So you have been active on Instagram for a while now, and you have found that you quite enjoy taking pictures of stuff (mostly food), but there’s only so much you can do with your phone camera and you want more. Even though you got a bunch of likes on your food pics, basically you are still a complete beginner when it comes to photography and buying your first DSLR camera can turn out to be quite the challenge for you. Many people find it uncomfortable to just walk into a camera shop and ask a bunch of newbie questions which is why I highly recommend you do a little online research first or even purchase your first DSLR from a camera store online. Of course, if you have any questions, any respectful camera store online has customer support what will be happy to help you.
If you are not planning on being a professional photographer and you just want to take quality photos as a hobby, you don’t actually need all the shiny gear available on the market. All you need to get you started is one camera and one lens.
I can’t even keep track of all the cameras out there that are specifically targeted for beginners. Considering the rate at which technology advances it is really hard to make the wrong choice. I personally think that it is better to invest in a quality lens instead of the latest camera body since most cameras have a shorter life cycle than lenses. For example, you can find older models for less money that have almost the same specifications as some of the newer models. Honestly, if you are just a hobbyist, the specs of the camera won’t make much of a difference for you and it is best that go for what you can afford. But even if you do want to spend a little extra cash, don’t get caught up in all the technical specs such as megapixels or larger viewfinder. The only spec that I actually find to be very important in today’s cameras is ISO sensitivity and do recommend getting a camera with a high ISO range. Other than that I suggest you save your money for getting a better lens.
When it comes to lenses though, I really can’t do much to help you since it is matter or personal preference. There is no one-size-fits-all lens and choosing one depends on what you are planning to use it for.
