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| *SoulEyes Photography>>>Professional Photographer |
What type of camera should I start out with as a beginner photographer? |
I am going to start photography as a hobby and hopefully I'll get good enough to do somethings professional. Since I want to start from scratch which camera should I begin with, digital or film? Suggestions on brands, any other suggestions would be helpful as well. If you have no prior experience, I am going to buck the trend and suggest that you get a relatively inexpensive point and shoot digital camera, such as the Canon Powershot A550 or A560. This camera gives you diferent choices as far as meter style and that's one of the first things to learn about the technical end of photography. If you want to add the ability to specifically control the shutter speed or lens opening (aperture), you can look at the A570-IS, although it costs a bit more money than the others, because it has "image stabilization" (shake reduction). Controlling these settings is the next step in learning the technical end of photography. The reason I suggest digital over film is that I feel the way to learn is by doing. The more you do, the faster you learn. If you buy the A570-IS ($239) and a decent memory card, like a Sandisk Ultra II (1 GB for $40), you will have spent under $300. You could shop used and get a film SLR and lens for about that same money (or less), but then you have to buy film, pay for processing, and WAIT to see your results. You would very quickly spend a LOT more money learning on film than you would with digital. Here is an in-depth discussion on the topic: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;... Source(s): A550 review: http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_revi... A570-IS review: http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_revi... one that says its for beginners. There are SO many models out there! I don't how much you have to spend or what type of photography interests you, but it you're truly interested in learning the art of photography, I'd suggest a DSLR that has a manual mode. Again, there are lots of good brands. You really ought to go to a camera store and check them out! I'd suggest the current model of the Canon Digital Rebel and a zoom lens of 17- 50 or 60 mm (or more). But you won't go wrong if you choose Nikon, either. Photography is lots of fun, a great hobby and a rewarding career! I wish you the best of luck! I suggest you start out with a film SLR that has full manual controls - You can get them used very cheaply now, since so many people have switched to digital. A camera of this kind will give you an opportunity to learn about lighting, exposure, and the the effects of different combinations shutter speeds and lens openings on the way your pictures will look. The brand of camera doesn't matter much, but if you get a Nikon or Canon with autofocus lenses, you will probably be able to use the lenses on a digital SLR if you get one later. Right now, you could probably find a Nikon N70 body, used in excellent shape for about $100. It has the ability to be used in full manual or automatic modes, and the ability to use almost any Nikon autofocus or manual focus lens made in the past 25 years. A good lens to start with would be a Nikon 50mm F 1.8 lens. - which should be available used for about $75 - or new for about $125.00. It is supper sharp and has a relatively large maximum lens opening. Zoom lenses are fun to have, but you don't need one to learn photography - and unless they are very expensive, they are not likely to let in as much light as a lens like the the 50mm F1.8 lens. If you have lot of money - you could of course skip getting a film camera and go right to a Digital SLR. Go with Dr. Sam's advise. =D |
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