Equipment on a 600$ budget?!

[sohaibthegame]

Greetings ladies and gentlemen, my name's Sohaïb, I'm 19 and just graduated, I'm now free to pursue my passion: Photography and computer science.

I currently have 600$, and looking for a DSLR with APS-C sensor, and a few lenses to start out.

I'm considering a used Canon Rebel T3i with the kit lense, then buy a Canon EF 50mm 1.8 II lense because it's only 100$, and gets me a great depth of field, and hope to find the T3i sold with a telephoto lens(they usually do).
I actually found someone selling a T3i with the 18-55 kit lens, plus a 55-250mm for 400$, not sure if it's in good shape tho.

I would appreciate any information or criticism you you shall provice.

I'd be playing around portraits and lanscapes(I'm not a fan of fisheye tho), and also long exposure shots.

Please, if you have any suggestions, feel free to enlighten me.

Thank you.

 

[PaulWog]

Seems like you have a good base of research done. I see no problem with your purchase plans based on your budget and what you want to do.

Do you intend to spend $600 now, and re-evaluate down the line with a significantly increased budget? Do you plan to spend $600 now and just stick with what you've got without any plans to ever upgrade / change things up? Third possibility, do you plan to spend $600 now and then upgrade incrementally as you go, spending a hundred or two hundred here and there?

Those questions are worth answering, since that can guide some advice... but I think regardless of any future plans, your purchase choices make sense.

Remember that the 50mm 1.8 will be a short portrait length. If you want a true "nifty fifty" on a crop sensor, get a 30mm or 35mm f1.8 lens. I still like 50mm 1.8 on crop though, since you can get some great shots in with it (landscape, portrait, whatever, doesn't matter... but it's technically starting into telephoto length, on the shortest end).

 

[sohaibthegame]

First of all, thank you so much for the quick reply.

I'm just starting to learn the basics, I'm gonna start with what 600$ can get me, practice on family members, then maybe, shoot on some weddings(since I live in Algeria and photography is quite a fresh business) (but I'm importing my gear from Canada, Montréal)

Once I get a good grip on it, I'll sure by progressively upgrading(as you said a few hundred bucks here and there)
a 50mm 1.8 will be perfect for protraits since I can shoot at a comfortable distance, I'm hoping to find a 55-250mm zoom included with the body, 'cause it'll really do the job in weddings and so on..

 

[Dao]

Just for your information, Canon release a new EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens and it cost a little more than the II version. If I am going to buy a new Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 lens now, I will get the newest one. If I am looking for a used lens in good condition, I will try to find the first generation lens (made in the 80's). But the price for that lens (before the release of the new version) is around the same price of the new version if it is in good working condition. So may as well get the new STM version.

 

[sohaibthegame]

I just read the 50mm STM review, and I'm totally getting it.
so to sum up, T3i + 35mm-55mm f/3.6/5.6 kit lens + 50mm EF f/1.8 STM , If I get a bit more cash, I'll consider a cheap tripod, there's also a good chance I find a used T3i with a telephoto lens and a bag.

One question remains, when buying a used T3i, what are the things that I should examine to evaluate the shape and codition of the machine.
And what are the things that I should be careful for so I don't end up being scammed.

Thanks again, really appreciate all your answers guys.

 

[goodguy]

600$ ?
Get a Nikon D5200 with kit lens 18-55mm and Nikon 50mm 1.8G
Why not the T3i ?
D5200 has a better sensor and better auto focus system.
Still T3i isnt a bad camera.

 

[PaulWog]

First of all, thank you so much for the quick reply.

I'm just starting to learn the basics, I'm gonna start with what 600$ can get me, practice on family members, then maybe, shoot on some weddings(since I live in Algeria and photography is quite a fresh business) (but I'm importing my gear from Canada, Montréal)

Once I get a good grip on it, I'll sure by progressively upgrading(as you said a few hundred bucks here and there)
a 50mm 1.8 will be perfect for protraits since I can shoot at a comfortable distance, I'm hoping to find a 55-250mm zoom included with the body, 'cause it'll really do the job in weddings and so on..

It may be tough doing wedding photography with a consumer DSLR, no flash, and kit zoom lenses. Not impossible, but it really depends on the venue and the expectations coming from the particular wedding.

The plan of spending a hundred or two hundred here and there is a tough one: If you do that with a crop sensor camera, you often get stuck with a crop sensor camera system. The difficulty there would be if you have say... $1500 to spend... the best lens for the crop camera might not be the same as the best lens for a full frame.

Just be wary that photography is a very unforgiving hobby when it comes to picking your gear: Your camera choice can limit your lens choices, and your lens choices can limit your future camera choices. It's not possible for most people, but buying big, buying the right thing, and buying once... that's the way to go, if you can. If you cannot, then buy smart, and try not to limit yourself as you move forward. The worst thing you can do is to buy big, be unhappy about it, and resell... I (am doing) that! Just remember to buy for what you need, not what the reviews say -- if a lens is amazing by all accounts of a review, still evaluate if it fits your needs. This is something you'll need to be very wary of if you're approaching photography from the spend a dollar here and another dollar tomorrow approach (more lenses and more focal lengths might just mean more stuff sitting in storage).

If this were just a hobby type thing (not weddings as you have mentioned), I wouldn't address as much of this.