Y’all!! We have officially launched our sign up for our Beginner’s Photography Wine & Workshop to our newsletter members and we are almost half booked up! I can’t believe it! Thank you so much for loving and supporting us, we can’t wait to teach y’all everything that we know when it comes to how to use your camera! A lot of our students have already started messaging us, saying things like, “I have a camera that is okay, but I would love to upgrade to a nicer camera that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg that will allow me to do MORE. Do you have any that you could recommend to me?” And the answer is OF COURSE. We rounded up our 3 best camera’s for beginners based on budget so that no matter what price point you are at, you can have a great camera that not only will take beautiful photos, but you can grow into it with your creative skills as the years go by. However, you should remember that DSLR ( digital single-lens reflex) camera’s are not necessarily cheap. They are basically a little computer in your hand that you can manipulate and take all over the world to capture your most cherished memories.
I found this article by Borrow Lenses that did a great job of explaining why these camera’s are so great for beginners, but if you’d like to learn more about Nikon’s, please check out the link at the bottom of the page!
Is a DSLR right for you?
“DSLRs may be the gold standard for both amateur and professional photographers but that doesn’t mean they’re the right choice for everyone. Here are some things to consider when deciding to invest in a DSLR.
Endless possibilities. If you know you are the type of person who really gets into your hobbies, you may as well start with a camera that will let you do everything. A good entry-level DSLR will give you the ability to shoot in manual mode, provide decent low-light performance, and have an endless array of lenses to choose from. And the good news is that the DSLRs that are designed for newbies offer a lot of automatic and semi-automatic modes that make shooting a breeze.
Room to grow. We’re going to let you in on a little secret: while camera bodies are important, it’s the lenses that really make the biggest difference when it comes to image quality. What this means for you is that you can buy a DSLR with a kit lens, then down the road, upgrade to fancier lenses if you decide that photography is something you want to stick with. In other words, a DSLR will leave you with lots of room to grow.
Flexibility. One of the hallmarks of DSLR cameras is the fact that the lenses are interchangeable. This means that one camera will let you do an awful lot of things. A macro lens will let you get up close and personal with things like insects and flowers while a wide angle lens turns a DSLR into a landscape-capturing dynamo.
Resale value. There is a large market for used DSLRs so if you do decide at some point that photography isn’t for you or—more likely—that you want to upgrade to an even better DSLR, you probably won’t have much trouble selling yours. This will help you recoup the costs if you realize you don’t like photography or help you purchase your next camera if you decide that you really do!
Our list of Good Beginner Cameras
1. CanonEOS Rebel T6 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm Lens
$449
Canon’s Rebel line has been the entry point for aspiring photographers for a while and this latest edition is worthy of the moniker. The 18 megapixel crop sensor camera shoots photos at 3 frames per second (FPS) and 1080p video at 30 FPS. This particular one also comes with a 18-55mm lens which is great for both portraits and landscapes. Beginners will appreciate this camera’s accessibility — it gives you all the manual controls of a higher-end DSLR but with lots of automatic and semi-automatic options to use while you’re learning.
2. Canon EOS Rebel T6i Digital SLR with EF-S 18-55mm IS STM Lens
$599
The 24 megapixel crop sensor camera shoots photos at 5 frames per second (FPS) and 1080p video at 30 FPS. It even has a 3″ touch screen AND built in wifi! Released in 2015, the T6i has more megapixels than its predecessor the T5i (24.2 vs. 18) and more than twice as many autofocus points. This one from Amazon includes a 18-55mm lens, but you can buy the camera body only for $549.
3. EOS Rebel SL1 18-55mm IS STM Lens Kit
$699
Canon’s SL1 is a shrunken-down version of the other cameras in the Rebel line. What this means for you is that this is an entry-level DSLR that’s smaller in size than a lot of its competitors. But don’t be fooled by its size. The advantages of the T6i over the SL1 include megapixels, burst speed, and an articulating screen for shooting video but that doesn’t mean the SL1 should be overlooked. This is still a powerful camera that comes in a small package — at a great price. As with all of the cameras in Canon’s Rebel line, beginners will love how accessible the features in this camera are even to a total newbie!”
