Beginner Camera

[Blb8698]

What are some decent beginner cameras?

 

[Camera Land]

First rule in today's market is Mirrorless. Don't go for DSLR as they are all going away. Canon and Nikon have both announced ALL new cameras will be mirrorless and as inventory goes away the DSLR's will be discontinued.

FYI, Call me at 516-217-1000 for special pricing. I am at the store every day thru the 24th. Today from now until 2:45
That being said the BEST value is the Olympus E-M10 Mark 4. Other great cameras to start with are the Nikon Z30 2 lens kit and the Sony A6400. The Olympus has 5 axis image stabilization and is the smallest of the 3. They are ALL easy to use and have a lot of lenses dedicated for them.
I left off Canon as there are a lot of rumors that their M series is going away since the R10 came out and that is not considered a beginner camera. I think they will have a rebel replacement mid 2023.

Feel free to call me at 516-217-1000
Joel

 

[sistae93]

Seconding the Sony A6xxx series. Their small frame mirrorless cameras are really intuitive and have a lot of aftermarket support and great lens options!

 

[UpperLeft86]

What are some decent beginner cameras?

What's your budget, and what do you want out of it? Mirrorless has taken over, but DSLRs can be had for a song, and still have some advantages (autofocus in super low light, chief among them.) The Sony Axxxx series as mentioned is though to go wrong with. If you're new and not looking to splash out, don't be afraid to buy used.

 

[giantgator]

What's your budget? That's where recommendations should start. Don't rule out DSLRs, they're not dead yet and if you're not planning to be a photographer you can get outstanding deals used. Usually from photographers upgrading to mirrorless. The lenses are also cheaper. If you have a lot to spend, sure go for mirrorless. If you want to save and still get a great camera best bang for the buck is DSLR.

 

[asselstinedaniel]

I currently shoot Sony, but started Nikon and am still a massive fan of their cameras for image quality. Cameras like the d750 are older, but have amazing image quality and feel sturdy in the hands. Plus, they have a fantastic array of telephoto lenses for wildlife. Mirrorless lenses are so damn expensive, that I’ve considered getting a d750 even just as a wildlife beater.


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[Camera Land]

Here are the facts. Like Hybrid cars you can do a hybrid camera system. DSLR's are on life support as are my NY Met's chances of getting into the playoffs.
That being said.
Canon and Nikon can both use all of the previous series of lenses EF and EF-s for Canon and FX and DX for Nikon with an adapter. That opens up millions of great priced new and used lenses in the marketplace. That's the hybrid, mirrorless camera mixing in DSLR lenses.
Nikon and Canon will only work on (repair) cameras made within the last 5-7 years depending on the model and that # is shrinking. It gets worse, if the camera is a grey market and if you buy it used you may not know until they run the serial #, they will NEVER touch it

A Canon NEW mirrorless camera with a lens starts at $599 before we give the Rokslide discount. You can safely bet there will be instant savings programs on many models this Christmas season. Canon has 4 crop sensor mirrorless cameras and the prices are reasonable. Nikon has 2, that are, like Sony a bit overpriced IMO. Olympus makes a great line of cameras as well, also priced right. If you want the most amazing optics then Leica has the SL series of mirrorless cameras.

Starting off and going into used DSLR is a HUGE mistake IMO. Lifespan, due to part availability and manufacturers rules make it very risky

Feel free to call me at 516-217-1000 to discuss what's best for you. make SURE to mention Rokslide

Hope this helps

 

[Dos Perros]

What's risky about spending $500 on a used T6 and lens or something similar? Incredibly durable, great way to get into photography without breaking the bank.

 

[Camera Land]

The risk is that you are getting ripped off. When we get them in used with the Canon 18-55mm lens they sell for $350-$399, depending on condition.
You can get the new R100, 4 k video, smaller faster better processor, MIRRORLESS, Better sensor, much better for portraits. 1 year warranty, plus the ability to get it fixed afterwards for at least 7-10 years vs a T6 that you may be able to get fixed by Canon for another 2-3 years max!!

The R100 NEW, with a Canon lens retails for $599. Members here would pay $569 including ground shipping to the contiguous 48 states and only $19.99 for shipping to Alaska or Hawaii

Feel free to call me at 516-217-1000

Joel

 

[giantgator]

I think the right thing to do is first determine a person's budget and needs before jumping to any recommendation. That R100 may have bells and whistles like 4k, but all he said was a good beginner camera. If he's looking for distance, that camera isn't going to provide it out of the box with a 18-45 that it comes with. A 200mm will probably require at least another $300.

Same thing with the adapters you mentioned at some point, sure, let's say a $600 mirrorless, plus $200 for the adapter plus $300 for a lens. You climb up to $1000 real quick.

So what if the persons budget is $500, then what? "Spend a little more." Or they can get outstanding DSLR gear for that price, used. I know for a fact, that was my budget starting out, and I ended up with a D3500 with the 70-300, 18-55 kit lenses plus a 50mm, one other lens I can't remember, and extra batteries for $500. I later upgraded to a full frame DSLR with full frame lenses and got all my money back from the first purchase. All in all, I now have a wide range of great full frame lenses for less than half of what a similar mirrorless would cost.

So if I ever want to help someone, I always start with their budget and what they're trying to shoot. They have $2000 burning a hole in their pocket? Mirrorless, all day long. But without that information the recommendation is all speculation.

 

[Camera Land]

I am not looking to get into a HUGE debate here. I have been in the photo industry for over 40 years and have seen many changes first hand. DSLR to mirrorless is the 2nd biggest after film to digital.
If a persons budget is $500 that's fine and then a used DSLR may be the best bet BUT they need to know the manufacturers support will be gone very soon as they are all getting out of DSLR and reducing lens selection and service support.
For $500 they will get an entry level setup if they want a standard and telephoto lens. They are not getting a D750 and 2 stabilized lenses for that. The DSLR kit lenses from Canon and Nikon were nice but the mirrorless are improved.
The R100 feature set is slightly above a Nikon 5000 series set when they were discontinued and about the same as the Canon T8i with the exception of the rotating screen. Need to move up to get that.
The R100 has a 2 lens kit that gives you the 18-45 (28-67mm in full frame) and a 55-210 (83-315mm in full frame) for a retail of $829. No adapters, both lenses are stabilized and as sharp as any competitive brand out there today in mirrorless.
That kit for Rokslide members would be $779.99. Very reasonable. All new, USA warranty and most importantly, we are here to answer any technical questions

Buying used DSLR is fine, we sell a lot of them when we get them. BUT, the consumer needs to know the shortfalls.
The #1 budget I get when customers are looking to start into photography is and I quote, "Can I get everything I need to get started for under $1000". The answer is 100% yes. If it's $500 we have options for used items. If we are out we take their names and follow up when items come in.
We are appreciative of the great support here and I hope we have shown we always try to do the right thing for all of the forum members.

Thank you, as always
Feel free to call me with any questions. I will always get you an answer

516-217-1000

Joel