very limiting depending on where you live or what locations you have access to, but I will go in to more detail on photography genres later in this blog.
So what equipment do you need to get started?
Budget
When starting out anything new in life the vast majority of peoples main limiting factor is BUDGET. “I really want to start my new photography hobby but I can’t really afford the camera I want”. Photography can bring you hours, days, months and years of interest and happiness and I know this is very easy to say but try not to let budget prevent you from getting started in your new hobby. I appreciate that money is hard to come by for the vast majority of people but if you are ready to buy a camera, and as long as you can save around €1500.00 you can get started with a very good camera and lens.
Do not blow thousands of pounds, euros or dollars on a high end camera!
Do not get bogged down looking at high end cameras and equipment which can cost a huge amount of money. There is absolutely no need to do this! If you do this you will blow every penny you have on a camera with capabilities and features you will likely never use or need. You will be able to achieve amazing photographs beyond your belief, which will attract more social media likes and compliments from friends than you thought possible, with a camera at a fraction of the price of the high the end cameras you will see in photography shops or on line. In years to come, if you decide you like this new hobby and you get to the stage where the entry level camera you buy now is becoming a limiting factor on the images you are producing, then you can think about an upgrade. But at least you will know then that photography will likely stay a part of your life forever and you can explore what a higher end camera can do for your images. For now, stick to an entry level camera.
Recommendation:- Do not spend more than €1,500 euro on a camera and lens.
Cameras
There are several types of camera out there but I am going to mention here the 2 types of cameras typically used as a starting point for “serious hobbyist” photographers.
Bridge Cameras
Bridge cameras for great holiday or travel photos, but thats it.
These cameras get their name as they are designed as a stepping stone, or “Bridge”, between pocket sized point and shoot cameras and DSLR cameras (Digital Single-Lens Reflex). Bridge cameras look very similar to DSLR Camera with a lens which protrudes out from the front of the camera, but they have a fixed lens which means the lens is part of the camera body and cannot be removed and changed for a different lens. I will get in to lenses in the DSLR section below but a fixed lens is very limiting and will not be sufficient if you really want to progress to controlling the camera and adapting to the light and conditions you will be shooting in when developing your hobby. The fixed lenses do not have anywhere near the level of adjustment and control you will need.
I would only recommend bridge cameras for anyone who wants to take great holiday or travel photographs without having to think about the process of taking photographs to much, as opposed to photographs you want to blow up and hang like a painting on the wall.
Recommendation :- Do not buy a bridge camera
This Is What You Should Buy - Entry Level DSLR Camera and Kit Lens
This is where you should get started, this is what you should buy as your 1st “serious” camera. There are many camera manufacturers but I am going to recommend Canon as this is where I started. My 1st “serious” camera was a Canon EOS 600D which I bought with an 18-135mm kit lens. I loved this camera and I only sold this camera last week following my recent upgrade to Mirrorless camera. So please note I did not break the bank and I had 9 years of great photography and great results with an entry level DSLR. This camera served all my needs more than adequately for the past 7 years and it was only in the past 2 years I decided I needed a camera with a greater dynamic range and image quality, but only after several years of practice and also knowing I would always have photography in my life. The 600D had become my limiting factor in my photography and the images I was able to produce. But if you are just wanting to start out in photography as your hobby, the latest Canon EOS entry level DSLR will be perfect for you.
The Canon EOS Entry Level series of cameras started with model numbers EOS 300D and each year Canon would bring out a new model with slightly improved features, capabilities and improved image quality. The 1st new model was the Canon EOS 350D, then 400D, then 450D, then 500D etc, etc, until the 600D (my 1st “serious” camera) and now the current version is called the Canon 250D, bizarrely reverting to a number lower than the original 300D. Only Canon knows why I suppose! The Canon EOS Entry level cameras have a menu system which is aimed at beginners, when you change the settings on the camera text pops up on the screen to tell you which mode you are in. This is a great feature for entry level DSLR photographers as you have no doubts what the camera is doing before you take the next photograph. I found this feature very helpful in allowing me to quickly gain confidence with the camera and also get to know the menu system and features on the camera has. If you buy a camera which is more expensive / above the entry level DSLR range then the camera manufacturers assume you are an experienced DSLR photographer and as a result the cameras do not have this feature and it can be easy to get lost in the menus or not know what the camera settings are when shooting the beautiful sunrise you want to capture, hence not capturing the moment as you had wanted. The camera has Auto Mode where you can point and shoot and the camera does a pretty good job of assessing the light levels you are taking photographs in for some situations, as long as it’s not to dark or to light. But remember you will get the best results getting out of auto mode, when you are making the decisions regarding settings, and not the camera. The camera will also have the other typical modes such as Sport mode, for freezing fast moving action in your images, plus Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority Modes and Manual mode in which you will have full control of the camera settings and have the best chance of achieving the imagines you want.
I will cover camera modes and control of the camera in a later blog so don’t worry about this now, I will explain everything.
