A Beginner looking for Advise.

Karim786 · May 21, 2009

Hello Guys,

I am completely brand new to the world of photography but it has caught my interest and I am looking for suggestions as I will be investing into a camera and am hoping if someone can advise on a beginner camera. This will only be a hobby for the time being and I would love to take it a step further later on and start shooting few weddings and local events, but primarily this will only be hobby as I have a full-time job with which I am very happy with.

Which camera would you suggest will best suit my needs? I do have my cousin's wedding in August and am hoping to use my new camera. My budget is anywhere from $600-$1000 just for the camera and will invest into lenses later on. Also, which software is best to use when editing? I will be purchasing the software this week but looking for some recommendations as to which will be best.

Many Thanks to anyone that can help a noob out

.

Cheers,

Karim.

benhasajeep · May 21, 2009

Any of the major brands have a good entry level dslr body in your price range. I personally lean towards Nikon. Although I do have a Canon DSLR. Right now I think the best camera for the money is from Pentax though, K20D. The pro's stick with Canon and Nikon because of such a huge selection of new lenses. That doesn't mean you can't shoot as a pro with Pentax. Just that's where the main pro users gravitate to.

Nikon and Pentax both easilly allow the use of their older autofocus and manual focusing lenses on their new cameras.

The best thing to do is go to a store and see which one feels good to you. Some of the cameras are smallish and may not feel comfortable. Or have small buttons, etc.

You, really can't go wrong with the 4 major brands. Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony (the old Minolta).

skieur · May 21, 2009

I should point out that Pentax has a slower, less sensitive autofocus than Nikon, Canon and Sony, which may or may not be an important issue for you.

skieur

rmh159 · May 21, 2009

I'll take on the software part of the question since I'm sure you'll get a ton of answers on the camera portion (mine would be a Nikon D90 w/ kit lens).

You'll definitely want some type of Raw conversion software and something to edit the converted files with. If you're looking to go the free / cheap route you should Google around for copies of Raw Shooter Essentials 2006. You might be able to find a free copy as the company was bought by Adobe and the technology was used in making Adobe Lightroom. GIMP is also a strong program (and free) and if you're starting out not knowing the difference between GIMP and Photoshop... I'd recommend GIMP to test the waters.

If you're looking to spend some money Adobe Lightroom gets strong reviews and of course Photoshop as well but you'll drop some serious cash on those programs.

Until you get further into editing I'd stick with the free stuff though.

bigtwinky · May 21, 2009

I would look for a Canon XSI. The price has probably dropped a bit since the newer T1i has come out, but the XSI is a great beginner camera. A step up from that would be the Canon 40D or 50D, but that might be a bit out of budget for you.

A great first lens to get is a 50mm 1.8. They are usually around $100, which is very cheap, give good image quality and allow for some good low light shooting with the 1.8 aperture. Its not a zoom lens, so you are stuck at 50mm.

For software, it depends on your current skill level with software. Many swear by photoshop, but it can be somewhat daunting for a beginner. Maybe look at Photosop Elements or Lightroom instead, and follow some tutorials or a read a good book.

Speaking of books, pick up "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. Its a great book to give you the basics of aperture, shutter, ISO and so on.

KmH · May 21, 2009

The big 2 are Nikon and Canon. You find the most help for those cameras because they account for the most users. Specifically which camera depends on your budget. Which lenses you may want to consider depends on the kind of photography you want to do. A portrait photographer has different lenses than does a sports shooter, as an example

Shooting weddings is not a casual undertaking for an amature photographer. Successful professional wedding photographers are some of the most knowledgeable and skilled of photographers. They tend to use the highest quality (most expensive) equipment and buy everything in 2's so they have backups in case of equipment damage or failure.

Moon Baby · May 21, 2009

Lenses are more important than Camera bodies. Camera bodies can become obsolete within 1-2 years but lenses last (holds their value) until...well, you break them.

With that said, I'd go for a used Canon 20D or 30D and 40D if you can get them used at a good price. I know KEH.com sells some used 40Ds at a decent price.
I also agree on the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 as a good starter prime. If you're going to shoot a wedding, you're going to need the fastest lens you can afford or get your hands on. I'd also recommend buying a used or lower end rebel series camera (Canon Rebel XT, XTi, XS, XSi) body and investing in a higher end lens.

It's all about the lens baby.