There are a lot of things that will determine what camera is “right” for you. With so many cameras on the market, it can be difficult to choose. From our experience, very many of these cameras (especially popular ones) are very good these days.
Digital cameras have been technologically advanced for quite a few years now to the point where, if you had to choose one at random, you would likely not have any major issues to producing a great result. This is really true on all major camera brands – Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Fuji, etc.
Of course, there are going to be some differences between cameras and camera brands, but the main point we want to drive home is that, at the end of the day, with the right skill level – you should have no problem creating great photos.
Generally, beginning photographers should not feel like they have to drop a lot of money on a camera. If you are just starting out, a simple beginning camera kit for a couple hundred dollars will have you covered.
For professional photographers, our recommendations do change dramatically towards the more expensive end of the spectrum. High end cameras do have a lot of benefits, and it’s hard to deny the quality.
We have been shooting for a combined 30+ years now, and the last couple of years as professional portrait and wedding photographers. Our recommendations will help you get started if you are a new photographer OR be useful to see what we use to actively create beautiful pictures for our clients as professionals.
Beginner Camera Recommendations:
Our camera recommendations come paired with our personal hands-on experience using them. They are also well regarded in the photography industry as being great considering their price point.
Our #1 Pick For Your First Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T6
The Canon Rebel camera series was our first experience in photography. The camera line has evolved over the years to become more advanced. For beginners, this is considered a staple DSLR camera to get started off with.
What immediately grabs our attention is just how affordable it is considering everything you get. For just a couple hundred dollars, you get:
- A great camera body
- Several kit lenses
- SD cards
While you could buy the camera by itself, the kit options (seen below) provide a lot of additional accessories that are worth it.
The Canon Rebel T6 is going to be a good camera to start off in virtually any style of photography. Portrait photography, landscape photography, travel & street photography – you name it. Really – any photo you are taking as an amateur will do.
Check out the Canon EOS Rebel T6 camera on Amazon to see the current price. There are also a number of great kits that we’ve put below for you to check out.
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#2: Sony Alpha A6000 Mirrorless Camera
We have gone hands-on with the Sony Alpha A6000 mirrorless camera a number of times since its release. We find this to be an interesting alternative to the Canon Rebel camera we highly recommend because, at a similar price point, it has some distinct characteristics.
For one, it is a much newer technology. While this may have once been a reason to stay away, mirrorless cameras have actually evolved over the past several years to be real competitors to DSLR camera options.
The most significant benefits to mirrorless cameras like this one is how lightweight they are. We’re talking half the weight of the already light Canon Rebel – it’s pretty amazing! In this area, it makes it easier to use for longer periods of time. It is also a little more compact – so definitely suitable if you will be doing a lot of traveling and the like.
The biggest drawback is that there are not as many lens options. The optics are still being developed – and while what is available is pretty good from what we have seen, you definitely will have more options if you stick to a reputable line of DSLR cameras such as those by Canon or Nikon.
You can go check the Sony Alpha A6000 Mirrorless Canon on Amazon for the latest prices.
Pro Camera Recommendations:
If you are a more advanced photographer looking for an upgrade or an actual professional photographer (ie: have clients paying you for photos), then the next set of recommended cameras are for you.
Our #1 Pick for Pro Cameras: Canon 5D Mark IV
We have been using Canon 5D Mark IV cameras for over 2 years now. These cameras help us to produce amazing images consistently every time we go out to shoot.
We go really in depth in our Canon 5D Mark IV review, but as a brief summary, we can tell you this: This is a camera that performs well in all shooting situations. One of the key differentiators between pro and beginner equipment is how well it does in low light shooting environments, and this performs extremely well. Having shot in dim lit churches for wedding ceremonies without flash AND produced photos we still loved speaks volumes about the quality of this product.
Whenever the next pro camera body comes out from Canon (we’ll assume: the Canon 5D Mark V), we don’t expect to need to upgrade as this camera will still be relevant easily for the next decade.
The good news about this camera? The price has been dropping steadily for a while now. When we originally bought ours, we spent $4,000 on it (crazy right!!?). Today, it’s still pricey as we’d expect for a pro camera body, but in a much more realistic range for any serious photographers out there.
To find out more and check the current price, getting the Canon 5D Mark IV camera body on Amazon is a great way to go! You can even buy one certified refurbished through Canon to save even more!!
#2: Canon 5D Mark III
The Canon 5D Mark III was our first professional camera. We actually bought it when we first started our photo business over 3 years ago because we knew we’d need something with better quality to create images for paying clients.
As we cover in our review of the Canon 5D Mark III, it is an older model, but still packs a punch. The Mark IV is still our preference because it does a lot of things a little better, but if you are wanting a high quality camera and on a lower budget, this is still an absolutely excellent entry point.
See the Canon 5D Mark III camera on Amazon now for the most up to date pricing and reviews.
Need a Personalized Recommendation?
In this post, we’ve shown off some cameras we can recommend to just about anyone. If you’re in the market for your first camera or an upgrade, it can still seem daunting to go through and look into every camera out there.
To help you out, shoot us a message with your specific situation!
Whether you’re trying to compare two cameras, or just wondering what will work for the type of photography you are exploring, we’re all ears. We’ll get back to you with some more of our thoughts and do what we can to take your next purchase easy!!
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