Beginner Gear Question/Dilemma

kata2012 · Aug 24, 2025

cgw said:
Wonder if the OP appreciates the wisdom we've showered down on them? Crickets chirping...HAH!

I actually do appreciate it. It's a lot of common sense that I need as it's really easy to get caught up in the idea that more megapixels or a better lens or a different camera can make you better, when really I just need to learn the basics and get as much experience as possible

MartinCrabtree · Aug 25, 2025

My favorite photo (so far) was taken with a well used Nikon D90 with a 25 year old Nikon 28-85 f3.5-4.5 AF (full frame) lens. Newest camera I own is a 15 year old D3100.

Go have fun with what you have. Take lots of photos. Even ones that may seem dumb. Surprise yourself.

wfooshee · Aug 25, 2025

Personally I have never bought new camera since my first auto-focus film camera back in the 80s, a Nikon N8008; all of my digital cameras have been second-hand, and I upgrade as I run into limitations. The D50 I started with would miss focus in action shots because it only had 5 focus points and I wasn't always able to ensure that the desired subject was on a focus point. The D5000 that replaced it was better, but then I ran into poor frame rate when shooting continuously. Replaced it with a D7000 which had a better frame rate but ran out of buffer after only 8 or 9 frames. The D7200 improved on that, but I've always found its low-light capability quite limited. My current D500 pretty much took care of that issue. Now this didn't happen over a matter of weeks or even months; the D50 was fifteen years ago, and I've had the D500 for only four months now. The longest-used body was the D7200, which was my daily from

I have not replaced any lenses in that time, only added as I felt a need for something. I replaced a very poor 70-200 kit lens with a rather nice 70-300 Nikon lens, new, back in 2012, which is still my go-to lens for sports and wildlife. I kept the 18-55 kit lens that came with the D50 through all of the other cameras, as it was actually quite nice, even without VR. My only other lens purchases have been some specialty lenses, like a fish-eye, a 10-24 super-wide-angle, a 30mm 1.4 for speed, and a 70-200 2.8, again for speed. None of those was new except the 10-24, and it was reduced to nearly half when I bought it. The others were eBay or pawn shops. I also have a number of other pawn shop legacy lenses from Nikon's film days, like an 85mm f:1.8 manual focus and a couple of different 50mm lenses, one AF one MF.

My point is that I got stuff when I saw a true improvement against a limitation I had encountered with then-current equipment, not just because, "Oooh, this is the latest and greatest and I need it!" I have a number of lenses, but only two that I bought new, and each one had a purpose for me, even though I don't make my living with this; they represented something I could afford, and something I wanted to experiment with. My longest-lived camera was the D7200, from late 2018 into this year, although the D7000 went almost as long.

smoke665 · Aug 25, 2025

kata2012 said:
Thanks, sometimes I just need a dose of common sense. I have a tendency to over think things and plan way to far in advance.

Everyone has been there in the beginning, its a common misconception in photography that you have to have the latest greatest to take great shots. Tools improve your ability to create, but they don't create anything on their own.

Pull out the gear you have, take some shots, and post them here with any questions or advice. Lots of helpful people on TPF

24megapixseal · Aug 25, 2025

Another vote for using the wife's Canon kit.....it really is the person clicking the shutter for at least the first several YEARS!...Once you mastered the lil' Canon, and can get your desired results, you will have figured out your desired genre of photography and can then start to specialize your equipment....those first few years will be fun, you'll learn a ton, and you'll like your photos....OR....after that period you decide that photography ain't something you want or enjoy

Although I love it and it's simply a part of my life, I've introduced others and they simply didn't want to "learn" photography, they just thought it would be easy to take great photos...I think you either "got it" or you "don't".....

But throwing money at it doesn't automatically mean great photographs.

MartinCrabtree · Aug 25, 2025

If I could only have one.....it would be a tough decision.

