Tips and Tricks from Tallahassee Photographer, Sarah Gray
I just got off the phone with a former client who is wanting to gift a camera to her daughter for her college graduation. I know it can be overwhelming to try to purchase something you aren’t familiar with or for someone else who IS familiar with photography. Here, I’ve done the digging and put together my recommendation for the best camera to buy in 2022.
I’m often asked what gear I recommend for someone who is interested in moving beyond their iPhone camera. When most people are ready to make the move to a “big” camera, they are referring to a DSLR which stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex.
No matter what camera you purchase, having an understanding of how to use that camera is absolutely the foundation for any photography. I’ll make some recommendations and offer a discount for education at the end of this post.
My camera recommendations for a hobby photographer and photography lover in 2022
First, I’m a canon shooter. There are other big names for DSLR cameras with Nikon and Sony being the most well known. They make great cameras as well and I’ve used both those brands a little bit, however, I love my Canon and have used a Canon my whole career. Because I’m most familiar with the Canon family and can confidently stand behind it, my recommendations are for Canon cameras.
Most beginner cameras are sold with a basic lens, often called the “kit lens” because it comes as a kit along with the camera body. Buying a kit means that you’re able to start taking photos as soon as you open the box and put a battery and memory card into the camera. These kit lenses aren’t the best quality but are necessary when learning photography because they will zoom a little bit. This allows you to take photos both indoors in smaller rooms, and outdoors.
Best Camera:
- Canon EOS Rebel SL3 DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) comes with an 18-55mm kit lens. Price is about $749
- Another great camera would be Canon EOS Rebel T8i . The reviews on this one were great, but it does not include a kit lens. Cost $750
Lens:
If you’re wanting to go beyond the most basic (and you likely will pretty quickly) then I highly recommend adding one additional lens to your camera bag.
Canon EF 50mm F1.8 Price about $125
Accessories:
- SD Cards. HERE are the ones I recommend. Don’t be foolish and only buy one. You definitely need at least two to start with. $22
- Adobe Lightroom Editing Software. If you’ve been doing photography on your phone, you may likely already have the mobile version of this app and are paying the $5 per month for the mobile version. The desktop version isn’t much more at $10 per month.
- Education! I highly recommend this Starter Course. It’s really the most important piece for any photography you’ll want to do, no matter what camera you decide to purchase. The photographer who teaches this course is great at explaining the basics and will take you really far in your understanding so you can put it into practice and not get frustrated with the tech side of photography. And there is a lot of tech to understand in order to take the photos you’ll want to know how to take. Cost for the course $199
The Breakdown for Best Camera in 2022:
In summary, here’s the cost breakdown of recommendations for the best camera to buy in 2022 to get you started as a hobby photographer for around $1000:
$749 Canon Camera, Rebel SL3 DSLR
$125 Canon lens, EF 50mm f1.8 (EF is the type of mount that fits onto that Rebel camera body)
$44 SD memory cards (2 of them)
$199 Photography Starter Course
$10 p/month Lightroom Editing Software
$1,127 Total
2024 update: this is still a solid set of gear for a new photographer. If you’re shopping for any of this gear used, you can find it for much less and in great shape from keh.com
Interested in working with me to create your own family photos or book me to teach you how to use your new camera and see light in the best way to create the photos you really want to take? Email me through the contact page and let’s talk!
