Camera 101: A Beginner's Guide to Getting Your First Camera
Scrolling through my Instagram feed one day about six months ago I thought to myself, “how is she getting that blur behind the main product so perfectly… is that an iPhone?” Now here we are, six months later with a second hand camera and a massive lens, navigating our way through the blogging world.
I do want to preface this with the fact that I only wanted to share my experience so that you can see if you relate and want to take the leap. I’m not writing this sell you a camera. Just hope that you can take away from this some more information on my experience and have some questions answered.
Do I need to buy a camera or can I keep taking photos on my phone?
The better question is: are you happy with the photos you are taking right now? If your answer is yes, then continue doing what you’re doing (you go, guys!) but if not, then you may want to consider stepping up your photography game and taking a complete leap of faith to a world of cameras, lenses, editing software, learning and so much fun (can you tell I enjoy photography?).
I really doubted myself when my friends started buying camera, was there something I was missing? Why didn’t I want to commit to a camera? When it came down to it - I didn’t want to spend the money, and wasn’t sure I was ready for the monetary commitment that is investing in a camera. So listen up, you don’t have to buy one if you aren’t ready. This may sound like the most preachy thing, but only do what you are comfortable with. I waited, and played with my friends’ cameras when we hung out, when to shops and asked a million and one questions, looked at payment plans, pricing options, different lenses (this all comes later, I’ll explain more) and then when I finally felt comfortable saving some money and realising the investment wasn’t just monetary but in myself as a business I jumped!
Ok, so what am I talking about “me as a business,” I’m just some random food blogger, I take some snaps, I eat some food. No. Well, yes, I am a food blogger, I take some snaps (or take food pics, lols) and eat some food, but I am also a content creator. I am proud of the images that I produce and always am striving to be better and work harder. I want to earn money doing what I love and can now do so more comfortably and confidently… now that I have a camera.
“High quality, non-iPhone content only will be accepted.”
Working with brands is definitely a post for another day, and brings on a whole bunch more questions, but when it comes down to it, brands will expect high quality content. Seriously, I got a brief from a brand that wanted to work with me (a big brand, I was so excited) and it literally said “high quality, non-iPhone content only will be accepted,” and I kid you not, I almost cried. I didn’t have any other way to create content besides my iPhone at this point and really want to work with this brand. I thought to myself, you need a camera ASAP. Which brings me to my next point…
How can I test out a camera before I buy one?
So back into the story… I got this email that basically said no iPhone content and flipped out. But wait, don’t worry, you don’t have to invest your life savings into a camera: YOU CAN RENT ONE. You can rent more than one, too. You can try out all the cameras at home. You just have to find a camera rental service. I used Fat Llama (if you click the link, you’ll get £20 off your first rental, and I’ll get £10 toward my next one) as it was convenient and I could literally take the tube, pick it up, meet the owner, ask more questions and whizz home to start practicing. It also meant I could partake in this campaign with the fabulous brand and not have to basically spend what I was going to earn (yet). So basically, that’s option one for properly testing out a camera.
The other thing to do is to go to all the camera stores and stay as long as you like using the cameras, asking questions, having the staff demo products, etc, and getting more accustomed to holding the cameras and using them. This will also help you get used to the brand you like best, and educate you more on your decision.
I had an experience when looking to upgrade my current camera (I still haven’t, I just like to shop around) where I walked in with my Nikon and the man working on the floor asked if I needed help. I explained. My situation, showed him my camera and he banged it on the table and said to me “This camera is so outdated and terrible, YOU NEED A FUJIFILM.” At the time, he did make me consider switching brands (and to be honest, I do love Fujifilm as a brand) but I enjoy my Nikon and wanted to be shown the full range of options for me, not just directed to one brand and nothing else.
Moral of the story: Always ask if you want to see something else and speak to more than one person in the store. Go back on different occasions and armed with more questions and make an educated decision based on what YOU feel comfortable with, not because some guy who only loves Fujifilm told you to buy something.
I’m not sure what I should be looking for, how did you know what to get?
When you first start looking, you may not know what you want and that is totally fine. I didn’t know what I wanted when I started my quest for my camera, I just knew that there were certain styles and photographers that I looked up to, and I wanted to be like them. I (cringe, I know) started messaging them on Instagram, or emailing them and asked them:
What camera were they using?
What lenses did they buy?
Do they have a favourite brand?
What was their beginner camera?
Do they have tips for how I should shoot?
In addition, explain to the people in the stores exactly what you do, show them the types of photos you want to take, explain to them the different cameras you have played around with, tell them your budget. Gather all of this advise and keep it somewhere safe (in your brain is totally fine) and when making your final comparisons on what to purchase, you can compare the pros and cons, as well as understand the output of what each camera will give you.
Once I had tested out cameras and gotten this feedback based on who I looked up to and the type of photography/style that I aspired to have, I was ready to make a purchase… but wasn’t sure I was ready to pay up.
It’s so expensive to buy a camera, is there a cheaper way to make the leap?
