Are you just starting out in the world of photography? Overwhelmed by the enormous variety of cameras, gears, lenses, and other products to buy to start your photo journey? I got you covered!!
Please note: These are my personal recommendations based on my own experience with 15+ years of being a professional photographer. This is what I feel works for me OR what I wish I knew when I started out! Also, I primarily use Canon so you will primarily see Canon products as my recommendations. For information on other brands, feel free to reach out to me and I'll do my best to answer your questions!
✨ = If you see this, that means it would be my top choice if I was starting out!
The camera body is only as good as the photographer holding it! Personally, I feel the lenses are more important for the quality of your work. So if you had to put your money somewhere, lenses > camera body. The other thing to consider is Mirrorless vs SLR. I use an SLR camera (I started before mirrorless was really a thing!), but mirrorless is that new hotness and I highly recommend going the mirrorless route! I will specify what is Mirrorless vs SLR with each product.
I always recommend starting out with at least 2 lenses. The kit lens that can come with some cameras is... okay. But I would recommend buying the body without the kit lens to save money! There are 2 categories of lenses: general purpose zoom and prime lenses.
These zoom lenses can be used for all types of photography (especially busy events and landscapes) and they give you more versatility. They tend to be heavier but more convenient in a pinch!
Canon RF24-50mm F4.5-6.3 is STM ($299 new on Amazon)
✨Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8 L ($2,099 new on Amazon)
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L is USM ($699 new on Amazon)
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM ($1,899 new on Amazon)
Prime lenses have a fixed focal length and are known to be crisper and create better quality images. I use these 99% for all my portrait work! Since you cannot zoom, I think prime lenses can help you be a better photographer since you have to move your own body to capture the composition you're after.
Canon RF35mm F1.8 is Macro STM ($499 on Amazon)
Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L II USM ($1,999 new on Amazon)
Great for low light situations! This is a great flash for starting out that will fit Canon cameras:
Tripods are useful if you are photographing still life, nighttime scenes, and landscapes. And of course, for taking selfies or group shots that you want to jump in!
I always get lots of questions about camera gear, so I wanted to take the time to sit down and get all the info in one place! I sure hope this article was helpful to you! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out.
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