Grandpa Ron · Aug 27, 2025

kata2012 said:
Hi All,

New to photography here. I've always been interested in it, but now I find I actually have the time to start taking the hobby more seriously. Anyway, I have a basic question about cameras and a slight dilemma that I hope someone here can help with.

I have heard that the best camera is the one you have with you. I have also heard that you date the body and marry the glass. With those things in mind, I'm coming up to a crossroad with my setup. I also have an extremely limited budget for $200-$300 that I can spend on equipment right now. So with that in mind, here is my dilemma.

I really like the idea of portability and something like an older Sony-Nex 5n would be in my budget and it seems like there is an abundance of e mount lenses out there that I could purchase over time and then upgrade the body as well when I needed to. I also feel the portability aspect would lead me to carry it more, resulting in more practice and more photos.

However, I have another option. My wife has a Canon t5i dslr camera that she no longer uses. We even have some lenses for it, such as the 18-55 kit lens, Cannon 10-18mm, a 18-270 tameron lens, and an older Canon 100-400. The problem for me is that it just seems so bulky and cumbersome to carry around. I know that I could purchase the Canon 50mm f1.8 lens , and/or the Cannon 24mm f2.8 lens to minimize the bulk. But I have also read that the Canon Ef-S mount and the bodies for it are discontinued, so is there a point to invest in an older system that will remain outdated.

So that leaves me wondering, would it be better to buy into a different system now, such as the sony e-mount system for it's portability and collect lenses over time and upgrade the body as needed in the future, or go with what I have, knowing that at some point I will need to switch over to a different system and deal with the bulk of lugging it around.

I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this.

There is a big difference between "need" and "want". We all encounter situations where we reach and impasse, and if we had this or that gizmo, things would go a lot smoother.

The time for an upgrade is when your current gear is not capable of meeting your routine demands, without significantly retarding your progress.

"Serious hobby" gear is not cheap. So, it is wiser to squeeze all the performance out of what gear you have, to better understand what features you really need to upgrade.

Renting a little used expensive item, is better than a shelf full of items becoming more obsolete with each new product release.

Good luck

Don Fischer · Sep 4, 2025

To get going I'd say get aa P&S camera. No reason for a relatively expensive DSLR till you learn to take a photo. Problem is cost. I have had a number of real entry level P&S's and won't recommend any of them. Good photo's but lousy camera life. My Last P&S ia a Panasonic ZS 100. has a zoom lens, 25-250 which is more than enough for what I use it for. In fact it takes every bit as good of photo's as my D 7000 Nikon. The down side is its out of your price range. But I have noticed Canon and Nikon both have what appears to be better P&S's out now for less than this Panasonic of mine, About $700 for the Panasonic. The Canon and Nikon closer to $500. have never tried either but doing it over I might. Keep in mind that all the camera is going to do is record the frame you decided to shoot. Maybe those old P&S I had might have lasted longer is they hadn't been exposed to the outdoors so much in the field. And then again if they did only last you a year, I suspect they would be worth the cost to learn to take photo's! As for going DSLR well been shooting my D 7000 a number of years nd haven't a clue what all it will do, they build to much into them then write the manual so you need a college degree just to read it. My Panasonic is about the same. I couldn't take a photo with it as first. Got used and former owner fooled with the setting's and I had no clue what was going on. told to reset the camera to how it came new and shoot in "P". Worked like a charm! Good luck but before you get in to deep, learn to take a picture

AliDee · Sep 9, 2025

The wife's Canon kit would be the answer here imo! Learn the basics with the gear you currently have and that will help you decide where to move next, what kind of gear you'd actually need for that, etc. Also don't ignore theory, Youtube videos and written articles on how to do this or that will help and guide you by a mile.

greybeard · Sep 9, 2025

cgw said:
Shoot the Canon kit till it breaks. Get the affordable 50mm if you wish. Less bulk and weight means you'll shoot it more often in more places. That's arguably the quickest way to get experience.

What cgw wrote ^^^^^You can do a lot with what you have and not have to spend a dime. That camera with the 18-55 kit lens is pretty small and easy to schlep around. I would spend that money on some good editing software.

