Which Camera Should I Buy First?
In a previous blog I talked about the first lens to pick up (50mm). I will talk more about cameras bodies in the future.
When starting at the ground level of videography and/or photography the question always comes up. Which camera should I buy? I personally went through months of evaluation before I bought my first camera. I spoke with many videographers and photographers during my evaluation. I really didn’t intend on shooting photography initially but both fields relate in many ways. The information I would get from mentors and coaches would be “know what it is you want to shoot”. This is important because your craft will help you to learn as much as possible.
I started with sports and webisodes. So I bought a Canon Rebel T3i DSLR. Once I got the camera I would shoot just about every other day. The current version of this camera is the Canon Rebel T6i DSLR. Digital cameras are so versatile these days that all you have to do is learn the controls and find out what fits what you record. Pay close attention to shutter speed, frames per second (fps) and ISO (isometric). This will dictate how versatile your settings need to be. A camera with a high shutter speed is good for sports in video and photography. Frames per second is important for slow motion video.
Light is so important when buying a camera. Each camera comes with a basic flash and it works well for basic pictures. An external flash will give a more professional photo. That doesn’t change the quality of the image. With video most lighting comes from lighting kits or a light mount that can be purchased separately or in bundles. That is where ISO gives you more lighting flexibility.
I shot so much footage that I didn’t have enough card space. I didn’t edit a lot of the footage I shot because my hard drive filled up pretty quickly. I just wanted to learn as much about the camera as I could. In the process I learned a lot about photography. The body of any camera is important to know but many of them are similar. Terms may be different but the functions are typically the same.
There are many different cameras that offer much more but some start on a small budget. There are many people producing quality work with an iPhone. In these fields of work the possibilities are endless and the equipment is only as good as the operator.
