Beginner's DSLR Equipment?

[Walt34]

A Lightroom subscription is $120 a year. May want to start with something like Photoshop Elements, which I think is half that for one-time purchase.

+1 on Photoshop Elements. It is the same interface as Lightroom/Photoshop CC so if you do decide to move up to those programs the learning curve will be much easier. What got me started on digital photography was taking a class in Photoshop Elements. I was completely blown away and astonished at what that software can do.

Many pros get by with just Elements as it does 90% of what Lightroom/Photoshop CC can do but not as efficiently. I did eventually move up as that last 10% does get you some effects that are difficult to impossible to do in Elements. I think Elements is terrific software and anyone with even a mild interest in photography should have a copy. New versions are incremental in features, not usually anything groundbreaking from one version to the next. So if you find a legit copy a version or two old on eBay or somewhere for cheap go ahead and grab that.

As for books, I am a big fan of Scott Kelby's books for beginners. While I agree that taking a course or three at the local community college is the best choice to start, that is not an option for everyone and books cover the topics in more detail, and you can go back and look up stuff that is fuzzy to you, at least that was my experience. The classes I took were about two hours, once a week for four weeks, the "adult ed" type classes, not for degree-seeking students.

Some book suggestions:

Kelby's book on Elements:

https://www.amazon.com/Photoshop-El...keywords=scott+kelby+books+Photoshop+elements

I also ended up buying Kelby's boxed set (a much earlier version) but of course each book is available separately.

https://www.amazon.com/Scott-Kelbys...=1508879905&sr=1-3&keywords=scott+kelby+books

As you can see from the Elements books he does update them for each version.

 

[Ian S]

I had a 35mm SLR for about 20 years and loved it, but haven't had anything but a little point-and-shoot and/or my iPhone for about 10 years. Recently went out and bought a Sony A6000 mirrorless and I'm loving it. I picked mirrorless instead of DSLR for the smaller size and lighter weight. So far I'm still using the kit lens but will probably be putting a prime lens on my Christmas list ;-)

It appears that the O.P. would pretty much blow his budget on just the A6000 camera body alone! I agree that the mirror-less format is attractive compared to DSLR but I'll just hang onto my Canon G12 with its fully articulating viewfinder which I find invaluable in many situations.

 

[audreyh1]

bhphotovideo sells used cameras as well.

 

[Aerides]

adorama is a good place to shop especially for bundles once you know what you want. I agree with starting with a nice point and shoot for <$100 to get the initial feel for things like lighting, composition, etc. Then move to dslr if still interested. You'll also want to be getting into a comfort level with Photoshop at this point too.

The entry level Canon rebels are very nice to start with for dslr, and you can probably find an older model via shopping around for under $600, with an all purpose lens to start you out. Then once you get really into it, go into the $2k and up types but that's for later on.

 

[walkinwood]

I went mirrorless with the Sony A6000. While 2+ years old, it is still a remarkable camera. You can get it on ebay with a 16-50mm "kit" zoom lens (just means that it comes as a package with the camera) pretty cheaply. It should meet your needs for a long time. You could start with all the auto functions and then add manual control as you learn more. Image quality is excellent and the CaptureOne software for Sony (free) is quite good. There is also a good user forum on the digital photo review site.

Photography is a wonderful hobby. Just be aware that it is expensive and addictive

 

[FreeBear]

Why not rent?

LensRentals.com is excellent. Friends and I have been renting and buying used gear from them for over 5 years.

You can rent any of the "Powershot" bridge cameras (can't change lens). Then you can try a true DSLR, just rent the cheapest body and a sigma 18-200mm or 18-300mm.

As for buying new, a Canon Rebel T5 or T6 with the included 18-55mm lens would be within budget, but won't give much telephoto reach. If you want real telephoto like a sigma 18-200mm or better yet 18-300mm, you'd have to spend beyond your budget, but you can do this later. I keep such a zoom on the camera for general photo; I hate carrying and changing between lenses.

Even better, what about buying used, several generations back. Check out KEH.com. Ebay and Amazon are also good for used if you really know what you want. You can get a functioning DSLR for $100! The Sigma 18-200 mentioned above is only $200, and there are plenty of even cheaper zooms. You'll need to do some research to find what will go together, or give them a call for a chat. I think you can be set up for $200, although the stuff will be 10 years old, and not state of the art.

If you buy stuff in "excellent" or "very good condition", you can get an excellent deal since most folks seem to be honest, but don't seem to use their gear to hard.

Do you know any hobby photographers in your area? Like me, they often have 3-4 generations of equipment that they have been to lazy to sell.

If you want more specifics, feel free to PM me.

 

[frayne]

Been into photography for most of my adult life and this is my two cents. Best Buy and Costco always have pretty good deals on entry level DSLRs. The kit lenses offered with these cameras are for the most part excellent pieces of glasses as compared to the kit lens of years past. Learning about shutter speed, ISO, F-stops, etc. isn't brain surgery and there are so many on line you-tube instructional videos you can learn in a week what might have taken me months when I first started out. For $500 you can get a nice starter DSLR camera. Go for it and take that camera everywhere you go and take as many pictures as you like.