If I Was Buying A Camera For The First Time, This Would Be My Advice To Myself

We’ve all heard it a million times, through friends, camera clubs, magazines and marketing. Start off with a beginner grade camera with a kit lens and take it from there. And for many, if not most of us, we followed that advice. But the advice is wrong, and if I was buying a camera for the first time again, this would be my advice to myself. 

“Research the benefits…“

Firstly, have a think about what you want to do with your camera. Are you just going to be taking family snaps (like so many do), photographing your children’s sports, visiting and photographing new towns and cities to capture their beauty, capturing birds in the wild or are you thinking of doing something more with your camera and even maybe making money from it? 

I have written an extensive guide to the sensor sizes and their uses (micro four thirds, aps-c and full frame) which looks at the pros and cons of each camera sensor in an honest and straight forward way that would have helped me greatly when I first started (on a separate note, I will be adding to those articles with a guide to bridge and compact digital cameras which thanks to YouTube and the younger generation are starting to make a huge comeback!).

Have a good think about what you want to do, talk to people who have bought gear, and those who have sold their gear and see why they kept or sold their cameras. Running weekly and fortnightly camera meets, running workshops and doing tuition, I have seen so many people over the years starting out with enthusiasm, only to completely stop photography within a short time-span due to various reasons (such as other commitments, they’ve found it too difficult or simply and most often, because they don’t see the point and don’t know what to do with their images).

“Go out and buy, but not what they tell you…“

Once you’ve made your mind up what you want to do with photography, the next step is the most important. It will be a huge factor in your future with photography, so get it right. 

Don’t buy the cheapest camera and lens combination you can, don’t buy an entry level camera… Just don’t do it!!!

Buy the most advanced, best spec camera with the best lens (or lenses) that you can afford (even if it means buying from the second hand market to get better equipment). And there are good reasons to do this too, that most of us know too well who have been there and done that, or have watched others do it over the years. 

When you buy an entry level camera and lens, initially you’ll have fun, but as soon as you start hanging around with other photographers, or start trying to capture images indoor, or take a photo of your pet dog running, or try and fit a castle in your kit-lens field of view or want to experiment with the more technical aspects of photography, you will become frustrated and lose interest. We have all seen this happen way too much!

This isn’t a you might, it’s a you will fact that those of us sharing our knowledge and teaching others, or bringing photographers together see all the time. You will outgrow your initial equipment faster than you think if you are serious about photography.

“The initial investment will save you time and money…“

Even if you have to wait for a few months to afford a better camera system and lenses, or you decide to buy from one of the many reputable used second hand retailers, it will be worth it.

Your initial investment is more than just dipping your toes in the water, it’s a choice that long term will save you a heap load of money. Buy yourself cheap, low quality cameras and lenses aimed by marketing to suck you in and make you spend more in the long run, and you will do just that. It’s not just your photography that suffers, it is your pocket too.

No matter what some will tell you, experience tells us that this is a pattern that almost everyone falls for. And I wish I had followed the advice in this article. 

“But a better camera doesn’t make you a better photographer…“

This is a partly true statement that some people like to throw around, but it is very misleading, and working and being around other photographers for so long proves how misleading this statement can be. 

I don’t like to use the term bad photographer. For some people, the camera is just a tool to capture the moment, and the images are often straight from camera shots or simplistic basic edits that while not to everyone tastes, suit the needs of the person taking the photograph. It is not that they are bad photographers, it is just that they don’t feel the need to advance past the point and shoot level, because they have no need to! It can be rewarding and therapeutic having a real camera and making memories or just using fun, even if you are only at that basic level. 

However, put a better camera in the hands of someone who wants to learn, wants to capture images they might otherwise struggle with (because the camera is not good in low light, or doesn’t have enough focus points, or the autofocus is very basic or for more frames per second etc) and suddenly a better camera opens up opportunities to make you a better photographer and take better photographs. 

(Note: Yes, there are photographers out there that use very basic cameras and do extraordinary work, but they are generally not new to photography and are very gifted by their talent)

The less you have to concentrate on your camera and it’s settings in any given situation, the more you can concentrate on getting the image you’ve always wanted (composition and light are king!). The frustration you feel when you have a less capable camera suddenly disappear. You enjoy taking photographs again, you feel like you are achieving your goals, and more importantly  you know that your money is well spent, because you have the images to show it. 

And I’ve seen this time and time again. People have moved on from their basic or old cameras and their images have gone from strength to strength. Their love for photography has grown, because they are using a better tool. And yes, it is the person who takes the photo, not the camera, but the camera is a tool to help you create your vision. 

“Conclusion…“

Photography is hard. I’m not going to lie, when you first pick up a camera, it has a learning curve that can make or break you. It is a world where where each book you buy, and each article you read online or each video you watch on YouTube, you’ll see conflicting advice by people who think they know better because they are usually chasing clicks and making money from affiliated links. I don’t do any of that, and certainly don’t make money from my articles, so I like to think I give true, impartial and honest advice.

As I said, buy the best camera that you can afford, not the cheapest camera you can afford. When you get that camera, just go out as often as you can and take photographs until you are familiar with the buttons, the layout and the way it feels, even if you are only shooting in full auto mode to start with. It doesn’t matter as long as you get out and have fun. 

When you are ready, start to learn about the things you want to learn about. Learn how your aperture, shutter speed and ISO can be used to control the image in your available light. It’s not a thing to rush, trying to do too much, too soon, will just slow you down in the long run. Do things are your own pace, go out with friends with cameras and just see what they do. 

When you’ve got a better camera to start with, there are no hurdles to overcome other than expanding your knowledge. It is something I wish I had done, and if I was starting photography today, this article is the advice I would follow.

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My name is Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography.
You can find all the latest articles and blogs on my homepage here.
My main photography social media page is my Facebook One Camera One Lens Photography page.
Nikon Recipes for the Z system can be found here.
You can find a complete list of my gear here.