Beginner camera recommendations? (5 Viewers)

[Ash Anne]

Hello! I started bird photography about six months ago with a Canon Rebel T3i and an EF 75-300 mm lens that I got from a relative. Now I want to purchase a newer camera and lens, I’m looking to spend $1000 or less and get something used, and was wondering what the best option would be. I’m considering either a DSLR or mirrorless, and like the idea of a 400mm lens if it would work in my budget.

Thanks for the help!

 

[MelospizaMelodiaFan]

Olympus E-M1 mark II body costs $600 used or less. It has phase-detect autofocus, which will do better for birds in flight. You can pair that with a used Olympus 75-300 for under $300 used. Note this is a micro 4/3 sensor, which has a 2x crop factor compared to a full frame camera. So, a 300mm lens will have equivalent field of view to a 600mm full frame lens (kinda like a 2x zoom). What you give up for the crop is less dynamic range, less blurry backgrounds, less low light performance. You can have a look at my gallery for examples of shots take with the E-M1 mark ii. Just be aware the images have been scaled down and that I am using a nicer lens that cost around $1000 used.

Also look into the Panasonic G95 (also M4/3 sensor) paired with the Olympus lens, or the Panasonic 100-300mm lens. You can learn a lot and get good results with either setup.

 

[Ash Anne]

Olympus E-M1 mark II body costs $600 used or less. It has phase-detect autofocus, which will do better for birds in flight. You can pair that with a used Olympus 75-300 for under $300 used. Note this is a micro 4/3 sensor, which has a 2x crop factor compared to a full frame camera. So, a 300mm lens will have equivalent field of view to a 600mm full frame lens (kinda like a 2x zoom). What you give up for the crop is less dynamic range, less blurry backgrounds, less low light performance. You can have a look at my gallery for examples of shots take with the E-M1 mark ii. Just be aware the images have been scaled down and that I am using a nicer lens that cost around $1000 used.

Also look into the Panasonic G95 (also M4/3 sensor) paired with the Olympus lens, or the Panasonic 100-300mm lens. You can learn a lot and get good results with either setup.

Thank you I’ll look into those! How do you think they would compare to the Canon 7d mark ii? I’ve also heard good things about it.

 

[MelospizaMelodiaFan]

Thank you I’ll look into those! How do you think they would compare to the Canon 7d mark ii? I’ve also heard good things about it.

Okay, I hope someone with the same camera can chime in. Here is another way to go with your $1k:

• Do nothing and keep shooting with your current kit. The rebel you have is a decent camera, albeit 13 years old. It has an APS-C sensor with a 1.6x crop, so your 300mm lens acts like a 480mm, adequate to shoot wildlife with. Keep saving your money until you have $2k or $3k. Then you will really have a big jump in performance from your current kit. You can probably still learn a lot more just by using your current kit.
• or, keep the body and get a nicer Canon lens, either with more reach or more aperture. When you upgrade later, you can recoup most of the investment on the glass, because it retains value better than a camera body

Here is where I think newer cameras will have an edge:

• better autofocus. May be the difference for getting a shot when the bird is moving, or in flight.
• better image stabilization, so handheld shots do not have motion blur at long focal lengths or long shutter speeds
• faster burst rates, again, helpful for action. And also, shorter buffering times so you can shoot a longer burst before the camera slows down.
• better dynamic range and low light noise

However, $1K may not buy enough of an improvement from your current setup to be worth the money, especially if you are not wishing for any of these improvements.

 

[Ash Anne]

Okay, I hope someone with the same camera can chime in. Here is another way to go with your $1k:

• Do nothing and keep shooting with your current kit. The rebel you have is a decent camera, albeit 13 years old. It has an APS-C sensor with a 1.6x crop, so your 300mm lens acts like a 480mm, adequate to shoot wildlife with. Keep saving your money until you have $2k or $3k. Then you will really have a big jump in performance from your current kit. You can probably still learn a lot more just by using your current kit.
• or, keep the body and get a nicer Canon lens, either with more reach or more aperture. When you upgrade later, you can recoup most of the investment on the glass, because it retains value better than a camera body

Here is where I think newer cameras will have an edge:

• better autofocus. May be the difference for getting a shot when the bird is moving, or in flight.
• better image stabilization, so handheld shots do not have motion blur at long focal lengths or long shutter speeds
• faster burst rates, again, helpful for action. And also, shorter buffering times so you can shoot a longer burst before the camera slows down.
• better dynamic range and low light noise

However, $1K may not buy enough of an improvement from your current setup to be worth the money, especially if you are not wishing for any of these improvements.

Thanks for the information! The autofocus, image stabilization, and burst rates are all things I’ve been wanting an improvement on, so that’s good to know.

If I wait and get something closer to 2,000, what would you recommend? If the difference in quality is big enough it could be good to consider.

 

[MelospizaMelodiaFan]

Thanks for the information! The autofocus, image stabilization, and burst rates are all things I’ve been wanting an improvement on, so that’s good to know.

If I wait and get something closer to 2,000, what would you recommend? If the difference in quality is big enough it could be good to consider.

I would do some research on mirrorless cameras versus DSLRs. Most of the photography world has moved on to mirrorless. Also, I would invest most of my money into a good lens. You may also consider full frame versus cropped sensor, and think about how much gear you would like to lug around.

Keep your eyes on the gallery, and learn more about the photos that you like. Pay attention to what kind of camera and lenses people are using to get results that you want. Also, I would look at used gear sites like keh, mpb, b&h, adorama, to see how far your money can go. Then you can decide when to make the leap.

 

[Ash Anne]

I would do some research on mirrorless cameras versus DSLRs. Most of the photography world has moved on to mirrorless. Also, I would invest most of my money into a good lens. You may also consider full frame versus cropped sensor, and think about how much gear you would like to lug around.

Keep your eyes on the gallery, and learn more about the photos that you like. Pay attention to what kind of camera and lenses people are using to get results that you like. Also, I would look at used gear sites like keh, mpb, b&h, autorama, to see how far your money can go. Then you can decide when to make the leap.

Alright, thanks!