Help a newbie with big dreams to find the proper equipment

learningtogrow

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Hi. I hope you are well.
I’m a newbie looking for some technical advice.

I love photography. I spend a good time “taking pictures” (I need to re-emphasize the newbie feeling); however, as many of you can easily guess, I don’t have any related knowledge: I just place the camera and try to take the best picture. Please, do not take this in a bad way. I'm not underestimating the photographer's art/work.

Lately, I have been thinking about improving this (probably taking a couple of courses). But also, about buying professional equipment. You can say…” Why a newbie needs pro devices?” and I understand and respect that point. In any case, the reality is that I’m collecting information to buy a professional camera and lenses to…
  1. Do landscape photography (I love to capture nature)
  2. Do the opposite, which is insect photography. I’m an ants keeper and I’d love to have the proper equipment to take good photos, zooming, focusing, and having a beautiful big photo of my queens.

As I said, I’m trying to collect information to research possibilities and prices.
Any advice will be much appreciated.

Thanks for helping me.
 
Since you didn't specify a platform, all the smartest and best-looking photographers use Nikon.

And just what is it that makes a camera/lens "professional" to you? To some, simply being able to swap lenses makes a camera a professional model. But I was at a wedding on Saturday and the hired photographer was using a D3400 which is on the "lower end" of Nikon's lineup. The skill of the photographer will have a much bigger impact on the final result than the camera being used.

Those are two very different (and possibly three) "types" of photography. To me, landscapes and nature are different. You need wide angles for landscapes but long lenses for most nature shots. And a macro lens for the up-close bug shots. I don't have an opinion on the others but, for nature shots, the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 is a fantastic lens.

Consider buying something used, Craigslist-eBay-estate sales-etc.
 
You NEED to set a real budget.
Example, you may think $3,000 is enough, but that is less than the price of a high end pro camera, without a lens.

At this point, and having used a mirrorless, I would say go mirrorless, rather than dSLR.
Both Nikon and Canon are moving from dSLR to mirrorless, trying to catch up to Sony.

Nikon and Canon are into their 2nd generation of mirrorless cameras, and still fleshing out the lenses for the mirrorless cameras.
Lenses: If the lenses that Nikon and Canon have are what you want, all is fine. If not, you will have to use their dSLR lenses with an adapter on the mirrorless.
Sony is way ahead, with several generations of cameras and a pretty complete lens system.

For me, the MAJOR advantage the mirrorless has is the EVF, where you can see the exposure in the screen in real time. So you can adjust the exposure before you press the shutter. This may not seem like an issue for landscape pics, but in difficult lighting, I find it helps a lot.

Having said that, there is nothing wrong with dSLRs. And you might be able to get some good deals on the camera and lenses, as people are moving to the mirrorless cameras.

Finally, you need to evaluate YOUR needs vs the gear. You may not need the capabilities of the $5,000 camera, the $2,000 camera may do everything you want.
Example, you don't shoot sports, so the sports related functionality of the high end sports cameras are wasted on you.

As for lenses:
Without knowing more, I would suggest the three standard pro lenses:
- 17-24, 24-70, 70-200
Plus a macro, for your ants.

A warning. The pro lenses tend to be BIGGER and HEAVIER than the non-pro lenses. Holding the gear for 5 minutes in the store is very different than lugging it for hours/miles on a hike.
So, if you are going to carry your gear for a significant distance, you NEED to consider size and weight.

And the other stuff:
- A GOOD tripod and head. Bigger is not always better. Too big can be too big and heavy to carry on a LONG hike. I have a BIG tripod that I won't use more than 100 feet from the car, as it is too heavy for me to carry for any distance. You have to balance stability against portability.
- Lighting. For your macro work on your ants.
- Straps and bags. Your hiking backpack has to be large enough for all your gear, PLUS food, water, clothing and first-aid kit. GOOD packs are not cheap.

gud luk
 
It is important to understand that 75% of taking great images is knowledge of both the art and science of photography, planning, composition, technique, timing, and a little bit of luck, 15% is post processing skills, and the last 10% is the gear you use given a reasonable quality level, and modern cell phone cameras meet and exceed the minimum. Ask yourself the question who would you rather take pictures at an important event, a professional with a iphone 12 Pro max or a total newbie with a Sony A1 and high quality glass? There are plenty of award winning photos out there taken with a cell phone camera. So the moral of the story is to spend on education first, cameras second, as long as you have a cell phone with a camera.

