Starter Camera Guide

I often get questions from friends and family about what camera or lens someone should buy when starting out. With so many options out there, the decision can seem fairly daunting as a beginner. In order to provide proper guidance, I’ve created the following guide to help you make the decision on what camera to get when starting your photography journey.

Deciding on what camera to buy is the combination of a variety of factors that are particular to your circumstance. This guide does not cover every use case or situation, but you can use this to give you guidance on what to purchase for yourself. As time goes on, I intend to update this guide with more information and up to date recommendations, so view this as a living document that will be here for you when you need it.

Starter Bundles:

< $1000

• Camera: Canon Rebel t8i

• Lens: 18-55mm f5.6 kit lens

• My first camera was the Canon Rebel t4i. I shot on that camera for around 5 years, taking it all over the world in the process. It served me incredibly well, and I believe it is the perfect camera to start learning photography on. It is a great value for the price, provides all of the features you may need when starting in photography, and will take a long time to grow out of.

< $1500

• Camera: Canon EOS RP

• Lens: Canon RF 24-105mm f4-7.1

• The Canon EOS RP is Canon’s lowest priced mirrorless camera. I say lowest priced and not cheapest because for the money this camera delivers tremendous value. Not only does it have a full frame sensor, but the camera delivers incredible image quality. Additionally, the EOS RP uses Canon’s new RF mount.

  The RF mount is compatible with all of the new lenses being released by Canon. This compatibility makes the EOS RP a great starting camera, since you can purchase lenses that not only work with it, but future cameras you will have down the line.

< $2000

• Camera: Canon EOS R

• Lens: Canon RF 24-105mm f4-f7.1

• The EOS R has proven to be an incredible camera for photography and earned its spot in the camera bag of pro photographers across the world. As the most expensive option on this list, it is most likely not the best decision for your first camera. That being said, it’s helpful to look at in order to compare against other options you are choosing between.

Accessories:

Lenses:

• For Travel Photography: Canon 24-70mm f2.8

• For Wildlife Photography: Sigma 150-600mm f5.6

Storage:

• SD Card of Choice

• CF Card of Choice

• External Hard Drive of Choice

• Memory Card Case

Stabilization:

• Cinemapod (the best mobile stabilization solution)

• Monopod head

Lighting:

• Lighting for product photography

• Mini tripod for lighting

desk setup:

• desk chair

I hope this article helps you in your ventures ahead! Full disclosure, the links provided throughout this article are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.