3 Cameras for Beginning Photographers to Learn With

Hi!

I’m a newbie when it comes to photography. Previously, I used my smartphone for photos and now, I wanted to buy a camera for my new hobby.

I have a budget of ₱50k-₱60k, and I have listed some of the cameras I am eyeing to but.

• Sony Alpha A6400 Mirrorless Camera
• Canon Powershot V1 Digital Compact Camera
• Nikon 230 Mirrorless Camera
• Fujifilm X-M5 Mirrorless Camera

Please help me decide which camera is best for a beginner like me.

Appreciate it.

Hi, I want to get into photography, I like taking pictures of architecture, cars, landscapes and etc. I have a budget of 200-300€ and I know I can’t afford a good camera but I’m searching for the best option or a good advice. I live in EU. currently taking pictures with my iPhone 16 Pro, one of the options i saw is Sony WX220, but no clue how it would compare to my iPhone and if it's even good. I’m uploading a few of my pictures to show what I like to photograph.

The details according to the template:

1) My budget is 200-300 euros, I'm from Lithuania
2) Currently I have iPhone 16 Pro
3) Architecture, landscapes, cars, people
4) Photography

The one you're probably browsing Users with.

There is absolutely zero need to buy a camera if your intention is to remain casual.

My Budget is $200-$300, I live in Canada, so my currency is CAD.

I don’t have any current equipment on me so I’d be starting fresh.

I want to use this camera to capture sky photos, as well as photos of myself and those I care about. All casually of course, as just something to make me feel a tad more appropriative.

So this is mostly, if not solely, for the focus of photography.

Something feels special about capturing moments on a handheld camera that isn’t your phone. So I’d love to be able to take photos of my loved ones, and my favourite little bit of self therapy, the sky, or at least some of it lol (I’ve attached some of my personal favourites, unedited too).

Plus, it would also be nice to be able to see a picture of myself (as my selfies are taken with the Snapchat camera since it’s the same POV as the ever beloved mirror) that doesn’t look bad just cause I’m inverted🥲.

Considering I have some purchases that take priority over this it’ll likely turn into a Christmas gift, but regardless, I would love advice from all the talented people on this server.

(1) Budget, country, and currency:

£800–1200 (flexible if spending a bit more now means I get something I’ll be happier with long term), United Kingdom, GBP

(2) What equipment, if any, you have now and why is it no longer meeting your needs?

At the moment I mainly just use my phone. I’ve enjoyed taking photos for a while and want to move into using a proper camera so I can learn photography more seriously as a hobby and have more control over settings/settings I can learn from.

(3) What kinds of subjects do you intend to shoot?

Mostly general photography, travel, landscapes, city/street photography, everyday use, and probably a bit of everything while I work out what I enjoy most.

(4) Is it primarily for photography, videography, or both?

Almost entirely photography.

Additional info:

I’ve been looking mainly at cameras like the Sony A6400 and some Fujifilm options, especially the X-T30 series, and I do really like the look/design of the Fujifilm cameras.

Main things I’m looking for:

• Something good for learning photography properly
• A camera I can keep for a long time (I don’t upgrade often)
• Some zoom flexibility to start with
• Open to body/lens suggestions as I’m still learning what makes sense for a beginner

Would appreciate any recommendations.

Olympus m4/3 cameras + Ttartisan 25mm f2. Love this setup

My worry at your budget is that you buy something that will produce worse images than your phone, and that if you just want something to use casually and not really learn then you won't even get the best out of it.

But if it's about having something that feels special to use and produces images that look subjectively different to what your phone kicks out, I have a curveball suggestion: buy a 35mm film camera. Olympus made some great affordable bridge cameras in the late '90s which have assisted exposure, auto-focus, automatic film advance and rewind, making them perfect for casual shooting, but with a nice capable lens for crisp images. I have an IS-300 which I use regularly and picked up for the equivalent of $50CAD on eBay, meaning you can save most of your budget for buying and developing film.

honestly u're better off using the 16 pro for now and saving up to a better setup like a sony a6400 with the sigma 18-50 f2.8

I'm planning to buy a camera mainly for photography purpose. I'd probably buy used off marketplace.

Honestly I don't know much about cameras besides the basic research i've done. I usually shoot landscapes and streets (mostly outdoor).

My budget is $1k but i'll spend a bit more if you say it's really worth it. So what are your recommendations and advice for beginners?

Thank you

Sony A6000 or an A6400. Great starting point. With Sony, you have a huge choice of lenses both native and third party.

When I first started buying camera gear, and tbh, long after I started buying camera gear, I did not really know what to prioritize and what to look for when choosing the best setup for my needs.
And I get a lot of messages and questions from people who seem to be in a similar boat, where they're looking to invest in their first camera and they dont really know where to start.
So today I thought I'd share some wisdom I wish I had when I first started dropping money on camera gear.