I realize a good camera can foster enthusiasm for photography, which helps you stay with it rather than get bored and drop it after a couple of months. IMHO, the best deal out there right now for new gear is the Nikon Z50 at $895 + the cost of glass. A good lens to start with would be a 50mm f/2.8, which you can get for $700. An even better option is to look at used dslr equipment. You can get some really great gear for not a lot of money. Since I started with Nikon, look for a D7200 with an 18-140mm kit lens or even a D800E with a 50mm f/2.8 lens. A good source for used gear is KEH.com. I highly recommend them. You can even give them a call, or chat online, and they will point you in a good direction.
 
It is important to understand that 75% of taking great images is knowledge of both the art and science of photography, planning, composition, technique, timing, and a little bit of luck, 15% is post processing skills, and the last 10% is the gear you use given a reasonable quality level, and modern cell phone cameras meet and exceed the minimum. Ask yourself the question who would you rather take pictures at an important event, a professional with a iphone 12 Pro max or a total newbie with a Sony A1 and high quality glass? There are plenty of award winning photos out there taken with a cell phone camera. So the moral of the story is to spend on education first, cameras second, as long as you have a cell phone with a camera.

I realize a good camera can foster enthusiasm for photography, which helps you stay with it rather than get bored and drop it after a couple of months. IMHO, the best deal out there right now for new gear is the Nikon Z50 at $895 + the cost of glass. A good lens to start with would be a 50mm f/2.8, which you can get for $700. An even better option is to look at used dslr equipment. You can get some really great gear for not a lot of money. Since I started with Nikon, look for a D7200 with an 18-140mm kit lens or even a D800E with a 50mm f/2.8 lens. A good source for used gear is KEH.com. I highly recommend them. You can even give them a call, or chat online, and they will point you in a good direction.
the numbers are disputable :D ..

there are two levels - hardware and software, both play significant role especially when we're talking about specific photos (eg for example you're not going to make a stunning macro \wo good macro lens and you are not going to make a stunning portrait photographs with kit lens - if somebody will tell you that gear doesn't matter, just turn around and calmly go away ...but, yeah, but - It's not that easy and also not that deterministic, gear matters but a little, little importantly ;))

your question is related to the hardware matter ... As it has been said above, all the smartest and best-looking photographers use Nikon. That's for sure, just don't be a punk and join the right party. There has been also said that you need to set and specify the budget. Until you do, we're vaguely talking abut the range $1000 - $10000 approximately .. so now let's guess your type

1) for a budget and new gear (don't let the economy circulate), I'd go for Nikon Z50 in kit with 16-50 + 50-250 lenses (+ eventually FTZ too), new is for $1200 and it's great camera, with FTZ you can use losslessly myriads of Nikon F-mount lens from many vendors .. Z50 is DX camera but it's really good one .. My photography buddy has it and it's just a great camera

2) for a budget and old gear, just go for some older Nikon, yeah, it's gamble on ebay sometimes. Depends on what you want. FX or DX, I'd suggest one of these D750, D800, D810 as for FX (D780 is actually pretty expensive), D7200 or eventually D5600 as for DX (no, I really don't like overpriced 20MP D500 or D7500)

3) for a moderate budget go for D850 if you will be able to get it, probably the best FX DSRL camera ever made, it has tiling display (contrary to D810), good for a landscape and macro, there's F-mount so you'll have an endless pool with options as for avail lenses.

4) if you were born with the silver spoon in your mouth then don't hesitate and go for Z6 or Z7 ... of course mk2 .. there are not many lanses for them on the market and they are overpriced as hell but who cares !!! Go for that and wipe the smirk from our faces with your photographs !!! Who's smiling now, huh ?

cheers, ~d
 
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What are you using now? I didn’t see any mention of your current equipment, and are you sure you’re getting the most out of it? Improving one’s photography usually requires much practice, not much spending. Your idea about taking courses has merit, and that will likely make a greater difference than will higher priced gear.
 
the numbers are disputable :D ..

