What camera to buy?

benstar16 · Jan 4, 2016

Hey guys,

I'm a complete NOOB to this whole community. But i was wondering, I want to start taking pics of my artist (musician) that I work with to have a more profssional feel for his instagram.

I want pics with the camera quality of this guy's Instagram --> William Singe (@willsinge) • Instagram photos and videos

Can someone recommend what kind of camera I can buy to get the same quality?

Thanks!

- Benny

cherylynne1 · Jan 4, 2016

The good news is that those pictures are,well....let's say average. I don't see any evidence that they were taken with anything but a cell phone. It's all natural light, it's just a matter of watching where the light falls.

With good technique, you can use your phone and maybe a basic editing app to get the same results. If you'd like to get a camera, I might recommend something like the Sony RX-100 III, because you can wirelessly transfer photos straight to the phone which will make it easier to post to social media. The RX-100 also has a wide aperture, which can help create some of those blurry backgrounds.

I wouldn't recommend a DSLR or mirrorless camera unless you're willing to put the time in (by time, I mean years) to learn how to use it. Those kinds of cameras are too advanced to learn just to take photos of one person for one website. You're better off learning how to get good results from a more basic camera.

goodguy · Jan 4, 2016

Hi Benny

First I am really not impressed with the pictures on the link you sent, looks very much like the pictures my daughter post on her instegram.
If you want to be able to take good pictures you need to understand that even the best camera and best lens in the world will not give you good pictures if you dont know what you are doing, the magic is with the photographer and less with the equipment.

Still some cameras are better then others, you didnt tell use how much you are willing to spend, I can give you a suggestion of camera that will cost you few hundreds of dollars and another that will cost you many thousands of dollars.
I have a feeling your budget is limited so I will give you a modest suggestion.

Get a Nikon D3300 with its kit lens 18-55mm, to that add the Nikon 50mm 1.8G for portraits and night photography, this should cost you around 600$
Also add a flash, you can get off ebay Yongluo 568EX for around 80$

If you have lots of cash then get Nikon D810 with Nikon 24-70mm 2.8G and Nikon 70-200mm 2.8G, this should cost you around 7000$

There are lots more cameras in the middle between the D3300 and D810 but unless you give us more detail I will leave you with these 2 suggestions to think of.

Good luck

Oh and just remember again to be able to take good pictures you are looking at learning how to really use your camera correct and have the vision, this takes years of learning and practising so if you are not willing to go the extra mile and learn then just use your cell phone to take nice pictures to post on Instegram.

Designer · Jan 4, 2016

What is your budget?
What is your tolerance for learning a new(ish) technology?
The example you provided is not particularly what I would call "professional".
With a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) you can get good photographs using the right techniques, the right lenses, and the right light. I might recommend an entry-level DSLR with a fairly long lens (85mm for instance) and a speedlight and learning how all that works together.

benstar16 · Jan 5, 2016

Thanks everyone for their awesome opinion so far. My budget is anywhere inbetween $500-$1000.

I see what you guy's mean in terms of its not the most professional, but for an instagram page, i think the photos present a professional image of the artist!

I have a pretty high tolerance for learning new technology @Designer

I will definitely look into the Sony RX100 and The Nikon D3300 ... Thank you two for the suggestions! @goodguy @cherylynne1

chuasam · Jan 5, 2016

Isn't the point of instagram using your cellphone?

here are some shots with my cellphone

benstar16 · Jan 5, 2016

Wow that looks awesome. What cell phone do you have? You probably have the technique/skill down pat....

And yeah to an extent -- but if you want to market yourself, you got to do what it takes to get the best quality for your page

goodguy · Jan 5, 2016

chuasam said:
Isn't the point of instagram using your cellphone?View attachment 113905 View attachment 113906 View attachment 113907
here are some shots with my cellphone

I like the shot with the knife and fork, everything else looks like...........................well like it was taken by a cell phone.

goodguy · Jan 5, 2016

I want to add about the Sony RX100 and the Nikon D3300
These are 2 good cameras but completely different, the Sony RX100 is a point and shoot camera which means it has a fixed lens and is mostly designed for comfort and ease of use, it has a much smaller sensor 1" in it and is a great travel camera.
The D3300 is a DSLR which means you can swap lenses on it, its small but not as small as the Sony RX100, it has a much better image quality in bad lighting condition like night shots or indoor shots, it will also be much better for portraits photography. Its sensor is much bigger being an APS-C or as we call it cropped sensor size.
In photography sensor size is very important, the bigger the sensor the better the image quality will be in low light conditions and also your ability to blur the background when you shoot people (Bokeh).

