Beginner looking for a camera.

frickindarn

frickindarn

Active member
Hey there NS. As the season is coming to an end I'm finding myself looking to do more photography than just skiing. I currently just use my iPhone and have been loving it but I'm ready for something real.

So I took Walters Q and A and filled out my A. I would love any advice!

1) What is your budget? How much money can you spend right away, and do you think you can get more money to invest in the future?

Starting out I'm willing to drop between $300-$600. TOPS is $700 right now with my budgeting and living situation.

2) What experience do you already have with cameras? Have you ever even used one before? Have you helped your friend out with his camera? Have you owned your own?

I have basic knowledge. I used to play around with my ex girlfriends rebel at the skatepark. I prefer manual focusing from what I have done but that's really about it as of right now outside my iPhone.

2) What gear, if any, do you currently have? (tripod, old camera lenses, mics, etc)

NONE.

4) What are you planning to shoot and how do you want to use your camera? Are you going to use this with the sole purpose of shooting skiing? or do you think you might try other stuff as well (movies, documentaries, short films, etc)

I wanna focus on snow sports but I do tend to do a lot of hiking and a little camping in the summer, so maybe some nature shots with trails, mountains, animals etc. idk how much filming I want to do but I do know I wanna do a little bit.

5) Do you want a camera that you can hand to your friends, that could or could not have film experience, and let them shoot you? or will you be doing all the filming?

I would like to have them help. Not all the time but every once in awhile I would like for someone to help me get my shots too.

6) When filming skiing, how do you tend to shoot? (follow cams, leave it on record on a tripod and hike, film from a tripod, etc)

With filming it would be follow shots and tripod shots.

7) What computer do you currently have/use to edit (if not currently editing, what would you most likely use)? If you can provide specifics, such as hard drive space, RAM, processor size, that would be great.

I use a MacBook Pro. My gfs dad added a larger ram and hard drive about a year ago but I'm probably gunna be getting a new computer too(advice with these bad boys helps as well)

7) What program do you currently edit on? How familiar are you with it (1- just learning; 10- I can make tutorials and know the keyboard layout)

Instagram.. So a solid 1.
 
I'd check out any of the Canon Rebel cameras honestly. In my experience they work great, are easy to use and are very durable. I have the t4i which i bought used and it hasn't disappointed me in any way yet. I do mostly macro and landscape photography. I haven't shot too much video with it yet, but the guy I bought it from used it almost exclusively for video and sold me his camera when he upgraded to a full-frame Canon.

For $650 you can get the t5i with a kit lens which is a great starter package if you don't have any lenses yet. If you can get a similar camera used for cheaper I'd recommend doing that. In the long run, you're going to want to invest in expensive lenses instead of expensive bodies, so a body like the t5i should last you for years to come as you buy more expensive lenses.

I don't know much about other brands but I've heard good things about Sony DSLRs as well...
 
Gopro 4 would be a good start, if you actually want a video camera a t3i with a kit lens would be a good starter for sure. $700 won't get you that far, but its a start. If you buy something like a t3i, you can slowly upgrade your equipment, etc.

Another option would be a gh2 or gh3. The GH3 is an extremely low cost camera and the quality you get for the price is phenomenal. Yes its more money but it could be worth it to you in the future if you wish to continue filming.

Getting a canon dslr would work just fine for you now, but you'd feel limited in the future. Here are some links to help you out
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Canon-EOS-R...t-w-EF-S-IS-/391402325560?hash=item5b21658638:g:4wsAAOSwoBtW30yu

For $400 + shipping this t3i comes with the 18-55 and 55-250. Both are mediocre lenses, but it would be good for a beginner like you, when you have more money you can invest in better glass.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-L...Only-Latest-/222054064094?hash=item33b3741fde:g:kXAAAOSwxp9W5z5x

Here is a gh3 body for $475 with free shipping, pair that with this lens:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BRAND-NEW-P...s-H-FS1442A-/262333734992?hash=item3d144f2050:g:WHQAAOSwSHZWgFUS

And you have a basic kit right there for $600.

Now granted, you don't have a tripod or stabilizer yet, so you'd need to budget that in as well, but those are your two options.

I would highly recommend the gh3, it will work great for a beginner like you and you won't outgrow the camera in a year, I shoot with a gh3 right now and I fucking love it.

if you wanna save money and invest in a tripod/stabilizer you could get the t3i and be happy with the results, but you might outgrow it pretty quick.

Hope this helps

**This post was edited on Mar 15th 2016 at 6:51:57pm
 
Ive been liking my new Nikon D3300, I don't use it a lot but probably will in the summer. It's a nice starter camera. It came with the kit lens and the 55-200 and it's been really fun. Kinda wish I would have gotten the gh3 cause I do more filming that I thought, but I'm sure I'll end up doing more photography in the summer
 
T3i is a great camera for the price, add some rokinon glass and magic lantern and the camera works great for just about anything
 
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