Here are extremely basic steps and knowledge you have to go through if you know nothing at all about photography.

• Step 1: Determine if you should start photography, at all.

Now don't get me wrong, since everyone has the right to take photos. But please don't be that guy who thinks holding a DSLR is cool and throw a fortune into one.

So go through all the photos you've taken before, with phone's camera, point-n-shots,... and evaluate them. Check to see if your photos were technically correct (Is horizon line aligned? Does the framing & position look at least balanced? Is there enough light?...). If you think your photos look good enough, or at least YOU KNOW THEY SUCK, congratulations! You're developing your aesthetic eye!

• Step 2: Google and learn about what makes a GOOD PHOTO, technically. It is of critical importance not to learn about CAMERA first. Along the readings, continue to practice taking photos with whatever cameras you have. No camera? No problems, you can hand-framing!

- Framing and composition rules (like rule of thirds, leading lines...)
- Exposure, white balance, color cast...

• Step 3: Now you're pretty confident that you can create decent photos. Let's buy a camera, OR NOT, just continue to use what you got.

A DSLR doesn't make a good photographer. Plus, there are several types of cameras out there. So, gather information first, but again, don't fall into the gear trap. So:

- Skim through the difference of film/ digital cameras; film size/ sensor size (this should give you a big picture); entry-level/ prosumer/ pro cameras . Now you know about most of types/ lines of cameras exist out there, then choose your camera.

My first camera story is pretty simple. I've already taken photos with a point-n-shot (Panasonic LUMIX 5) and I know I won't settle for anything less than a DSLR. So DSLR it is. Then I thought I like Nikon cameras' build quality better, so Nikon! No money and no need for professional, full-frame, so prosumer it is! Only Nikon D90 and its successor D7000 available? D7000 it is! The end:))

Remember that you don't always need a DSLR. These days, mirror-less cameras are pretty decent and cheaper; or you can find an old film camera at truly sweet price.
Oh, read the camera manual too.

• Step 4: Buy a lens.

First, STUDY these:
- Aperture, dept of field, shutter speed, ISO, focal length, built-in motor... to know how a lens work and interact with cameras.
- Understand all the abbreviations of the lens brand you choose. For example, what the hell is AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR??
- Long story short: consider what you would like to photograph. Landscape? Portrait? Birds?... then google "good lens for landscape/ portrait/..." and read.
Hey, but in the beginning, that's all shit. So getting a general purpose lens first is not a bad idea. Google general purpose/ travel lens and read, read, read. I went through a lot of lens and cameras, but for my travel photos, I wish I settled for a general purpose lens like my Sigma 17-55mm 2.8 sooner.

• Step 5: Get to know your gear and start shooting.

- Again, read the manual.
- Know you gear, very well. I hate it when one always use automatic mode, or worse, always use MANUAL mode, all the time:((
- Try to shoot everyday.

Now take at these top options for beginner in market now.

• Canon EOS Rebel T8i DSLR
• Panasonic LUMIX FZ80D Compact
• Sony Alpha 6100 Mirrorless Camera
• Fujifilm X-S10 Mirrorless Camera
• PENTAX K-S1 DSLR Color Collection
• Nikon Z fc Mirrorless Camera
• Canon EOS R10 APS-C Mirrorless Camera

Also, consider these things:
- Be cool if your interested subjects change all the time. Today you may like landscapes, but the next day you may seek out for nude models, that's ok:)) Experience now and gradually shape your personal style.
- Don't fall for the gear obsession trap. One day you wake up and think, if I upgrade to that A camera, B lens, I'll be all set? No, you won't, now slap yourself. Hey, but the choice is yours, buy things you want, just always remember, it's you who make the photos!
- Find a good source of critic. Friends with great sense of aesthetics; fellow photography enthusiastists; reliable photo forums; photo contests.
- Don't settle for mediocre photos. This is a tough one. "But I can't produce masterpiece all the time, what will I upload to Facebook and fish for a lot of likes??". I limit my photos on FB. Not all of your friends have critical opinions, so your photos might not be great as you think. Try Flickr, 500px... Also, aim high. What's your favorite photographers? Ansel Adams? Then aim to be the next Ansel Adams. Try your best to recreate that kind of quality. Then even if you're no where near Ansel, you still hold a high standard for your photos.

That's it. Now you must have got over that "beginner" phase and start to explore on your own. I wish you all the best:))

An old, entry-level DSLR like something from the Nikon D3X00 series (e.g. D3100, D3200 etc. - get the highest number you can afford) and the Nikon DX 35mm f/1.8 would be a good place to start.

I can’t comment on the Sony, but I second the emphasis on buying good lenses.