there are two levels - hardware and software, both play significant role especially when we're talking about specific photos (eg for example you're not going to make a stunning macro \wo good macro lens and you are not going to make a stunning portrait photographs with kit lens - if somebody will tell you that gear doesn't matter, just turn around and calmly go away ...but, yeah, but - It's not that easy and also not that deterministic, gear matters but a little, little importantly ;))

your question is related to the hardware matter ... As it has been said above, all the smartest and best-looking photographers use Nikon. That's for sure, just don't be a punk and join the right party. There has been also said that you need to set and specify the budget. Until you do, we're vaguely talking abut the range $1000 - $10000 approximately .. so now let's guess your type

1) for a budget and new gear (don't let the economy circulate), I'd go for Nikon Z50 in kit with 16-50 + 50-250 lenses (+ eventually FTZ too), new is for $1200 and it's great camera, with FTZ you can use losslessly myriads of Nikon F-mount lens from many vendors .. Z50 is DX camera but it's really good one .. My photography buddy has it and it's just a great camera

2) for a budget and old gear, just go for some older Nikon, yeah, it's gamble on ebay sometimes. Depends on what you want. FX or DX, I'd suggest one of these D750, D800, D810 as for FX (D780 is actually pretty expensive), D7200 or eventually D5600 as for DX (no, I really don't like overpriced 20MP D500 or D7500)

3) for a moderate budget go for D850 if you will be able to get it, probably the best FX DSRL camera ever made, it has tiling display (contrary to D810), good for a landscape and macro, there's F-mount so you'll have an endless pool with options as for avail lenses.

4) if you were born with the silver spoon in your mouth then don't hesitate and go for Z6 or Z7 ... of course mk2 .. there are not many lanses for them on the market and they are overpriced as hell but who cares !!! Go for that and wipe the smirk from our faces with your photographs !!! Who's smiling now, huh ?

cheers, ~d
Steve Perry, a leading wildlife photographer, says the most important part of taking great images is the 4" behind the camera. If you look at award winning photos, many have technical flaws including lack of sharpness, but they set a mood and tell a compelling story that makes one overlook the technical problems. I proposed 75% knowledge of art and science, 15% PP skills, 10% camera and lens (as long as it meets a certain quality level). Please share your thoughts on what the numbers should be.
 
Steve Perry, a leading wildlife photographer, says the most important part of taking great images is the 4" behind the camera. If you look at award winning photos, many have technical flaws including lack of sharpness, but they set a mood and tell a compelling story that makes one overlook the technical problems. I proposed 75% knowledge of art and science, 15% PP skills, 10% camera and lens (as long as it meets a certain quality level). Please share your thoughts on what the numbers should be.
I would not mix these two levels ... I would say that 90% of photography is made of the will, patience, determination, feeling of the moment and awareness of the photographer and yet it's not abolutely right ... if you wanna talk about your award winning photo it's usually the matter of these plus a luck, gear in that doesn't play a big role for sure and it's bit unfair to say that it's not like that ... For all other photographs, I mean for all those 9.99k/10k photographs gear plays important role .. And the weight of that importance could vary person by person and also what kind of the photography you would like to do so for example citing Steve Perry is absolutely hilarious and ridiculous because especially him has his gear worth of tens of thousands $$ :D

I would say that advantage of todays' photography is that actually even cheap cameras are incredibly good so this makes kind of impression that gear doesn't matter in my opinion ...

You want your numbers and I do not know howto provide them ... I would not say that the gear makes 10% because it's rubbish and also I would not speculate if 25% is too high or still low, discussion like that makes NO sense .. I can tell you one thing - I am playing all my life on guitars and with guitars it's same like with cameras .. You can play absolutely amazingly on cheap guitar, for audience, they won't think about that nor recognize that you have cheap guitar, they will acclaim your performance ... And then you can play on expensive guitar for same audience and it will give you same reception, same acclaim but yet it will be 1000% different. Perhaps not for your audience but for you, the performer !! So I dare to say that gear really matters in very special way ...

cheers, ~d
 
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I would not mix these two levels ... I would say that 90% of photography is made of the will, patience, determination, feeling of the moment and awareness of the photographer and yet it's not abolutely right ... if you wanna talk about your award winning photo it's usually the matter of these plus a luck, gear in that doesn't play a big role for sure and it's bit unfair to say that it's not like that ... For all other photographs, I mean for all those 9.99k/10k photographs gear plays important role .. And the weight of that importance could vary person by person and also what kind of the photography you would like to do so for example citing Steve Perry is absolutely hilarious and ridiculous because especially him has his gear worth of tens of thousands $$ :D

I would say that advantage of todays' photography is that actually even cheap cameras are incredibly good so this makes kind of impression that gear doesn't matter in my opinion ...

