Things to consider before Buying first digital camera

[lindsaywood1991]

what are the things to consider before buying first camera? any suggestion or tips?

 

[Designer]

What "level" of photographer are you? (mildly interested, enthusiast, graphic arts oriented, etc.)
What level is your ambition? (strictly amateur, or become a pro)
What is your budget? ($300 or $3,000?)
What is your tolerance for learning? (Do you like to learn new things?)
What is your tolerance for carrying gadgets around? (compact, 4/3 size, starter DSLR, DSLR and half a dozen lenses with flash and tripod)

I hope this will help you start thinking about where you are in your own desire for a camera.

 

[TCampbell]

Tell us what sorts of subjects you think you'd like to shoot... and the community here can likely suggest camera bodies that would be good for you.

Also, do you have a budget? You can spend as little as a few hundred dollars, or you can spend thousands of dollars.

It's hard to buy a "bad" camera these days. They're all extremely good (vastly improved over models from not so very many years ago).

But the #1 thing to consider before you buy a camera... is to think about what you plan to do with the camera. More specifically -- what sorts of subjects do you plan to photograph.

Sports & action photography benefit from cameras that have a lot of auto-focus points and a very fast continuous burst speed.... landscape photography, not so much.

Certain types of photography allow you to take your time to compose a shot and a camera with loads of high-performance features isn't necessarily beneficial. Other types of photography will suffer if your camera can't keep up with the shooting pace.

In terms of what influences great looking results, the pecking order is roughly:

1. The photographers knowledge & skill: Like any "art", practice and experience weigh heavily here. You can buy the best piano ever made at great expense... but if you never learned to play the piano, you probably won't be impressed with the music. Invest the time to learn the gear (technically) as well as the time to learn about the creative/artistic side of photography.
   
2. Lighting: We sometimes see people claim "they hate flash and they prefer natural lighting". Usually what that implies is that they haven't learned how to control the quality of the light. You might be amazed at the images that you might suspect were taken via "natural light" which actually relied heavily on flash photography. You can't have good "light" without good "shadow". Understanding how to take advantage of the light can help you create moods and convey emotion. The "knowing how" goes back to point #1 above.
3. Lenses: Use of lenses can control the sense of depth... wide angle lenses aren't just used to get more in the picture... they stretch the sense of depth. An interior room will seem longer and roomier. But for portrait use, they also stretch the proportions of a subject and you can get some non-flattering results. Use of "long" lenses shouldn't be used as an excuse for not getting close to the subject (if getting closer was a possibility)... they also have qualities that can help eliminate the distortions of wide-angle lenses, they offer "compression" (the space between near & far subjects will seem closer than it really is). Low focal ratio lenses don't just collect more light, they also allow you to create a shallower "depth of field" (the range of distances at which subjects will appear to be acceptable focus) and you can use this to create images with a tack-sharp subject... but a deliberately blurred background. Of course, the "knowing how" goes back to point #1 above. Many camera types do not have removable/interchangeable lenses. And sometimes this can be an advantage. More often, however, it's nice to be able to swap one lens for another because you can select a lens that's better for the task at hand. One notable exception is concerts & sports venues -- which may not permit the use of certain cameras. I commonly see the rule as stating that nobody can bring a camera if it has detachable lenses (unless the photographer has a photo-pass).
4. The camera body... and this is in last place. A poor camera may hold you back... but a fantastic camera will not necessarily propel you forward in your skill (rather it simply won't be holding you back.) In other words if you get poor results from a great camera, it means you have more learning ahead of you. Getting better results are likely possible, but the "knowing how" goes back to point #1 above.

To quote Ansel Adams: "The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it."

 

[lindsaywood1991]

The area of photography Id like to shoot is Fashion Photography. I choose to fashion coz I like it because of the makeup, colors, fashion dresses. btw, I'm very happy to read your suggestions. I highly appreciate it!

 

[Peeb70 6]

Some considerations:

1. Price
2. Size/weight of camera
3. Image quality
4. Ease of use

What is your budget?

 

[lindsaywood1991]

I'm thinking to buy this camera Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and my budget is 3000$

 

[Designer]

The area of photography Id like to shoot is Fashion Photography. I choose to fashion coz I like it because of the makeup, colors, fashion dresses. btw, I'm very happy to read your suggestions. I highly appreciate it!

Thank you! That very specific direction makes it easy to steer you to the kit that I would want if that were my goal.

I will suggest a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) that has a 35mm-size sensor ("full size") and one very nice zoom lens (24-70mm) that renders depth, contrast, and color very well, and has a fairly large maximum aperture (f/2.8).

So to name them: A Nikon D700 and a AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR

The camera body is somewhat outdated, so pick up a slightly used copy for about $700. The lens is very pricey, but it is the best one I know of. Being the latest lens offering from Nikon, you probably will not find any used example at any discount, but the combination is one that any pro would appreciate.

Can you "get by" with spending less? Perhaps, and to learn photography, you certainly don't need the best, but if you start out with less, and grow in the art/craft of photography, you will eventually want the kit I listed above.

(edit) Now I see that you are leaning toward a Canon, so being ignorant of Canon lenses, I can't give any suggestion.

 

[Peeb70 6]

I'm thinking to buy this camera Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and my budget is 3000$

That looks like a wonderful camera but it looks like it will take your entire budget without anything left to buy lenses. Here is an article about fashion photography lenses: The Best Lenses for Fashion Photography • The Fashion Camera

 

[ClickAddict]

Also keep in mind if your budget is intended to buy equipment that will be all you get for the next 10 years, or if you are planning on upgrading a bit every year. (Buying a good camera and good lens with no intention of any foreseeable upgrades VS Buying a great camera this year, with cheaper starter lens. Get to know it and buy better lens next year, some flashes the year after....)

 

[Designer]

Peet's post (#8, above) linked to an article about fashion photography, but most of the analysis and commentary was about focal length, and none that I noticed about each lens's rendering ability. When she mentioned this one: "24-70mm f/2.8 L" it caught my eye. I've heard good things about the Canon "L" lenses in general, but I don't have any personal knowledge of their rendering ability, and of that lens in particular.

You can search for images shot with that lens and judge for yourself or read a bunch of reviews online.

Good luck!