Starting Photography on a Budget in 2024, This is What I'd Buy.

Summary

In this video, the creator offers valuable advice for beginners in photography, especially those starting in 2024 on a budget. With over a decade of experience, they recommend an affordable setup under £1,000 ($1,300) that includes a camera, lenses, and accessories. The focus is on mirrorless technology, specifically the Sony A6000, and the importance of investing in quality lenses. They provide budget-friendly suggestions for each piece of equipment and stress that expensive gear isn't necessary for great photography. The video concludes with tips on building photography skills and upgrading gear over time.

Takeaways

• 📸 Getting started in photography can be overwhelming due to the wide range of equipment options available, but focusing on the essentials can help.
• 💡 Mirrorless cameras are recommended over DSLRs for beginners because they are more future-proof, despite being relatively new and slightly more expensive.
• 💰 The video sets a budget of £1,000 (around $1,300) to create a photography starter kit, which includes a camera, two lenses, a wrist strap, memory card, spare battery, and a camera bag or insert.
• 📷 The Sony a6000 is recommended as a great entry-level mirrorless camera, offering good specs and usability even a decade after its release.
• 🔋 The Sony a6000 has some downsides, such as poor battery life and no touchscreen, but these are manageable for beginners.
• 🔍 Lenses are crucial in photography, with the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 zoom lens being highly versatile and ideal for various shooting scenarios.
• 👁️ A prime lens, like the Viltrox 56mm F1.4, is recommended for portrait photography, providing sharpness, better low-light performance, and encouraging creative framing.
• ⚡ A spare third-party battery and a 64GB memory card are suggested for practicality and staying within budget.
• 👜 Instead of a camera bag, a camera insert that can fit into a regular backpack is proposed as a budget-friendly and stealthy option.
• 🔧 Free tools like Adobe Lightroom for mobile are recommended for editing photos, making it easier for beginners to enhance their work without additional costs.

Q & A

What is the main objective of the video?

The main objective of the video is to help beginners in photography choose the right equipment under a budget of £1,000 or $1,300, based on the creator's 10+ years of experience.

Why does the creator recommend starting with a mirrorless camera instead of a DSLR?

The creator recommends starting with a mirrorless camera because major manufacturers have stopped focusing on making new DSLR cameras and lenses. Mirrorless cameras are more future-proof, and investing in them now will prevent having to sell off DSLR gear when upgrading in the future.

Which camera does the creator recommend for beginners, and why?

The creator recommends the Sony A6000 for beginners because it offers solid performance with a 24.3-megapixel APS-C sensor, 11 FPS burst shooting, and excellent autofocus at a reasonable price, even though it's nearly a decade old.

What are the main drawbacks of the Sony A6000 according to the video?

The main drawbacks of the Sony A6000 are its limited battery life and the lack of a touchscreen. Additionally, its video capabilities are limited to 1080p at 60 FPS, making it less suitable for video shooters.

Why are lenses considered more important than the camera body in photography?

Lenses are considered more important because they determine the overall look of the image, including sharpness, contrast, and background blur. The creator emphasizes that better lenses can improve photography more than a more expensive camera body.

What is the first lens recommended, and what makes it a good choice?

The first recommended lens is the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8, which is versatile for a wide range of subjects, from architecture to portraits. It offers a fast aperture for low light, a well-built design, and portability, making it ideal for beginners.

What is the benefit of using a prime lens over a zoom lens?

A prime lens offers sharper images and a wider aperture, which allows for better low-light performance and more background blur. Prime lenses also encourage photographers to think more about framing, as they cannot zoom in or out, promoting creativity.

Which prime lens does the creator recommend, and why?

The creator recommends the Viltrox 56mm f/1.4 lens because it offers excellent depth of field, sharpness, low-light performance, and beautiful background blur. Its 85mm equivalent on an APS-C camera makes it great for portraits and street photography.

What strategy does the creator suggest for staying within a budget when buying photography gear?

To stay within the budget, the creator suggests purchasing used gear when possible, opting for third-party accessories like spare batteries, and using a camera bag insert instead of a dedicated camera bag. These choices allow beginners to invest more in essential items like lenses.

What additional free resource does the creator recommend for editing photos?

The creator recommends Adobe Lightroom Mobile, which is a free app that allows users to edit RAW photos, making it an accessible tool for beginners to start learning photo editing without spending extra money.