The Ultimate Guide to Buying Your First Camera
OK, so you want to get into photography or videography but you’re not sure where to start. I don’t blame you. Camera gear is expensive. You’ve come to the right place.
Let’s discuss a number of factors to consider including price, the type of camera that’s right for you, the size of sensors, lens quality, autofocus and speed, and a number of other factors that come into play.
Price
For me, this is always the easiest place to start. If you’re buying your first camera, chances are that your budget isn’t very high. My first camera was a hand-me-down DSLR Canon EOS Rebel that was — at the time — a couple of years old. I was able to buy it used on Amazon for a few hundred dollars. A good option, generally, is to find a specific camera you like and see if its predecessor is any good.
The type of camera you plan to purchase will generally dictate the prices to a degree. As far as I’m aware, there are four main types:
Point-and-shoot cameras
Bridge cameras
DSLRs
Mirrorless cameras
Point-and-shoot cameras are your everyday, simple cameras designed for simple operation. Most use either autofocus or have no focus operation at all. They also use automatic settings for making adjustments to the photo. DSLRs are cameras that operate with fixed sensors and use an attachable lens to take the photo. These are your Nikon and Canon cameras, mostly. Mirrorless cameras operate differently than DSLRs in that they aren’t required to be as bulky because they utilize a digital sensor rather than a mirror to reflect light (hence “mirrorless”). Sony only makes mirrorless cameras. Bridge cameras are like DSLRs and mirrorless cameras but have a fixed lens like a point-and-shoot. These can be great for vlogging or can be great for their zoom length so photographers aren’t required to carry as many lenses.
Some great starter cameras include the Sony A6100, Canon EOS Rebel SL3, Canon EOS RP, and Panasonic Lumix DC-S5.
Brand
Does brand matter when buying a camera? Yes, absolutely. Your brand is going to determine which lenses you buy, which aren’t cheap so switching brands can actually be quite expensive and usually involves selling a bunch of gear to re-purchase a different brand.
Sony is generally known for their innovation when it comes to mirrorless technology, high-performance autofocus (making them great for video), are generally favored by videographers, and tend to have great dynamic range for photography. Canon is known for their legacy as a brand, wide product range from photo to video, and optical excellence. They’ve recently made massive strides in the video market. Nikon is known for strong low-light performance and lenses that have great color accuracy. Panasonic cameras can also be great for video, often shooting in ridiculously high frame rates and high quality.
Let’s run down the pros and cons of those three cameras listed above, according to an article in PC Mag.
Sony A6100
I’m an owner of the Sony A6400, which can be purchased now for around $900. The Sony A6100 is a tier below the 6400 and is listed for $750. It shoots in 4K, is light due to its mirrorless design, and you get all the benefits of Sony technology including autofocus and lens choices.
The downsides: the electronic viewfinder is low-res, the charging port is not USB-C (mine on the A6400 isn’t either), and the battery life isn’t great. The build quality on my A6400 is much better, which I would highly recommend.
Canon EOS Rebel SL3
This is a compact Canon DSLR that is a step above a Canon T7. It has a front-facing LCD that’s great if you vlog. It does include support for an external mic (unlike some Canon models) and takes 1080p video with OK autofocus. It does take 4K as well but has a pretty rough crop.
Canon EOS RP
The Canon EOS RP is a great option for photographers. At only $900, I can’t believe it’s a full-frame camera. It has quick autofocus, wifi, is still pretty compact. However, autofocus is generally inconsistent making it slightly worse than some Sony cameras for video, and again, 4K video is cropped in.
Panasonic Lumix DC-S5
The Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 has built in IBIS, takes 60fps 4K video, has dust and splash protection, ProRes Raw at 5.9K, and a full-frame sensor. For video solely, this is the best deal you can find at a budget under $1,000. With that in mind, the DC-S5 is still a solid camera for photography.
Size and Ergonomics
Let’s face it: you’re going to be carrying around this camera everywhere you go on shoots. You want to like the way it feels in your hands. In my case, Sony’s mirrorless cameras are great for this reason. I have friends in photography using Canon whose cameras are massive. But a bigger camera does not mean better image.
