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If I had a nickle for every time a friend said, “I would love to get into photography, but it’s just so dang expensive,” I would have… at least a couple of nickles. But I get it. Photography equipment isn’t cheap, and it’s far too easy to spend a small fortune on cameras, lenses, and accessories. But I know from experience that it is possible to build up a decent kit without spending a ton of money, and today, I’m going to share some tips for how to find the right budget-friendly gear for you.
Where to Find Affordable Cameras
My favorite source of affordable camera gear is KEH.com. They have an excellent selection of refurbished gear for better prices than you’ll find anywhere else. That is not an exaggeration—I’ve looked. Everything comes with a 6 month warranty, and their customer service is the absolute best customer service I’ve ever received anywhere.
If you’re ready to get started on your photography journey, KEH offers up to 40% off used photography equipment. This is a great opportunity to pick up some affordable gear.
- Pro Tip
No matter where you look for camera gear, remember that photography gear usually drops in price when a new models comes out. For example, my dream camera is the Canon 7D Mark II. I can’t afford the $1200+ price tag, but thanks to a great tax return a few years ago, I could afford the $400-600 price tag on the original 7D. The 7D Mark II had just been released about 6 months prior, and the prices on the 7D dropped dramatically. Looking for older models is an easy way to keep costs down.
What Gear do You Need?
The first thing to keep in mind is that there are two main elements at play: the camera body and the lens. You can get a kit that comes with both, or you can buy them separately. I prefer the latter option because I can pick my lens instead of just taking what’s kitted together, and it’s often a bit cheaper than buying the kit. But in the beginning, you might want to get a kit so you can learn what it is you’re looking for in a lens so you don’t risk investing in something that you’ll get frustrated with.
- Pro Tip
If you’re not ready to take the plunge and buy equipment outright, you can always rent camera equipment first to see if you like it. While I have not personally used BorrowLenses.com, they come highly recommended by other photographers.
Camera Bodies
For a beginning body, I would highly recommend a camera that comes with standard auto settings (landscape, portrait, sports, etc.) and manual settings. That way, you can learn how to shoot in manual but have the option to fall back on the auto settings until you get the hang of aperture, f-stop, ISO, etc. Most entry level consumer dSLRs will have both types of settings. That said, if you’re serious about learning, you’ll want to throw yourself whole-heartedly into learning the manual settings ASAP. Manual settings are the best way to graduate from snapshots to photos.
Here are some excellent camera bodies for the beginning photographer:
Another option could be the Micro 3/4 cameras (also called mirrorless), which still have interchangeable lenses, but are a lot smaller and lighter than dSLRs. They take pretty good photos, too, especially if you get lenses with good glass. I love my Canons, but there were times when I was traveling that I wished I had a smaller camera. If you’re not thinking you want to go pro, mirrorless is an excellent option. I even know a few pros who use them in certain situations.
Lenses
Many kits these days come with a 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, but there are many options available if you decide to put your own kit together. The trickiest part is understanding what the lens numbers mean so you can get a lens that matches the type of photography you want to do.
There are two parts to a lens number:
- The first part (18-55mm) tells you your focal length range, or how wide you can go (i.e. how much you can see in the frame) and how far you can zoom. The smaller the first number, the wider the lens can go, and the bigger the second number, the closer your zoom. If there’s only one number, it’s a prime lens, which means no zooming.
- The second part of the lens number (f/…) tells you the aperture/f-stop range. The aperture controls how much light enters the camera. It’s a bit tricky to remember, but the smaller your f-stop number, the wider the shutter opens to let in light. Hence, a small f/ number is called a wide aperture.
| If you want to shoot... | Look for a lens with... |
|---|---|
|
Portraits |
A close focal range and a wide aperture |
|
Landscapes |
A wide focal length |
|
Wildlife |
A long zoom and wide aperture (telephoto) |
|
Urban/Street Scenes |
A broad focal range that can capture subjects both close and far |
|
Astrophotography |
A wide focal length and wide aperture (prime) |
The 18-55 is a decent range for a beginner, but don’t expect any NatGeo-esque landscapes or close up shots of faraway things. My first kit actually came with a Canon 35-80mm F/4-5.6, and I personally like that range a little better. It’s a very affordable lens, so you can pick up a Canon version for about $35 (if you decide to go with Canon gear). My current walkaround (i.e. everyday) lens is a Canon 28-105 f/3.5-4.5. It’ll be a little more pricey, but it’s an excellent range and I use it more than any of my other lenses.
- Pro Tip
I typically recommend Canon gear because that’s what I shoot on and that’s what I know. But I have also used Nikons and Olympus, and they are great cameras, too. If you’re not sure what brand you should go for, there’s a handy site called SnapSort, where you can compare and contrast different features to help you find a camera that fits your needs.
Accessories
Tripod
There are lots of very expensive tripods out there, but this is one area where you can get pretty basic until you need something more substantial. The biggest thing to look for is sturdiness—you want something heavy duty enough to trust with your new camera, but light enough to tote around with you. Additional tripod features that aren’t necessary but can be nice to have include ball head mounts (if you’re going to shoot a lot of video, ball heads make for nice, smooth movements), convertible feet (rubber bumpers for sensitive surfaces, picks for dirt/gravel), and bubble levels.
Adapters
I have a handy wide angle/macro adapter that screws onto the front of my lens. It’s no substitute for a good dedicated wide angle or macro lens, but it’s an affordable fix for when I just need to get a little closer or further away.
Remote Shutter Release
Remote shutter releases are very affordable, and you won’t regret adding one to your arsenal. They are super handy for getting super crisp tripod shots, and some have a locking mechanism so that you can take multiple pictures back to back without having to press the shutter again. (Most cameras have a high burst setting that will also take multiple pictures back to back, but those will be in quick succession. The shutter release is handy if you want multiple slower shots.) It is also required if your camera has a “bulb” setting, which is a long exposure setting where you determine how long the shutter stays open by how long you keep the shutter button down. It won’t work with the built-in shutter button on the camera itself, so if you want to use this setting, you’ll need a remote shutter release.
Extra Batteries
You will want extra batteries. I repeat: YOU WILL WANT EXTRA BATTERIES. Many cameras only come with one, and there’s nothing worse than being right on the cusp of the best shot of your life just to discover that your battery is dead. You will want extra batteries. (I usually keep a minimum of 3.)
Learning How to Use Your Gear
Just like you don’t have to shell out tons of money on expensive camera equipment, you also don’t have to have a fancy camera to learn how to take beautiful photos of your family. Check out my post How to Take Better Pictures Without a Fancy Camera for tips on improving your photography skills no matter what gear you’re shooting with.
And I love helping other photographers, so if you have any questions about how to get started, just leave them in the comments below!
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