In June 2013, I was determined to upgrade from my Sony point’n’shoot, so after a ton of research and careful consideration, I splurged on my shiny new DSLR setup. I won’t lie, my photography gear is pretty over the top, but disregarding the price bracket, I learned plenty about how to shop for gear. Let me tell you how.
To start, I received guidance from my infinitely more knowledgeable and legit friends Kane Hsieh, Joseph Ong, Sam Lipoff, Sam Go, and others. The key advice: Buy the lenses that you want and whatever body that fits it. Thus, I compiled a list of concrete reasons why I wanted to upgrade.
- I’m a fan of faithful reproduction, so I didn’t want distortion or noise or the weird painted effect my little camera has
- I wanted bokeh (defocusing of the background/foreground)
- I wanted to shoot during the nighttime more, but I don’t like flash
- I wanted to shoot action, people, and other moving subjects
The bigger sensor size of bigger cameras like DSLRs addresses all these partially, especially the first aspect, but the other three are all solved by a large aperture prime lens. The blurring of the background and the ability to freeze people’s motions and emotions is what I’ve always associated with great cameras, but it’s actually the superior light-gathering ability of large apertures that accomplishes it. f/1.8 is great, f/1.4 is even bigger and better. 50mm is the favorite focal length, closest to what the eye perceives (in the center of your field of vision), but 35mm is what I’ve always associated with cameras.
Of course, prime lenses don’t zoom (that’s the definition of a prime lens) and lack the versatility needed for general shooting, so I knew I still needed a midrange zoom lens. 24-70mm is the important focal range. Those annoying pixel peepers will always tell you that primes are optically superior to zooms, which is true, but that means switching between lenses all the time, and that’s just annoyingly impractical. Fortunately, most camera bodies are sold with discounted kit lenses because these lenses are often all someone will ever need.
As for choosing camera bodies… honestly, anything works. Sensor size the primary determining factor for image quality these days; bigger sensors are better, so pay attention to that. Pixelation is a non-issue these days because we’ve passed ~10 MP, so try to tune out all the false hype that marketers make about that stat. I had the luxury of choosing from any brand–Nikon, Canon, Sony, the others–they’re all great. This is what I bought:
- Canon 35mm f/1.4L ($1350) — universally praised, the sole reason I chose Canon
- Canon EOS 6D ($2000) — full-frame: good, low light: good, autofocus: bad, burst mode: bad, no flash: whatever
- Canon 24-105mm f/4L ($1100, discounted to $400) — a respectable kit lens that didn’t need replacing
- Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro ($550, discounted to $400) — bloody amazing, distortion free, extraordinarily sharp
The macro lens I obtained a couple months later with my pile of rewards money, when I realized I was really interested in shooting close-ups. It’s great for me because I really enjoy having a new perspective on the miniature world. If I were more interested in shooting people, I would have opted for a long prime lens. like 85mm or 135mm, so I don’t stand too close and distort the face with the ballooning effect of wide lenses. If I were interested in shooting wildlife and sports, I would need a super-long lens, like 200mm or longer. Thus, I’m glad I’m not interested in wildlife or sports… My camera kit and two specialty lenses were a huge investment, but it feels very complete and has already served me well.
Do you want a new camera too? If you’d like advice, just ask! However, I will invariably tell you this: “rationalize why you want a new camera”, then follow that up with “you probably shouldn’t get a DSLR.” Unless you are dead set on making money from photography (which is extremely difficult), DSLRs become 3-pound metal behemoths with fragile front ends that you want slung over your shoulder all the time yet never damaged by the outside world. Take my word, DSLRs are unwieldy. Mirrorless cameras are on the rise and are destined to replace the silly antiquated technology of flippy mirrors. The mirrors were an indispensable innovation in the age of film, but with digital sensors and increasingly powerful batteries, live view and continuous mini-sampling by the actual sensor that takes the photo is better for framing and gauging the resulting photo.
Besides that, we have cameras everywhere: our cell phones. And honestly, lots of photography can be accomplished with those little cameras that Apple/Samsung/LG/others manage to cram two of into each of their devices. They have 5-8 megapixels, which is more than enough, and with Instagram and other editing apps, many images turn out looking pretty sweet. When you can articulate reasons why your cell phone camera is limiting your photography, only then do you need a new camera.
Until then, use your current camera to take photos of what you find interesting. Browse others’ photos for inspiration. Shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. Even if you don’t get the photos you want, you’ll be looking around and admiring the world around you. That’s worth it already.
The tl;dr:
- You probably shouldn’t get a DSLR. Get a mirrorless system if you want a good camera.
- Articulate precisely why you want a camera, and buy the lenses that fit those needs. Chances are you want a 50mm f/1.8.
- Most stats on camera bodies don’t matter, except sensor size, where bigger is better.