Serious Newbie from Louisiana

[RNA810]

First my name is April. I will start with a nice Hello and Thank you.

I am newly unemployed by choice. I want to venture off into the world of photography and have absolutely no clue about it except for I love site seeing and would love to take up photography. With that being said my first decision is what camera to purchase there are so many. I want a great starter camera on a budget. I would also like suggestions on PCs that are good for editing on a budget as well.

Any opinions or advice would be greatly appreciated. I have no intentions of doing this professionally, I just want a fun hobby. I have other hobbies like crafting,taking walks and sunday site seeing that would benefit the photography addition. I have always worked long hours and have never had to time to really take this up, so I figure now is a good time to start.

Thanks again, I wish everyone a beautiful and blessed day.

 

[IceCanAm]

Welcome to the site.

 

[smalltowngirl13]

Hello and welcome aboard April!

 

[cgipson1]

Hey April....

we need a budget, and what your expectations are. What do you want to make images of?

The two big brands are Nikon and Canon, and they will be there for you! The other brands are sometimes cheaper, or have some special feature that may seem nice.... but going with the biggest and best usually means more support, more options, etc... etc... plus you can be sure they won't be going out of business anywhere soon.

 

[RNA810]

Thanks so much for the welcome everyone. Basically I have a tight budget. I have been looking at the Canon Rebel t4i, but my husband said that is kinda spendy for a camera. He will get it if that is the one I really want. I guess what I am asking is if there is any other cameras in a little lower price range that would be a good choice for a starter camera?

I would like to incorporate the photos into some of my crafts as well as use it to make nice how to pics. I have all kinds of ideas for projects and there are so many nice places around here to get scenic pics. I would really love to get some great shots of the lake with all the moss on the trees and the fog coming from the lake, I just love taking a drive to the lake.

 

[cgipson1]

Thanks so much for the welcome everyone. Basically I have a tight budget. I have been looking at the Canon Rebel t4i, but my husband said that is kinda spendy for a camera. He will get it if that is the one I really want. I guess what I am asking is if there is any other cameras in a little lower price range that would be a good choice for a starter camera?

I would like to incorporate the photos into some of my crafts as well as use it to make nice how to pics. I have all kinds of ideas for projects and there are so many nice places around here to get scenic pics. I would really love to get some great shots of the lake with all the moss on the trees and the fog coming from the lake, I just love taking a drive to the lake.

ANY of the entry level cameras will allow you to start on your photographic journey, and start learning. The more you spend, the more features you get. Whether or not you will even even need those extra features is up to you... and how you will eventually shoot. For those of us who grew up shooting film back in the days before autofocus and TTL, and long before all of the many nice (but are they necessary?) features that even entry level DLSR's have... even the lowest end entry level camera is amazing.

My advice would be to get a body you can afford, but focus more on good lenses than what the body has. You will eventually upgrade your body, but if you buy GOOD lenses now... you will keep those forever.

I shoot Nikon, so have not used the Canon's. But they do produce good images, if the photographer using them does their job (just like Nikon).

 

[sm4him]

Have you considered buying something used, since the budget is tight? There are a LOT of really good options out there for beginners, and like Charlie said, the lenses will matter more than the camera body, as long as you start with something decent. Then you can upgrade the body as you learn, and keep the lenses.

I'd suggest two things:
First, go to a store--Best Buy if you must, a local photography store, anywhere that is going to actually HAVE some Nikons, Canons and whatever else you're considering. Pick them up, feel them in your hand. The Canon vs. Nikon discussion is like a Ford vs. Chevy debate-- Canon and Nikon both produce a good product, and you're not really going to go wrong with either one. But one may just "fit" you better. All your future purchases--lenses, flash, etc--are going to be brand-specific, so whatever body you start with, you're kind of "locking into." Make sure it's the one for YOU.

Second, once you know whether you're going to go Canon or Nikon or something else--check out places like B&H photo, KEH.com, Adorama--these are all online photography outlets that often have great deals on used or refurbished equipment. And since they are reliable dealers, you can return it if there's anything wrong--unlike buying it off of Craigslist or the like.

 

[Mr_Mac]

Welcome aboard, April! Good info thus far, especially heading out to a store that carries some of the camera choices out there and putting them in your hands. I personally had been looking at the T4i as well and it was a strong contender until I held one and figured out real fast that it didn't fit my big ole paws!

There are far too many entry level digital SLR cameras out there for a beginner to easily determine that, "yes, this is the one!" Canon, Sony, Nikon are all great cameras and each one has its little extras over the others but each one takes great photos!

 

[Mully]

Used is a good way to start!

 

[The_Traveler]

The unfortunate truth is that taking this seriously as a hobby is not inexpensive and you need to know that up front.

You can economize by using public domain software, used bodies and lenses but it is still is still 'spendy'.