JoeW · Sep 10, 2025

The great French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson said "your first 10,000 photos are your worst." The point is: start shooting. Ask for feedback. Experiment. That way you'll learn.

And as you learn...(a) you get a sense of what you like to shoot (and what you don't) which will inform any future gear/camera decisions. And (b) you'll become a better photographer.

Having $200-$300 to start out with if you're new to photography is nothing. It buys you (maybe) a used DSLR and kit lens. I second all of the recommendations to start with the Canon setup and begin playing with it. Post some of your photos here and ask "what did I do wrong?" or "how do I make this better?" And at some point you'll get a better idea of what you're looking for and what suits your needs. And then, if the Canon gear doesn't do that for you, you sell it for a few hundred dollars and go looking for what you now know you realize.

Yes, the Sony is smaller and lighter. It's 15 years old. And all mirrorless cameras run through batteries quickly--so you'd ideally want to purchase 2 more batteries of you got the Sony. You'll get better photos with the Canon simply because you'll have a wider range of lens.

Play around with the Canon, get to be competent at photography and then decide what you want to buy specific to your needs and talents.

Skyblot · Sep 10, 2025

kata2012 said:
Hi All,

New to photography here. I've always been interested in it, but now I find I actually have the time to start taking the hobby more seriously. Anyway, I have a basic question about cameras and a slight dilemma that I hope someone here can help with.

I have heard that the best camera is the one you have with you. I have also heard that you date the body and marry the glass. With those things in mind, I'm coming up to a crossroad with my setup. I also have an extremely limited budget for $200-$300 that I can spend on equipment right now. So with that in mind, here is my dilemma.

I really like the idea of portability and something like an older Sony-Nex 5n would be in my budget and it seems like there is an abundance of e mount lenses out there that I could purchase over time and then upgrade the body as well when I needed to. I also feel the portability aspect would lead me to carry it more, resulting in more practice and more photos.

However, I have another option. My wife has a Canon t5i dslr camera that she no longer uses. We even have some lenses for it, such as the 18-55 kit lens, Cannon 10-18mm, a 18-270 tameron lens, and an older Canon 100-400. The problem for me is that it just seems so bulky and cumbersome to carry around. I know that I could purchase the Canon 50mm f1.8 lens , and/or the Cannon 24mm f2.8 lens to minimize the bulk. But I have also read that the Canon Ef-S mount and the bodies for it are discontinued, so is there a point to invest in an older system that will remain outdated.

So that leaves me wondering, would it be better to buy into a different system now, such as the sony e-mount system for it's portability and collect lenses over time and upgrade the body as needed in the future, or go with what I have, knowing that at some point I will need to switch over to a different system and deal with the bulk of lugging it around.

I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this.

I have a Canon T3i (EOS600D) that I bought new in 2012 so it's 13 years and counting. I've been mulling over a new camera, but I haven't pushed the button on that one as yet. Even so, I still thought it worthwhile to buy an EF50mm f1.8 lens and a set of extension tubes to have a play with macro photographs. The T3i takes wonderful quality photos and while it doesn't have the super fast auto focus or high ISO capabilities it is still well worth keeping.

Your wife's T5i would fall into the same category. Use it and enjoy it for minimal cost!

Tartness9094 · Sep 11, 2025

Ignore the advice about buying the best camera you can afford because you don't need a really expensive camera to enjoy photography. I can't afford new cameras and have bought second hand for years now from E-Bay, Wex Photo and MPB and never had any problems with any of them. Try using your Canon with just a 50mm or 35mm lens and see how you get on or buy something like a Olympus EM10 which is small and has an EVF because you may prefer an EVF to the OVF of the Canon or vise versa

kata2012 · Sep 15, 2025

greybeard said:
What cgw wrote ^^^^^You can do a lot with what you have and not have to spend a dime. That camera with the 18-55 kit lens is pretty small and easy to schlep around. I would spend that money on some good editing software.

What editing software would you recommend for a beginner?