NOTE: You should be aware that the Canon EOS Range has a different name in other countries, USA included, and it is called the Canon Rebel T Series, probably due to trademark issues in certain countries requiring a different naming convention for the same camera in different countries. In the UK the naming system used is Canon EOS 250D but in the USA it’s called the EOS Rebel SL3.
DSLR cameras have interchangeable lenses which means you can remove the lens and fit a new lens to the camera body. You may ask why this is important, but camera lenses have a set range of capabilities and as you gain more experience and ambition in your photography you will want to be able to change the lens on your camera for a lens with the certain capabilities you need to get the photograph you would like to capture. This does not mean you will need to go out an buy a dozen lenses for different conditions, I will come to that in the next section. I managed for years with my Kit lens which came with my EOS 600D camera and I would advise you not to buy anymore lenses until you have used your new camera and Kit lens for several months at least and understand the capabilities of the lens you have purchased already.
Camera Sensors and Pixels
I would also mention at this point that you will likely read or hear about camera sensors and pixel quantities while doing your research before buying your camera. You will hear about Full Frame Cameras, Crop Sensor Cameras, Mirrorless Cameras and perhaps more. The Sensor is the part inside the camera which is exposed to the light, and the scene or subject matter you are trying to capture, which comes down the lens through the glass within the lens and on to the sensor which then takes a digital record, an image. Hence we have digital photography these days. Before digital photography and camera sensor technology existed, I am sure you are aware that cameras used film which was exposed to the light and the image was recorded on the film within the camera.
Cropped Sensor cameras are typically cheaper than the others I mention above. At this stage of your photography career, do not bother getting bogged down and worrying about the different sensor types and sizes. For now you want to get started taking great photographs and a Crop Sensor camera, which is inside most, if not all, entry level DSLR cameras is more than capable of doing this.
Also, a quick mention regarding Pixels or Megapixels which is a term used to describe the image quality. You may have heard smart phone screens being discussed in relation to the number of “ppi” (Pixels Per Inch) the screen has and the higher the “ppi” the better the screen image quality. Camera image quality is also described or defined in the same way. However, do not get to concerned about Pixels when buying your camera. Pretty much all modern cameras these days have more than enough Pixels than you will need to achieve amazing images either viewed on a smart phone, tablet, large TV screen or printed and framed on a wall. My old Canon 600D was an 18 Mega Pixel camera and it was more than sufficient for my needs. I printed many photography’s up to A3 size and the image quality was great and pretty much any camera you buy now will have more than 18 Mega Pixels in image quality.
Mirrorless Cameras
I am including a small paragraph here on Mirrorless cameras as you may come across this name but I would not recommend you buy a Mirrorless Camera. These cameras have been on the market for quite a few years now but are still quite new to photography. As Mirrorless Cameras are relatively new technology they are very expensive and certainly not needed to take great photographs. I am not going to get in to the detail here of how a Mirrorless Camera works or differs to traditional DSLR Cameras as if you want to find this out you can ask Google. They are fantastic cameras which provide stella image quality but my goal here is to advise you on your best starting point for photography and Mirrorless cameras are not the best starting point due to their high cost.
All I will note here in this blog is that Sony have lead the way in the industry with Mirrorless Cameras and the other manufacturers such as Canon and now Nikon have been very slow to catch up having only released their own Mirrorless Cameras in the past 3 years or so.
Lenses
Camera lenses cost allot of money and, in many cases, more money than the actual cost of the camera you buy. As crazy as that sounds, it is a fact, and the cost is driven by the super high quality glass which has to be made, and is inside the body of the lenses. The glass plus the technology also included, drives the cost of the lenses and determines the capabilities the lens has.
There many different lenses you can buy for your camera which will meet the needs for various situations and types of photography but for now I would advise you to buy a lens which can meet most of your photography use cases. So, buy a lens which can cover both relatively wide and also a decent degree of zoom. This will give you the flexibility you need to experiment with your photography. Eventually you may decide that you like to shoot Wildlife, so a super zoom lens maybe better for you to be able to get close up images of animals which are far away. For Landscapes a wide angle lens, or maybe Portraits so a fixed prime lens maybe what you need. Honestly don’t worry about this for now, buy a lens with a good all round zoom range and my recommendation is below.
Lens Types
Wide Angle or Fish Eye Lenses.
Wide angle lenses are great for landscapes and property photography.
Wide Angle Lenses
Wide angle lenses can have a zoom function as well but as the purpose wide angle lenses is to capture as much as the subject or scene you are shooting as possible, they typically have a zoom range at the lowest end of the scale. An example would be a 10 - 18mm zoom range would be a good option wide angle lens as it allows you to get the entire scene or subject in to the frame, but also allows you to zoom in a little to adjust your composition as you need.
Wide angle lenses are typically used for Landscape Photography, or Real Estate Photography for capturing an entire room or property interiors.
Zoom Lenses and Super Zoom Lenses
Zoom lenses provide great flexibility and good image quality.
There is a huge range of zoom lenses available and it can be very easy to get confused when trying to establish which lens is right for you. At this stage I would not worry about all of the different zoom lens types but buy a mid range zoom lens which can get relatively wide and also provide a decent degree of zoom.
