Camera for beginners

STA · June 14, 2011, 5:51am

Re: Camera for beginners

I like this thread.

First of all, are you passionate and inquisitive enough to work with a DSLR? If you are, there is no harm going for a midrange or semipro level DSLR. If you think you want great quality but aren’t looking to make it too serious, there are point and shoot DSLR’s too. They are more compact than full on DSLRs but more than enough for most amateurs.

I got into photography after I saw a friend with a DSLR at one of the FIA GTC races at Silverstone. I was like ‘Duuude that is so cool, I need it.’ The next day I walked into a store and bought the Canon EOS 40D with a 17-40 F2.8 L lens. I got home and I was like ‘Fuuuuu! Now how do I use this thing?’ and I went through the entire manual first. Then I went through the manual while replicating the various settings and modes they had described and trying it out. That was really it.

From then onwards, I started shooting and the more photographs you take, the better you get at it. You start noticing things such as what setting results in what kind of photograph, what is the best composition for a particular subject and such like. Things start becoming second nature to you. Within six months, I was working for a magazine and a couple of websites as a freelance photographer and doing private photo-shoots for a certain clientelle. All this because I was just retarded enough to take a wad of cash and walk into a store knowing piss all! I’ve learnt a lot now and am running with a Nikon D300 + 5 Lenses + Flash + Tripod/Monopod which is a big step up from where I was once.

So don’t be discouraged, if you want to make this a passion you should go for a mid-range DSLR because the boundaries between mid-range and semipro cameras are mostly the lenses nowadays and very specific shooting features. Your budget is very decent for a beginner and keep in mind what you’ll mostly want to shoot so you can decide on a lens combination to go with the body. Your main costs down the line will be the lenses really.

Tell us more about what you plan on doing with it and what sort of subjects are you looking to shoot and we can make better recommendations.

I am planning to buy Nikon D3000.
What do you think it for beginner?