If your hands are bigger, a bigger camera may actually be beneficial to you.
Sensors
Digital cameras use a sensor to “record” an image. If you’re just getting started in photography, you don’t really need to obsess over this. But let me explain what the sensors are and what they mean.
These are the three main sensor sizes:
1 inch or less: budget compact cameras
APS-C: found in advanced mirrorless and DSLRs
Full-frame: found in advanced mirrorless and DSLRs
As a general rule, the larger your sensor, the more your camera can perform in tricky situations. Depending on the photo, you won’t notice a difference between photos taken with APS-C sensors and full-frame sensors. But the larger the sensor size, the more dynamic range your photo will have. Dynamic range is the ratio between the brightest and darkest parts of an image.
Do keep in mind that APS-C cameras have a crop-factor. In other words, any lens you place onto your camera will crop in by a certain degree. On Canon it’s 1.6x and on Sony it’s 1.5x. This can be used to your advantage if you need more zoom on something, such as a bird on a tree branch. If I’m in the field trying to photograph an animal with a 200-600mm telephoto lens, that “200-600mm” becomes 300-900mm using my Sony APS-C camera, allowing me to essentially get closer without moving my legs than I’d be able with a full-frame counterpart.
Speed and Performance
Autofocus speed and frames per second (FPS) are critical when operating a camera.
Similar to tablets, computers, and phones, a digital camera has a chip inside that dictates how fast it can process information (this is the processor or CPU). In general, just like computers, the more you spend typically means that you’ll get a faster product. For example, my Sony A6400 is not as quick to process Raw files to the SD card as a Sony A7 iv.
FPS is the amount of frames a camera can capture per second. Typically, anything over five is considered good. A higher FPS and higher shutter speed will result in it being easier to capture fast-moving subjects.
Mirrorless cameras are typically able to capture higher frames per second. Even the Sony A6000, a camera with a price of just $550 can capture up to 10 frames per second. Then there are cine cameras like my Sony FX30 (not truly meant for photography) that can capture
Video Performance
Lastly, there’s video, which is its own separate category when considering models. Most camera models in 2023 will typically have some video features added to them. However, that isn’t always the case.
In 2022, I switched from Canon to Sony because of Sony’s offerings in video. Some Canon cameras completely ignore video altogether, omitting things like 4K recording or an external microphone jack.
Here are several features to consider when choosing a new camera for video:
Frame rate: 24fps is standard for cinema, 30fps is standard otherwise. 60fps and up is great to capture slow-motion footage. Some cameras will not shoot 60fps 4K so be aware of that.
Image stabilization: I’ve learned that I am not a great cameraperson if it’s just my own self doing it. In-body image stabilization is essential if you plan on doing any shooting without a tripod. A gimbal can work but the learning curve to using one is steep.
Now let’s discuss 4K: I record all of my videos in 4K now. With 4K, you get better resolution and the ability to crop without losing quality. If you do want 4K, make sure it can record in several frame rates including 60fps.
External microphones: Audio is the key to every video. Nobody is going to watch a video with bad audio but people will watch a video with great audio and OK video. So make sure you can plug a microphone in somewhere.
Recording duration: This is something I learned the hard way. Some DSLRs will only record for a certain length. I remember going out for interviews where I was on camera with the guest and having to re-continue the recording once or twice because the camera would stop after 10 minutes.
Rotating LCD screen: Filming yourself on your own requires you to see yourself and make sure your head isn’t being chopped off by the top of the frame. Some cameras don’t have a rotating screen to allow this.
Some cameras will also record output to either HDMI or USB-C, which can be handy if you plan on doing any streaming. Your expensive SLR is going to look much better than a webcam.
Summary
If you are interested in getting into the wonderful world of photo or video, welcome. There are many factors to consider when choosing a new camera. I hope these help you on your journey. If interested, a number of sites allow users to rent cameras for a slotted time period. Perhaps you could rent a camera you’re interested in purchasing and make your final purchase after trying the camera.
Either way, I hope this helps and happy shopping!