Prime Lenses
Prime lenses can provide a higher image quality but lack in flexibility.
Prime lenses do not have the ability to zoom in and out so are fixed at a certain lens range but they typically have a superior image quality to zoom lenses. Prime lenses can be fine for portrait photography or situations where you have the freedom to move around or get up close to the subject you are photographing.
However, as a beginner I would not recommend prime lenses as you will be frustrated by its limitations and zoom lenses can provide great image quality and more image quality than you need at this stage of your photography.
RECOMMENDATION :- Buy a Canon EOS 250D with the 18-135mm Kit Lens.
https://store.canon.ie/canon-eos-250d-body-black-ef-s-18-135mm-f-3-5-5-6-is-stm-lens/3454C020/
What Else Do You Need?
So, what else do you need apart from your camera and your lens to get out there and shot great photographs?
A memory card is essential (see the below) and I also feel some sort of camera bag is essential to protect your camera. Without a camera bag you will have to constantly hold the camera in your hand or carry it around your neck or over your shoulder using the camera strap which will come with camera when you buy it. I can tell you this is not always convenient to do this and not always safe for you and your camera, which is exposed to the elements when not in a bag or case.
Memory Card
64GB SD card is plenty unless you are going On a round the world trip.
Cameras do not come with any inbuilt memory so you will need a SD Card for your camera. This is a mini memory card which is inserted in to the camera and the photographs you take are recorded on this memory card. These days SD cards are very cheap and there are always deals on Amazon. I would recommend you buy a well known branded memory card. If you are going on a long trip or holiday, during which time you will not be able to download the images from your cameras SD card to free up space on the card, I would recommend you buy at least 2 64GB or 128GB memory card which will allow you to take more than enough photographs.
Note, you should always shoot photographs with your camera set to RAW format, not JPEG, if you are in situations where you want to be able to get the absolute best image quality and results. I will get in to more detail later in this blog. The following can be found on the internet from many sources via Google.
RAW files take approx. 30 MB of space on a memory card, you can fit on the memory cards as follows:
32 GB Card = 1,092 photographs
64 GB Card = 2,184 photographs
128 GB Card = 4,368 photographs
256 GB Card = 8,732 photographs
JPG files are almost too much to count at 7 MB each:
32 GB Card = 4,700 photographs
64 GB Card = 9400 photographs
128 GB Card = 18,800 photographs
256 GB Card = 37,600 photographs
*remember that this digital aspect is 1,024 bytes = 1mb and 1,024 mb is 1 gb*
So you can see from above that you will be able to get allot of photographs on to your memory Card.
RECOMMENDATION - BUY THIS SD CARD
At such a low price you should always have at least 2 SD cards just in case you fill one of them up while travelling or on a trip, or one fails and cannot be used. SD Cards do fail from time to time. Buying a good quality SD card is essential if you want to reduce the risk of loosing your amazing images. I would also recommend you download your images at the end of each day to reduce the risk of loosing them. Its absolutely heartbreaking to loose amazing images and memories from a trip or shoot at a location you have been planning and looking forward to.
Camera Bags
When choosing a camera bag at this stage of your photography do not over think it. Once again it comes down to your budget as you can spend anything from €40 - €500 on a camera bag.
Just think about what your needs are for a camera bag. Do you want a bag which is just big enough for the camera and lens itself or do you want a bag which is larger and can carry a jacket or other items inside with the camera while on a trip, travelling or walking to a location from your car? While taking photographs I would recommend that you always need to keep both of your hands free to hold the camera and focus on shooting the great images you want to capture. Its not always possible to be able to put a camera bag down when taking photographs, the ground might be very muddy or you could be standing in or near water. You could be concerned that someone will take your bag while you are focusing on the photography you are trying to capture. So, I would recommend a back pack or sling bag to allow you to wear the bag on your back or slung around the back of your body leaving your hands and front of your body free. A back pack is the best option in my opinion, whether its walking or hiking to a location for a Landscape Photography, getting a train or bus to a location, or even carrying your camera and other items from your car to a location, your hands are always free to open doors, climb fences, or quickly take out your camera to take a shot of something you have just seen. Also, since your camera has cost allot of money and is not waterproof, I would recommend that the bag you buy is water or shower proof.
Recommendation :- Don’t spend to much money on a bag - Amazon Basics bags or bags of a similar price range will be fine
You can watch a review of this back pack here :-
One last point I would make regarding the value you might find in a smaller camera bag or case to own in combination with the back back. There might be occasions when you are just popping out for a walk or short hike, or you are on holidays, away on a trip and you are going out for dinner, or you are going to a family party or wedding. On occasions like these you may find the back pack a little inconvenient or large to carry with you. On these occasions I would recommend a small carry case which allows you to easily sling the camera over your shoulder to hang it on a chair with coats.
A budget friendly option can be found here:-
So, in conclusion, buy the back pack now and buy a smaller carry case later when you have been able to save some more money.
Get Out There and Start Shooting.
That’s it, thats all you need to get out there and start enjoying your photography. In a later blog I will go in to some more detail other possible gear you might want to consider when you start to get a feel for what you like to shoot.
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