Beginner: what camera should I buy?

[AdinaIoana]

Hello everyone!

I am a beginner and trying to decide what camera and lenses to buy.
I ask the experienced photographers on this forum to give me an advice.
All I can say about myself is that I have no experience, but I like photography very very much (I have had this passion for a long time, but never really started to do something for this) ; that's why, I have decided that now is the moment; i want to learn, but first of all i need the equipment.

I don't know now what kind of photography i like, because i never tried, all i can say now is that i would like to make landscape and macro photography; maybe next year i will think different, i don't know.

A photographer once adviced me to invest more in a camera body, and to buy medium quality lenses at the beginning (only to allow me to decide what i will like to do in the future; and then, when i know exactly which way i will go, to invest in better lenses).

I am interested in a digital camera, and my budget is 2000-2500 EURO.

Thank you!

 

[dsp921]

Nikon D50 or D70s, Canon 350D, depending which feels better in your hand and which controls feel more natural for you personally. Get either with the kit lens and start to shoot and see what your style developes into.
Investing in medium quality lenses makes no sense to me. Find out what you like to shoot and get the best lenses you can afford. Worry about body upgrades later. You'll get better results with a pro lens on a consumer body than you will with a consumer lens on a pro body.

 

[KevinR]

Lenses are something you can grow with. Upgrading the body is easy. Check out those cameras already recommended and maybe at the new sony or olympus also. But the main thing is to shoot and learn. Hanging out here is a good starting point. so welcome.

 

[AdinaIoana]

Get either with the kit lens and start to shot and see what your style developes into.
Investing in medium quality lenses makes no sense to me. Find out what you like to shot and get the best lenses you can afford.

i don't know if i understood well: you advise me to get the kit lens first, until i discover what i like to shoot, and then, when i know exactly which way i go,to get the best lenses i can afford?

 

[JJP]

i don't know if i understood well: you advise me to get the kit lens first, until i discover what i like to shoot, and then, when i know exactly which way i go,to get the best lenses i can afford?

I think that is a smart idea.

 

[AdinaIoana]

if you will excuse me, i'm not very familiar with spoken english (i am not from USA) , and i want to be sure that i correctly understand your reccomendations .
thank you for your help!

 

[KevinR]

The lens that comes with the body is often just a standard zoom lens that will be decent for general shooting conditions. Once you find a style of photography that really suits you (macro work, portraits, landscapes) then you can invest in lenses more suited for those styles.

 

[dsp921]

i don't know if i understood well: you advise me to get the kit lens first, until i discover what i like to shoot, and then, when i know exactly which way i go,to get the best lenses i can afford?

Yes, that is what I mean. The D70s comes with a very good kit lens and will work well for getting to know what you want or need in a lens. Once you start to add lenses to your equipment get the best ones you can. A quality lens will always be a quality lens, companies update camera bodies at a very rapid pace these days so you can get more features cheaper down the road. If you by a high end body now, by the time you have gotten the lenses you want you most likely will want a new body. I've bought a few consumer grade lenses and ended up replacing them very quicky. I didn't save anything and it actually cost me more to get the cheap lenses first.
The D50/D70s or the 350d will produce excellent results with top quality glass. Cheap glass on a D200 or a 5d will not give you the quality images that the cameras are capable of. That is why it is always recommended to get quality lenses first and worry about the body later.

 

[AdinaIoana]

companies update camera bodies at a very rapid pace these days so you can get more features cheaper down the road. If you by a high end body now, by the time you have gotten the lenses you want you most likely will want a new body.

you have pointed exactly the idea i needed to understand.
until now, i didn't know why everybody told me not to invest in an expensive camera now, until i really need one; it made no sense to me to buy an entry/medium camera now, and to change it in an year (losing almost all the money i spent on it), as long as i can buy a performant camera now and not to bother to change it at all in 2-3 years.
but now, it's all clear!
you are right. i totally agree ; i have no doubt anymore.

thank you!

 

[AdinaIoana]

thank you all!
maybe we'll continue talking on monday.
have a nice week-end!

 

[JamesD]

I would like to break with the general consensus here just a little. Do not ignore film cameras. Euro for Euro, you get more camera for much, much less.

I would suggest a film camera, with a good general-purpose lens or two to begin. It is true that film processing costs more than digital processing, but having to think about what your photographing before you photograph it is good for learning. Getting the shot on the first try is an important skill to have, because many times you may not be able to reshoot. You can do this with digital, of course, but the temptation to see what you have got, and adjust from there, is very strong.

Additionally, new digital bodies are made, with new features, very often. Film cameras do not change so quickly. So, if you get a cheaper film body now, you can save some money with that purchase and continue to save for a digital body which will do what you want when you decide what you want to persue.

As for lenses, they will be useful with both the film and digital camera bodies. Getting good lenses at the beginning will give you more satisfaction with your results than cheap lenses. I speak from experience. If I could go back, I would not have purchased the kit zoom lens, but instead a good prime lens upon which I could build. I think that the higher quality is worth the extra price, because my satisfaction with my equipment, and the ease of using my equipment, is much higher now.

Even so, anything you buy, digital or film, cheap or expensive, can give you good results if you learn how to use it, as you say you wish to do. Learn the strengths and weaknesses of your equipment, and you will excel. Learning is the most important thing.

Good luck, and welcome!

 

[AdinaIoana]

Hello!

Could you advice me what type of lenses to get, in order to allow me to go through various ways of making photos?

this is what i found (some of them ar from the kit):
for nikon: 18-55mm,55-200mm,
for pentax: 18-55mm, 18-125mm Sigma,
for canon: 18-55mm, 17-85mm, 55-200mm Tamron etc. etc.


thank you!