I get asked A LOT what type of camera I recommend. Oh boy, that’s a loaded question! 🙂 One I’d love to cozy up at a coffee shop with you and go on about for hours and hours! But, I’m guessing you don’t have time for that, ha! So, I’ll try to put it in words and make it brief. 🙂
First, I have to say YOU’RE AMAZING for realizing that your smartphone just isn’t going to cut it for high quality images! I LOVE that you see the value in investing in camera gear. My photographer heart is just so happy right now! 🙂
It seems like most people want to know:
- What type of camera should I get?
- What brand do you like?
- What camera do you use?
When deciding what type of camera to purchase, the first question you should ask yourself is what are you wanting to do with it? Once you have that in mind, you’ll need to decide what type of camera is the best fit for you—a digital SLR (DSLR), mirrorless, or point-and-shoot. There’s a lot to consider there because the price ranges vary quite a bit! To help you with this, I wrote another blog post with some things to consider. Now, I don’t claim to be able to talk a super big “tech” talk game, but I can say I LOVE to manually control every aspect of my camera (e.g. aperture, ISO, shutter speed, white balance, etc.), being able to change my lenses out for different “looks,” and want to deliver the highest quality images to clients, so I work best with a DSLR camera. I leave the “techy” talk and decisions about stuff like barrel distortion and dynamic range to my smart cookie of a husband. Thanks, Jimmy! If you want to go down the technical rabbit hole, we also reference The Digital Picture by Bryan Carnathan frequently! 🙂
If a DSLR camera is right for you too, you’ll need to decide if you want a crop-sensor or full-frame sensor…annnnddd this is where I can’t speak tech talk as fluently. However, I can tell you that I, and thousands of other professional photographers, shoot on crop-sensor cameras and still deliver high quality, professional images to happy clients! In all transparency though, I prefer full-frame cameras for their higher quality performance in image quality and camera body functions. They’re a huge jump in price from a crop-sensor, and I committed to absolutely no debt when I started this business. So, I’ve focused on getting good “glass” (lenses) for my current body until I’ve saved enough for the crème de la crème. 🙂 Here’s to goals! Oh, also, full-frame bodies are only compatible with L series lenses (the highest quality lens tier Canon offers and most expensive, ha!), while crop-sensor bodies can use low- and high-end lens tiers. You’ll want to keep this in mind when considering upgrades or how much you’re willing to invest in your equipment—Full-frame + L series lenses = amazing photos with a steep investment! 😉
From day one, I’m a tried and true Canon believer! First, my equipment is durable. For years, my camera gear has scaled boulders with me, taken unintentional dips in streams (sigh, I don’t want to talk about that too much), and banged against all kinds of objects without devastating damage! Second, from “low-end” to high-end quality, and all sorts of focal lengths, Canon’s lens variety is AWESOME. Third, their customer service is thorough and speedy. I use them for all my camera maintenance and calibration, and have yet to be disappointed. Not to mention, they have a really helpful membership program, Canon Professional Services, that makes this even more cost effective and speedy!
Currently, I have a Canon 7D Mark II in my camera bag. It meets my demands for durability; gorgeous, high quality images; accurate focus; low-light shooting capability; and shoots at high speeds. My dream camera is the full-frame Canon 5D Mark IV. But like I said, I’m still saving 🙂 #nodebthere
Friend, I hope this was helpful despite my inability to speak a strong tech talk game. I really would love to hear what other questions you have and can’t wait to see what you decide to purchase! 🙂
