Best camera for photography?

I would like to get into photography, like scenary type things, and I wanted to save up my money to buy a good camera for photography. any ideas on what to buy? not tooo expensive please? (: thank you, I appreciate it. (:

As someone who had a small nature photography business a few years go, I can tell you it’s not necessarily the gear that matters as much as the skill of the person behind the camera. When I first got into nature photography, I had a bottom-of-the-line Canon EOS Rebel II with three lenses and a couple of filters. I was shooting film back then (digital photography was still in its diapers stage at the time) and I learned my craft by studying the work of world-renown nature photographers such as Galen Rowell, John Shaw, Art Wolfe, Tom Till and David Muench, to name a few. I honed my ability through lots of practice using negative film, then graduated up to transparency film. My work proved that the skill of the photographer outweighs the price tag on his gear.

Nowadays, with nearly everyone using digital gear, there are more things to consider when shopping for cameras, but as a general rule, you get what you pay for. I now own a Canon EOS 50D (an older digital SLR). I’d suggest Canon or Nikon. These brands are proven to be the best in the field, although some models can be exorbitantly expensive. Go to a place like bhphotovideo.com to look at different models and get prices. There are things you’ll need other than a camera body such as a decent assortment of lenses to cover a wide focal range, some filters, a good tripod, memory cards, batteries, a carrying case or backpack, etc. I’d most certainly recommend doing your homework with regards to studying the work of well-known photographers in order to learn the craft and to train your eye to “see” better. You don’t need a photography class, either. I was completely self-taught, using books by famous nature photographers as my guides. If you prefer to take photography classes, that’s fine, too.

In short, if you want to be a good nature photographer, you’ll have to work hard to learn the craft and be savvy when it comes to gear so you can amass a nice set of high-quality gear that won’t break the bank. I wish you the best of fortune if you decide to pursue nature photography. I’ve found it to be immensely fulfilling, satisfying my creative drive and it’s something that allows you to connect in a real, positive way with nature. If you have any questions, drop me a PM and I’d be happy to discuss this with you. :slight_smile:

I’m not more than an amateur photographer but I chose a Canon EOS Rebel T3I for my introductory camera and had no regrets. Later on, I picked up another lense for the camera, though I’d recommend you get used to your base model first and doing some research on what would satisfy your needs/style before purchasing other lenses.

More input from an amature nature photohrapher… one thing to consider is what distance/magnification you want to be able to shoot. Obviously something with interchangable lenses will give you the most options but a good compact can do well too - but some of them have minimal telephoto ability. For example my com0act has a 3.2X max zoom. Good for wide scenic vistas and good if you are in close but trying to photograph an animal more than 25 feet away would be an exercise in futility with it (most of my animal shots are taken at a range of 4 feet or closer by necessity so this didn’t much affect me)

Good luck in making your choice and remember - practice and patience will go further than high priced gear in the end. (Assuming you get at least middle of the road quality, a cheap camera can only do so much)

Also a amateur nature photographer. Being from South Africa, I’m lucky to be able to visit the Kruger Park very often. For me I don’t want to struggle with changing lenses and all that. I got a Sony DSC-HX400V which has 50x optical zoom. I think it is really good to take some great nature photos because of the zoom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldv7LJbz6pc&t=36s

According to me… The best DSLZR came ra for photography is Canon EOS 5DS R :slight_smile: