Guide to Buying Your First Camera

Recently several of my friends have asked me for advice on buying a new camera, with some asking specifically about film cameras.

I’ll explain the most important thing to understand when buying cameras, some considerations for choosing between film and digital, as well as the different types of cameras and lenses available, and my recommendation for what to buy and how to find it.

The most important thing to know is this:

You can take breathtaking photos with almost anything. Your creative eye matters more than the camera.

A camera is a device that uses a lens to capture images. That’s it. Especially when starting out, all you need is something that can take images. While there is an infinite number of amazing cameras and lenses to choose from, there are many world-famous photographers who built their career and signature style on simple inexpensive point-and-shoot cameras. Know your budget, what you want to shoot, and act accordingly, with the knowledge that you will be fine at any level since you are starting what may be a long and fulfilling journey. If all you can afford right now is the camera on your hand-me-down iPhone, you are cool-- I still get a lot of use out of mine. You can of course buy a top of the line Leica or a brand new Sony, but they won’t make your photos better if you don’t know how to use them.

It’s the photographer’s eye that determines the quality of work, more than anything else.

Now, if you are at the point where you know you want to take photography more seriously, and explore the art and craft of image making, it may be time to get a new camera and lens.

The first question is whether you want to go with film or digital.

If you are on a tight budget but want to shoot a lot, go digital. If you are curious about the technical aspects, or even just like the style but don’t want to learn how to achieve it digitally, go with film.

A note on the costs of Digital vs Film: With digital, once you get the camera, lens, memory card, an extra battery and an external hard drive, you are basically done spending money for the lifetime of that camera. With film, it becomes more complicated, since you need to buy the film ($7-20/roll), pay for developing ($5-15/roll), pay for scanning ($10-30/roll). To give you an idea of how quickly this adds up: I was on vacation abroad with my family several years ago, and I shot some fancy film on my vintage Leica M2. No camera is more fun to shoot with. However, the film is rare and could only be processed and scanned at a higher end place, and even with a slight discount the fee for processing 17 rolls of film and medium resolution scans was over $400. Add the cost of the film itself, and you’re looking at a $600 investment for some vacation photos. You can significantly cut costs by scanning yourself (scanners range $300-1200 and up), and by developing film at home (less than a dollar per roll, even less if you do a lot of film).

DIGITAL

If you choose digital, I’ve got some great news-- we are in a golden age of digital cameras, and basically any camera made in the last five years is fantastic. Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Sony etc all make fantastic cameras at different price points. I tend to prefer SLR over mirrorless, simply because I like larger sensors, and you can see through the lens, which is generally a better shooting experience than all but the highest-end mirrorless cameras. You can also get a slightly older pro-level camera, such as the industry-changing Canon 5D Mark II for a fraction of the price they were new, and you may even have a family member or friend who had one and upgraded to a newer model. Its also important to either visit a store or a friend who has the camera you are thinking about getting, because you may find that the camera feels weird in your hands or the menus are confusing. Personally, I prefer Canon and Fuji cameras, but some people have a natural affinity for Nikon or Sony.

There are a few older digital cameras that have CCD sensors, such as the original Canon 5D and the Leica M9, which were designed to replicate the colors/tonality of film-- as opposed to CMOS, which is what most cameras use now. They are very affordable now, but there are drawbacks, such as lower ISO, no video or Live View previews, rarity of batteries, and in the case of the Leica M9, make sure you get one with a replaced sensor, as sensor corrosion is a common and expensive issue. That said, “vintage” digital cameras can still be quite rewarding.

I recommend picking up an entry level DSLR, a Canon Rebel, something like a T5i or newer, or if you have larger hands you may prefer something like the Canon 80D or newer. If you are on a budget, I generally recommend getting the body used, ideally from a friend, and using the money you save to get the best lens you can afford. Cameras will often come with a “kit lens” as part of the package: typically a 18-55mm zoom lens or something similar. These are decent but not great, and you may want to keep it along just in case you need to do a wide angle shot. You may also get the camera Body-only, and skip the kit lens. I highly recommend that you get a 35mm, 40mm, or 50mm lens (or an equivalent if you have a smaller camera, such as the Canon 28mm EF-S pancake lens for Canon Rebel DSLR or the 23mm lens for Canon M50). I recommend sticking to the same brand that made your camera, at least to start. Third party lens manufacturers can sometimes be great values once you decide to experiment, but make sure you read recent reviews to be sure.

FILM

If you choose film, I’ve got some great news, and some bad news-- the golden age of film cameras has passed, and amazing cameras can now be bought used for practically nothing. The bad news is that film is really trendy, and certain cameras are *really* trendy, so the cute vintage camera you would like that is perfect for what you want is frankly impossible to find now, or is being sold for over a thousand dollars because it was seen on the shoulder of a celebrity at a fashion week gala. If your parents have an old Contax T2 in a box, you’re lucky, but otherwise here’s what you need to know.

There are so many decent and great cameras out there, you can start with pretty much anything as long as it works… But don’t fall in love with a camera before making sure it works. More on that in a bit.

There are many different types of cameras, from Large- and Medium- Format cameras to miniature “spy” novelty cameras. What you want for now is a 35mm film camera (also known as small format, 135mm, or full-frame). That’s the kind that has a roll of film that comes in a little metal canister, usually kept in a plastic bottle until you need it.