KmH · Jan 5, 2016

benstar16 said:
I see what you guy's mean in terms of its not the most professional, but for an instagram page, i think the photos present a professional image of the artist!

Yep. Lots of other people would agree with you, and it's a sad commentary.

Netzach · Jan 5, 2016

I believe the cameras available in the market today are top notch, even the entry level DSLR's are capable to getting amazing results. I started by getting a used DSLR and using the remainder of the saved money to invest in some online courses and live event.

As Matt Granger says "Get your gear out" practicing and importantly mingle with like minded people and hone your skills and very soon you will be getting amazing shots.

Cheers.

cherylynne1 · Jan 5, 2016

Now that you're thoroughly confused, let me try to confuse you a little more.

First of all, goodguy is correct, the D3300 is a better camera. Or maybe I should say it's the camera with more potential. The ability to change lenses or add on flashes means you can adapt the camera to a myriad of situations, and being able to shoot in low light is a huge advantage. So let me explain why I suggested the RX-100 for your situation.

1. Wifi: Sony cameras can sync to your phone and immediately transfer the photos you just took. This means you can take a picture and two minutes later upload to Instagram, without needing cables or a computer. Now, for many pros, this is a non-issue, because they shoot in Raw and edit every single shot with Lightroom or Photoshop, so they have to transfer to a computer. But if the only editing you intend to do is Instagram filters, having to go to a computer will be a huge hassle.

2. Size. The RX-100 is significantly smaller. I was amazed the first time I saw it that they could pack so much into such a tiny package. It can easily fit into a coat pocket, and probably even most men's jeans. The D3300 would need its own camera bag.

3. Lens. There is only one lens on the RX-100, but it is a very good lens, much better than the kit lens that comes with the D3300. It can open up to 1.8, which helps with low light and bokeh. Now, if you purchase a better lens for the D3300, that advantage goes out the window. But if you don't intend to upgrade the lens on the D3300, then the RX-100 would be better.

Now, if you want something that's sort of halfway between the two, you might want to look at the Sony a6000. It has the ability to sync to your phone wirelessly, is slightly smaller than the D3300, but has the same size sensor. In fact, Sony makes Nikon sensors. The a6000 can change lenses (although you have Sony's smaller lens selection to choose from.) I believe in-depth testing shows the D3300 as having a slight edge in low light, but I don't think it's even a third of a stop whereas they will both beat the RX-100 by a ton.

If you have a camera store nearby, it's always best to go in and take a look. These cameras are so popular that even my local Best Buy carries some version of each of them.

Here's a link comparing RX-100 to D3300:

Nikon D3300 vs Sony RX100 IV

Compare the Nikon D3300 vs the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV

And here's a link comparing similarly priced interchangeable lens cameras:

2015 Roundup: Interchangeable Lens Cameras $500-800

goodguy · Jan 5, 2016

I want to add to "cherylynne1" post

The Nikon D3300 can do wifi with a wifi attachment and do all that the Sony with wifi can do, its not an expensive attachment.
The advantage of Nikon over Sony is the huge and affordable lens collection compared to Sony which has a very small lens collection and most aint cheap.
If wifi is a must you can get the Nikon D5300 which has in camera wifi and GPS and you dont need anything to attach as you would with the D3300
The D5300 will be a bit more expensive but not by much, if wifi isnt a big deal then as I said you can always get a Nikon wifi to attach to it (WU-1a Nikon Wifi Adaptor) which cost 60$.
The D3300 and D5300 have almost same image quality so to me it feels like its more bang to the buck to people who want to get a lot of value for the money choosing the Nikon D3300. Here in Canada they cost 400$ which is 280$ USD