Newbie Here! Looking for advice on purchasing my first professional camera.

hawkeyedre · Nov 30, 2017

Hello everyone,

I'm from good ol' Iowa. The only way to keep my sanity living here is to travel...A LOT! Through my travels, I have become obsessed with photography. I've always just used a Canon point and shoot camera. People joke around that I'm the "paparazzi." A few people and organizations have asked for me to take pictures for them. I loved it so much, I decided I'd like to start doing photography on the side.

So here's where I could use some help...what kind of camera and lens should I get? I'm pretty sure I'd like to get a DSLR. I don't really have a budget, but I'd like to start out small and upgrade as I get better. By small, I don't mean buy I cheap $400 camera. I just mean possibly start out with a used but good quality camera and maybe one or two lens, and then buy more and upgrade as I grow. My wedding photographer had mentioned he bought a very nice used camera for $1,000, and after 5 years is still using it. Does this sound realistic? What did everyone else do or recommend? What kind of camera and lens should I get? Where do you recommend I buy from?

I'd like a camera that takes good landscape pictures, especially for my travels. I also would like to get into baby, family, senior, and wedding photography.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Andrea

benhasajeep · Nov 30, 2017

Welcome to the forum.

I am a Nikon guy so know them more than others. But even though somewhat biased. I think a D7200 is a great buy. It can use older Nikon AF lenses that require a focus motor in the body, or newer AF lenses with focus motors in the lens. Has a stronger build than the entry level cameras, and more controls so less using menu for making changes. So, if your ok with used. Pick up a D7200 and a couple lenses. A 35-70 f/2.8 af-d lens is fairly inexpensive and good optics only $200-300. Next I suggest a 80-200 f/2.8 AF-d. More expensive than the 35-70 but very good telephoto zoom. The price is starting to come down for used ones. But its such a good lens still being made today even though several replacements have come and gone. Both those lenses were top of the line Nikons in their day. So it's good glass. I still have my copies of them, even though I have more modern lenses. They are still good backup lenses for me.

Designer · Dec 1, 2017

hawkeyedre said:
Hello everyone,

I'm from good ol' Iowa. The only way to keep my sanity living here is to travel...A LOT! Through my travels, I have become obsessed with photography. I've always just used a Canon point and shoot camera. People joke around that I'm the "paparazzi." A few people and organizations have asked for me to take pictures for them. I loved it so much, I decided I'd like to start doing photography on the side.

So here's where I could use some help...what kind of camera and lens should I get? I'm pretty sure I'd like to get a DSLR. I don't really have a budget, but I'd like to start out small and upgrade as I get better. By small, I don't mean buy I cheap $400 camera. I just mean possibly start out with a used but good quality camera and maybe one or two lens, and then buy more and upgrade as I grow. My wedding photographer had mentioned he bought a very nice used camera for $1,000, and after 5 years is still using it. Does this sound realistic? What did everyone else do or recommend? What kind of camera and lens should I get? Where do you recommend I buy from?

I'd like a camera that takes good landscape pictures, especially for my travels. I also would like to get into baby, family, senior, and wedding photography.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Andrea

Welcome!

I'm afraid your budget is quite small compared to your ambition. Yes, the truly professional-grade cameras can be spendy, but if you start out with "baby steps", you can grow in the hobby/business while getting that budget up a bit.

My own experience is; I used film cameras for many years until I could no longer afford the processing, then "discovered" digital. I did a bunch of reading and then bought what I considered my budget limit; a Nikon entry-level kit. After a few years of additional learning, I purchased an "enthusiast-level" Nikon, and now I am slowly building up a lens inventory.

I don't have any intention of turning photography into a business, but I am more interested in one or two areas in which to concentrate my efforts, so my equipment purchases will be aimed at those areas. I have been concentrating on used lenses for now, and soon will get more lighting gear (which is cheap enough at new prices). I already have some lighting equipment, but as my list of "wants" grows, I need to also grow my budget.

So if you want to start out small, my advice is to consider that you're buying into a system of cameras and lenses, so you probably would want all the parts to work together. Then when you change one part, you can still use the other parts in conjunction.

A beginner can be hurt just as easily as anyone else when shopping for used equipment, so I would take it slowly, and learn as much as you can before you make your initial purchase. There are good places and not-so-good places. I bought my first camera at Best Buy Online, and nothing against the B&M store in my town, but they just didn't have the one I wanted. Nothing against the huge camera stores in New York City, either, and I have purchased from them as well. I buy used stuff on e-bay or some of the other highly reputable resellers available on the internet. There are some places I would stay away from, such as Craig's List and Abe's, but for the most part I've been lucky in everything lately.

While you're looking around at used photographic gear, look for stuff that works together, either listed together or you know they will work together. You can probably find a decent entry-level Nikon camera and one lens for your budget, but I will recommend that you post up a couple of deals on here for us to offer our opinions. Start a new thread and insert hot links to the deals so we can have a look.

Braineack · Dec 1, 2017

Designer said:
I'm afraid your budget is quite small compared to your ambition. Yes, the truly professional-grade cameras can be spendy, but if you start out with "baby steps", you can grow in the hobby/business while getting that budget up a bit.

from what I read, $400 is NOT his budget. OP also seemed to suggest $1000 for a body is doable...

I suggest a used D800/810 or used D750 for a body. And for lenses, again used, a good fast short zoom to start.

Designer · Dec 1, 2017

Oh, my mistake.

OP; please state your most realistic budget and perhaps a timeline for your first purchase.

BananaRepublic · Dec 1, 2017

hawkeyedre said:
My wedding photographer had mentioned he bought a very nice used camera for $1,000, and after 5 years is still using it.

He may well have but you should assume that because he is in the trade he knew what to look for.

Dean_Gretsch · Dec 1, 2017

Welcome to the forum. I received a Canon DSLR as a gift a couple years ago and was hooked instantly. I had used everything available before that for 40 years from the little 110 instamatics to Polaroids. You will, no doubt, decide to buy more lenses and equipment no matter what camera you get. For that reason, I might suggest a Nikon because it seems quality lenses seem a bit less in price than comparable Canons. Not sure why this is, but just something I noticed when looking at lenses online.