You want your numbers and I do not know howto provide them ... I would not say that the gear makes 10% because it's rubbish and also I would not speculate if 25% is too high or still low, discussion like that makes NO sense .. I can tell you one thing - I am playing all my life on guitars and with guitars it's same like with cameras .. You can play absolutely amazingly on cheap guitar, for audience, they won't think about that nor recognize that you have cheap guitar, they will acclaim your performance ... And then you can play on expensive guitar for same audience and it will have same reception, same acclaim but yet it will be 1000% different. Perhaps not for your audience but for you, the performer !! So I dare to say that gear really matters in very special way ...

cheers, ~d
Thanks for the response., it is much appreciated. You might be interested in the following award winning cell phone camera photos: IPhone Photo Award Winners Capture Tender Moments, Stark Contrasts And A Magical Sky

Re Guitars, I mainly play the Blues. I often bypass my Kiesel, Fender, Gibson and PRS American made guitars for my favorite Fender Player Telle with Fralin Blues pickups. Not the most expensive in the rack, but it just feels and sounds right.
 
Thanks for the response., it is much appreciated. Re Guitars, I mainly play the Blues. I often bypass my Kiesel, Fender, Gibson and PRS American made guitars for my favorite Fender Player Telle with Fralin Blues pickups. Not the most expensive in the rack, but it just feels and sounds right.

lovely collection and what a famous brands !!! I would certainly like to spend a lot of $$ for guitars but I cannot .. my actually the current and favourite guitar is 7-strings Ibanez Made in Japan and my good old punky Gibson Les Paul Standard (1992 / made in usa), I have also some acoustic guitars and all my life I desired for to own some Martin guitar but I know that they are really overpriced .. I am playing now on Furch Guitars (hand made made in Czech Rep.) .. I had in my life perhaps tens of various electric guitars but I've been always selling those whose I didn't use much ;) .. Well, I'd love to take back some old sellouts, like for example when I've sold a Fender strat because singles were not punky enough and I wanted humbuckers (on Les Paul) ...
 
Thanks for the response., it is much appreciated. You might be interested in the following award winning cell phone camera photos: IPhone Photo Award Winners Capture Tender Moments, Stark Contrasts And A Magical Sky

Re Guitars, I mainly play the Blues. I often bypass my Kiesel, Fender, Gibson and PRS American made guitars for my favorite Fender Player Telle with Fralin Blues pickups. Not the most expensive in the rack, but it just feels and sounds right.
I'm about to buy a Fender Player Tele to add to my 30 odd collection (Ukulele to contra bass). Seem to be great value but can't decide on a colour.
 
Steve Perry, a leading wildlife photographer, says the most important part of taking great images is the 4" behind the camera. If you look at award winning photos, many have technical flaws including lack of sharpness, but they set a mood and tell a compelling story that makes one overlook the technical problems. I proposed 75% knowledge of art and science, 15% PP skills, 10% camera and lens (as long as it meets a certain quality level). Please share your thoughts on what the numbers should be.


Way back when, I bought my first digital camera (D40) and wanted to actually learn a little about photography above and beyond what I had managed to figure out by playing over the years.

So I took a class given at the local camera shop where I bought the D40. It was even being taught by the salesman who sold me the camera.

I did learn things but there is one thing that he said that I will never forget...

"I can teach you how to use your camera but I can't teach you to be a photographer".

What I took away from what he said is that knowing what and when to photograph something is much more important than what you do it with. (I just fixed my horrible grammar!)
 
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Hi. I hope you are well.
I’m a newbie looking for some technical advice.

I love photography. I spend a good time “taking pictures” (I need to re-emphasize the newbie feeling); however, as many of you can easily guess, I don’t have any related knowledge: I just place the camera and try to take the best picture. Please, do not take this in a bad way. I'm not underestimating the photographer's art/work.