There is indeed a less expensive way to purchase a camera: SECOND HAND! And actually this is how I purchased my first camera (and my lens), and I am very aware that some people will not like buying second hand, or will have concerns about this, but I would highly recommend this.
Stores like Wex (an amazing photography store in Aldgate, London), Jessop’s (a chain), Curry’s, etc, will all sell second hand cameras and all of the cameras they sell will have some sort of warranty alongside them incase something happens. Take a deep breath, because this isn’t the only way to purchase. There are a lot of independent camera stores around London, especially around Holborn and Soho, where you will be able to hunt for cameras and get personal experience from these sellers as they will have tried and tested (just like the big shops) all of the cameras themselves. This applies to lenses, too (see next point to learn more about whether you need a camera with interchangeable lenses).
Recently Josh bought a vlogging camera and wanted a 16mm 1.4 lens (quite pricey), and he was worried about going over budget. We ended up at Wex and in one of the cases in the “used” camera area, there was a 16mm 1.4 Sigma lens for £100 cheaper than the original cost. We tested it out, inquired about it’s rating (often stores will give a rating for how good quality a lens or camera is when second hand) and ended up purchasing it. Josh saved the money he would have spent and took me out to dinner (I’m only kidding, but that would have been really nice considering I spotted the lens in the store and he got such a steal… but anyway :P).
You can also ask about payment plans. Often the smaller stores will not have this as they are resellers only and do not sell new cameras - but often times the larger stores will offer plans where you can pay off your new purchase over a certain amount of months. Definitely inquire about this if you are unable to make an upfront payment as it could lift the weight off your shoulders and allow you more time to feel more comfortable paying for your camera.
Do I need to buy lenses or can I get a camera that doesn’t need a removable lens?
This totally depends on what you are taking photos of and how you want your photos to look. A common misconception are that lenses need to be big and bulky, but they totally don’t. It depends on what you are doing 100%, and a lot of brands sell “pancake” lenses which are easy to use and extremely flat (hence the name, pancake lens).
If you don’t really mind if your photos have background blur (bokeh) and are just looking for a small point and shoot camera to get you around town, then don’t bother purchasing a camera with interchangeable lenses. If you don’t need it, don’t waste your money. If you do want the bokeh effect (see photo below), then consider investing a little more into a camera that comes with a kit lens (typically an 18-55mm -ish) and when you feel comfortable with that lens, you can upgrade to more.
Again, and I may sound like a broken record, but only do what you feel comfortable with. Don’t compare your camera to others and make sure that whatever you purchase, you are happy with because ultimately you will be creating your own content, not someone else’s.
What accessories will I need to purchase?
I threw in this question although nobody asked me, just because I think it’s important to know about (and I had an experience with a broken lens that I wish upon nobody).
You can make sure your camera stays safe by buying a case for it, this is the most fun accessory, although for women, there aren’t very feminine cases online and this was slightly dissapointing. Either way, better safe that sorry and I use the Manfrotto Camo Shoulder bag and have found it’s the perfect size for my DSLR.
I also purchased the SD card reader for my MacBook so that I can easily upload my photos directly to my computer, and also the SD card reader for my iPhone which is my best friend and goes directly into my phone so I can upload, edit and post stories and Feed posts (and even blog posts if I wanted to) on the go! Some cameras will have a feature where you can use an app to transfer your photos over, but I find this quicker and easier.
I’ve made a list with all my essentials so that you can check them out here.
What camera do I use?
So, I use a second hand Nikon D3300 with a 18-300mm 3.5 lens (it’s hardcore and not a typical food photography lens). I would recommend sticking with the kit lens until you feel more comfortable. It took me AGES, and to be honest, probably wasn’t ready to invest in a new lens until my kit lens broke (so sad!) and then I bought my current lens second hand at Jessop’s on Tottenham Court Road, London. I occasionally do still use my phone for photos (I find flatlay are more difficult with my camera as the screen doesn’t flip out) but often when I edit, I enjoy editing more on my camera photos.
The reason behind my papparazzi lens is because I like to take my photos from further away AND because I really enjoy a zoom lens (one that can shoot close-up and far away in one).
I will be hopefully upgrading in the future to a new camera body, and would like to invest in a zoom lens that has a lower aperture setting (1.4 would be fabulous), but they do come with a hefty price tag, so will be waiting until the price is right for me. I don’t know what brand I would like to use, but for now, my handy Nikon has done me very well and it will be a sad parting when I do decide to take it up a notch.
If you’re still not ready to purchase a camera, remember portrait mode is totally fine, no portrait mode is also totally fine and also that editing makes a huge difference to the photos. Take a look at some editing software that can enhance your current photos and help you practice for when you do decide to take the leap and purchase a camera.
As always, I hope that helped - and it’s just from my experience, I’m no camera expert, just sharing how I grew to LOVE my camera and have found it is an investment in myself as well :)
If you have any questions or feel there is more you would like to know, send me a message, leave a comment and I’d love to help you more or discuss anything camera related.
*The links in this blog post may be affiliate links and I may make a percentage of profit if you decide to purchase through the links provided. 