The most common types of camera are compact cameras (also called Point and Shoot), which often have autofocus, limited settings control, and are designed to be easy and portable above all else, and SLR (Single Lens Reflex) which have a variety of interchangeable lenses and a mirror and prism mechanism that lets you see through the lens, so you can perfectly compose your photo before shooting. These may have varying degrees of manual settings or automatic controls.

Other varieties exist, such as Rangefinders, which use an uncommon focusing mechanism that combines some benefits of compact and SLR cameras, and also have interchangeable lenses or can have a permanently attached fixed-focal-length lens. Pro-level compact cameras, like the legendary Contax T2, offer much higher quality lenses and more controls than typical compacts. Last and definitely least there are barely-functional “Toy” cameras with poorly made plastic lenses instead of glass, such as the Holga and Diana, which are deliberately crap, but some artists can use them for making interesting images. Honestly unless you are already experienced with film photography I wouldn’t recommend them, because these are accident prone and generally asking for trouble. Some artists enjoy the challenge or savor the random defects, but I’ve seen several friends get frustrated when the camera back opens up and instantly ruins all the photos they had shot, so I don’t recommend them for beginners.

There are several decades worth of brands and model lines out there, each with highlights and low points, but generally it is safe to stick with the big names, which are generally Japanese manufacturers: Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, Yashica, Minolta, and Mamiya if you are lucky. Why are they all Japanese brands? Because back in the 40’s through 60’s, camera making was a smaller industry, with the high end dominated by European makers like Leica from Germany, Hasselblad from Sweden… but copies manufactured in Japan were far less expensive, and gradually in the 70’s the quality improved to the point where it was hard to justify the price difference, and then Japan basically dominated the camera market. Leica and Hasselblad are still around, but they are considered luxury products, and still more expensive. There’s a cult following around cold-war era Soviet copies of European cameras, but the price difference is minor compared to the quality tradeoff, making it more of a novelty or aesthetic choice.

Okay okay, enough with the history lessons-- what should you buy?

If you really want to get into understanding the craft and technical sides of photography, get a fully manual SLR or Rangefinder camera. Again, a camera is just a tool that catches light, they will all function pretty similarly, and half the fun is learning all the different varieties and their quirks. Ideally they will come with a 35mm or 50mm lens, maybe an f2.0 or f1.4 if you are lucky, or you can easily buy one, as they are very common. You probably have a relative who has an old kit in their closet, or know someone who got a Canon AE-1 for a Photography class in high school or college.

If you aren’t that concerned with the craft, and just want to take nice photos that look good, your main options are a compact camera or a newer SLR that has autofocus. Compact cameras tend to be finicky and not that great, and the ones that are great have almost all been snapped up years ago when they became trendy. You can occasionally get lucky on craigslist or ebay, but I have an even better solution that won’t break the bank.

Pick up a used “Canon Rebel” SLR. Rebel is the name of Canon’s entry line, and the most easily found online and even in thrift stores. Alternatively, as long as you find a relatively recent model that takes EOS Mount lenses, you can get a higher end model, even professional level ones like the Canon EOS-1V. I wouldn’t stress too much as long as it is in good working condition, and these are still new enough that age isn’t a big issue. Nice thing about these Canons is that they have excellent autofocus and automatic settings control, and they use the same modern lens mount as the newer digital SLR’s, so you can easily buy tons of new or used high quality lenses and other accessories.

Once you have a body, you’ll need a lens for it. If I had to choose one lens, it would be the Canon 40mm f2.8 EF “Pancake” lens: it is extremely compact, and extremely sharp, and at under $200 you will not find a better lens. They go for around $180 new, you may find one used for a little less. One of my friends got this exact setup (Canon Rebel + 40mm Pancake) and I think she spent around $200 in total. Before that she had been using a simple compact camera that I think cost ~$50, but was generally a disappointment. The Canon kit has served her well, and with little effort (and a keen eye) she’s making fantastic photographs.

Photograph by Koko, using a Canon Rebel & 40mm pancake lens. See more of her work at https://www.instagram.com/kokoro_to_shashin/

BUYING YOUR CAMERA

I buy almost all of my cameras used, and almost always in-person. For buying online, KEH is recommended. In person, I generally buy through Craigslist. There are also facebook groups dedicated to buying and selling cameras, but be very careful in there and make sure the person you are talking to has a good reputation in the community before buying. When buying a used camera, you should inspect the camera thoroughly to make sure that the shutter works, the speeds are accurate, the meter works (if necessary), the film advance works, and that the battery compartment isn’t corroded. With digital, you’ll want to make sure it turns on, and bring a memory card to make sure it can take photos. If you can, bring a laptop to inspect the digital file to be sure its sensor works well and doesn’t have a row of dead pixels or some other problem. For lenses, make sure that the aperture works well, focus is smooth, and that the lens doesn’t have haze or fungus-- a bit of dust is unavoidable, and won’t affect the image. If you aren’t sure, ask a photographer friend to show you how to test the different aspects of the camera.

CONCLUSION

To recap: A camera is just a tool, as long as you have one that works, that’s fine for photography. There are countless excellent options available to you, so a bit of planning will be helpful to decide what you want to get, and you can always change it up later. A simple kit of a entry model SLR or DSLR plus a 35/40/50mm lens will be fine for most people, including myself.

Thank you for reading, I hope it has been helpful. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.

Long Form, EssaysShane KingMay 11, 2020guide, how to, buying, camera, how to buy a camera, essay2 Comments