However…To start, why not start with a “kit” lens? A 35mm or a 24-70 zoom (if you can find one as a “starter”), will be very versatile. Aviation such as airport photos seems like long lens territory. But general aviation is a prime subject for wide lenses. I’ve gotten great photos of crop dusters and private hangars, just by talking to local guys. I even got free reign in a hangar with an F4U Corsair and an AT-6.

My next aviation project is general aviation crash trucks of a local fire department.

Enjoy the world your camera will show you!

an r50 is a touch higher but is a chefs kiss modern learning platform for its pricepoint

cameras are cameras. the "best camera for a beginner" is a camera.

Hi Everyone,

I am interested in starting photography as a hobby. I am considering buying a camera especially for photos for landscapes, nature, etc. plus I am also a fan of aviation photography too. I have been currently taking photos on my iPhone and did a lot of experimenting and stuff and really found it as a fun hobby and would love to pursue it further.

I have been getting suggestions about the sony a6400, wondering what are your guys thoughts on that one?

Would really love some advice !!

Let's just call it "photography".

Because what you need to learn and understand is the interrelationship between shutter speed, aperture setting, depth of field and ISO. I'm guessing you haven't ever delved into the more manual side of your iPhone camera ...you can do a lot of manual adjustments to the iPhone camera with respect to shutter speed, aperture setting and ISO. Try it. But it helps to have an understanding of the what and why and how.

Because if you want to actually "learn" photography, you need to know how to work a camera in something other than a complete automatic mode. Learning photography gives you the basis for personal creativity. Like for instance: you want a nice photo of a bird, perched on a branch, with tack-sharp focus, but you want to have the background blurred because it distracts from the subject. Or because it helps to emphasize the subject. Or the background is just flat ugly.

How would you do that? How would you set up your camera to make this blurred background happen? What would be a critical setting in making the "bokeh" (the term for a blurred background) happen? How would you set up the auto focus on the camera to ensure that bird (and not something else chosen by the camera) is tack sharp? And what do you shoot in, JPEG, RAW or both? And what do these mean?

If all you intend to do is operate the camera, any camera, in its automatic modes, then you will be sorely disappointed in your results ...because they don't come out like you imagined they would because you left that up to the camera. Even the focus is not right because you left that choice up to the camera

The camera (or lens) does not make the photographer. Just because you buy a high-zoot, state of the art camera and lens, new or used, doesn't mean your photos are going to come out any better than using the iPhone camera. Unless you learn the basic tenets of "photography" first. It's not complicated, but you need to understand them if you intend to allow *your* creativity to shine through ...versus that of the camera ...which very few are truly good at.

“Best camera” is subjective. My questions for you are:

How interested are you in photography?

Is it just a hobby, or are you more interested in building a business?

Your budget would suggest to me that you are more in line for a consumer grade camera to start with, which is a good way to find out if photography is more than just a hobby for you. If it is, then an expensive camera isn’t really something you will need.

More important than the camera body is the lenses you will want to get.

Most consumer grade cameras will come with very basic kit lenses. Good enough for hobby, not so much for professional use.

A solid lens would cost more than your budget for a camera.

I would suggest looking at a basic Nikon or Canon DSLR. You can usually get a good deal on a used one on Offerup, KEH, BHphoto, or a local camera shop.

Check their used sections. Nikon Z series or D series cameras are just fine for a beginner, same with the Canon Rebel T series cameras.

Start off using the kit lenses which are versatile enough for what you want to do and to get the hang of adjusting settings, and later on if you can swing it, pick up a 24-70mm lens at some point if you really like it. That would be a great lens for buildings, people, nature, and medium to wide shots of birds, etc.

That’s a great place to dive in and the Sony lens system is a great place to invest, do yourself a favor though and buy the best glass you can.

I suggest start with phone and later switch to camera if you want to enhance the experience. I purchased Canon R50 as hobby photography and bought 50mm lens for portraits

So, I’m a beginner photographer and I mostly just take wildlife photos using my iPhone, but I’ve been looking for something better. What would be the best beginner camera for wildlife photography?

As a Sony guy, I'd say the 6400 is a great way to start...however as I try to be less biased, I think the Canon R50 is one of the best starter cameras you can buy, it's ergonomically much nicer and very feature rich for the price.

Whatever you choose, buy used lenses, it's a great way to save money.

hey so ive been getting into photography lately and im kind of obsessed lol. only been using my phone so far but want to actually get a real camera now. whats a good one to start with that wont break the bank? not really sure if i should go mirrorless or dslr tbh, see people arguing about it online and idk who to believe

budget is like idk maybe $500-800ish? open to going a bit higher if its worth it though

any recs appreciated, just dont want to buy something and regret it lol

(1) 500-800 USD, USA

(2) currently, using my phone

(3) Nature, birds, buildings

(4) Primarily for photography