Lately, I have been thinking about improving this (probably taking a couple of courses). But also, about buying professional equipment. You can say…” Why a newbie needs pro devices?” and I understand and respect that point. In any case, the reality is that I’m collecting information to buy a professional camera and lenses to…
  1. Do landscape photography (I love to capture nature)
  2. Do the opposite, which is insect photography. I’m an ants keeper and I’d love to have the proper equipment to take good photos, zooming, focusing, and having a beautiful big photo of my queens.

As I said, I’m trying to collect information to research possibilities and prices.
Any advice will be much appreciated.

Thanks for helping me.

Hi. I hope you are well.
I’m a newbie looking for some technical advice.

I love photography. I spend a good time “taking pictures” (I need to re-emphasize the newbie feeling); however, as many of you can easily guess, I don’t have any related knowledge: I just place the camera and try to take the best picture. Please, do not take this in a bad way. I'm not underestimating the photographer's art/work.

Lately, I have been thinking about improving this (probably taking a couple of courses). But also, about buying professional equipment. You can say…” Why a newbie needs pro devices?” and I understand and respect that point. In any case, the reality is that I’m collecting information to buy a professional camera and lenses to…
  1. Do landscape photography (I love to capture nature)
  2. Do the opposite, which is insect photography. I’m an ants keeper and I’d love to have the proper equipment to take good photos, zooming, focusing, and having a beautiful big photo of my queens.

As I said, I’m trying to collect information to research possibilities and prices.
Any advice will be much appreciated.

Thanks for helping me.

Hi. I hope you are well.
I’m a newbie looking for some technical advice.

I love photography. I spend a good time “taking pictures” (I need to re-emphasize the newbie feeling); however, as many of you can easily guess, I don’t have any related knowledge: I just place the camera and try to take the best picture. Please, do not take this in a bad way. I'm not underestimating the photographer's art/work.

Lately, I have been thinking about improving this (probably taking a couple of courses). But also, about buying professional equipment. You can say…” Why a newbie needs pro devices?” and I understand and respect that point. In any case, the reality is that I’m collecting information to buy a professional camera and lenses to…
Do landscape photography (I love to capture nature)
  1. Do the opposite, which is insect photography. I’m an ants keeper and I’d love to have the proper equipment to take good photos, zooming, focusing, and having a beautiful big photo of my queens.
As I said, I’m trying to collect information to research possibilities and prices.
Any advice will be much appreciated.
Thanks for helping me.

Hi. I hope you are well.
I’m a newbie looking for some technical advice.

I love photography. I spend a good time “taking pictures” (I need to re-emphasize the newbie feeling); however, as many of you can easily guess, I don’t have any related knowledge: I just place the camera and try to take the best picture. Please, do not take this in a bad way. I'm not underestimating the photographer's art/work.

Lately, I have been thinking about improving this (probably taking a couple of courses). But also, about buying professional equipment. You can say…” Why a newbie needs pro devices?” and I understand and respect that point. In any case, the reality is that I’m collecting information to buy a professional camera and lenses to…
  1. Do landscape photography (I love to capture nature)
  2. Do the opposite, which is insect photography. I’m an ants keeper and I’d love to have the proper equipment to take good photos, zooming, focusing, and having a beautiful big photo of my queens.

As I said, I’m trying to collect information to research possibilities and prices.
Any advice will be much appreciated.

Thanks for helping me.
Whether you're serious or just doing snapshots, you'll enjoy photography more with better equipment. Buy the best you can comfortably afford, you will not regret it!
 
AS some posted above, the quote the most important part of the camera is the 12 inches behind it, was from Ansel Adams. Don't fall into the trap that better equipment makes better photos as those making and selling gear want you to believe. If you don't understand how lenses, aperture and shutter speed effect the image, don't understand good composition, don't know the basics of editing in post and most of all, don't know what inspired you or the message of the shot and how to use the above to maximize it, a 60,000 camera is just going to make high resolution, large dynamic range crap. For $20 a month, the cost of one book, you have access to training from your camera, what gear to use for your landscape or macro work, composition all taught by experts in the field, not some bozo who just is trying his new camera and most annoying is going to say "without further ado." Maybe I want further ado. What the hell is ado. Just kiddin, Kelby's instructors are experts. You can dive in as deeply on each topic as you want.
 
What are you shooting with now and what needs to improve as far as what you’re getting out of it? Less noise? Better resolution for printing? Sharper images?
 

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