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Okay... here's the short cut: Buy the newest, cheapest Nikon, Fuji, or Canon camera. Then purchase the most expensive lenses you can to go with it.
I used to say only Nikon and Canon DSLR's, but the innovations are all happening in the mirrorless cameras now. If I was buying my first camera today - It would be a Fuji Mirrorless. And I'd be buying it from Georges in Clairemont. If we had a long conversation that would probably be what I'd tell you at the end of it. I'm not supposed to endorse a company or a store... but that's what I'd do. I'll talk about the differences below and why this makes sense now. YES.. you should buy locally rather than online. No, you won't save money online. You'll likely get talked into a bunch of stuff you won't need. (Bundles are not smart - really you won't need the junk tripod, junk lense cleaning tissue, rubbish camera bag. You'll want something to put them in but you can sort that later. So, if I still have your interest... Here's more rambling. What are you going to do with it?
Brands - Inevitably someone will ask: Nikon or Canon? My answer is Yes, and Fuji and Sony and Pentax and Hasselblad. They're cameras... they take pictures... is that what you were asking? I recommend NOT getting hung up on brands *. I've owned and used all of the above and loved them (except the Hasselblad - if you have one and want to give it to me I'll take it!). *If you have a camera with quality lenses already (this includes film cameras), then it's worthwhile to consider if the lenses will work on a camera that you might buy. I'm using several "old" lenses on my new camera - they are essentially free as I already owned them. Several students have used forgotten lenses from 1981 or earlier on modern Nikon DSLRs. It's useful for me to think of cameras like hammers. They're tools, if they do the job they're a good tool. Some hammers have different shapes to their handles. Certain hammers fit in my hands well and don't fit so well for others. Pick one up and try it, see if you and your student like the feeling and the access to controls, the look of the menus, and can operate the most important ones when the camera is up at your eye. Some warranty differences to consider:
DSLR vs Mirrorless Cameras - I have both and like them for different reasons.
Last edit above December 2020. Edit September 2018. Nikon and Canon are now in direct competition with both each other and Sony for the "full frame" digital cameras. Two new cameras out from Nikon, one new one on the way from Canon. Fuji still has the smaller sensor size BUT has leapfrogged them and have an OVERsized Sensor that's 1.6x larger than full frame. The images I've made with one was amazing in clarity. They aren't cheap, but wow! Lenses - The heart of image. (still reading this? wish you'd stopped at that second paragraph?)
OTHER EQUIPMENT There's lots of "stuff" that comes along with photography. If you're reading this far you have some interest in this stuff. Camera Bags/Backpacks/Totes/Slings/Straps - or "How you carry this stuff?"
Tripod/Monopods - Yes. Buy one, or two, or five. Really. Keep one and bring the others to the lab for our students.
Light Modifiers - because Photo means Light!
Other stuff... there's tons of it. Some of it actually works. Some of it doesn't. So really you should have stopped after this part: Buy the newest, cheapest Nikon, Fuji, or Canon DSLR or Mirrorless camera. Used versus New. I buy new Cameras and flashes but used lenses are a huge part of my kit. I've gotten great lenses this way and one bad one. There are good used internet houses such as keh.com that under promise and overdeliver on their sales. If you have other questions... contact me though email at [email protected] |
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