I'm very excited to continue this series on digital photography basics! I often have people contact me with questions after receiving their first DSLR camera and I hope this series will provide you what some helpful information to get you started on your photography journey! I received my first DSLR about six years ago and I felt pretty lost and overwhelmed in the beginning. There's so much to learn! But if you work hard and practice, I know you'll make progress and will be happy with the beautiful images you get as a result! I think photography is a skill that is so important to learn because it gives you the ability to capture important memories in a beautiful and artistic way!
1. Part One: Getting Started
2. Part Two: Understanding Exposure
3. Part Three: Understanding Gear
My hope in this post is to help you understand the basics about photography gear and what you need to know as you begin learning about digital photography. I am by no means an expert about all the gear that is out there, I simply want to share with you some of my favorites and some things I've learned along the way! I am a Canon user and so I will be focusing on Canon products (even though there's other great brands out there!).
I plan to do a more detailed post soon on all of the gear that I use for other professional photographers. However, I will go ahead and share the main gear that I use: Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 50mm 1.2L, Sigma Art 35mm 1.4, Canon 85mm 1.8, Canon 70-200 2.8L, Canon 50mm 2.5 Macro (I'm saving up for the 100L Macro), and the Canon 600EX Speedlite.
Zoom Lenses Vs. Prime Lenses
One of the first things you need to understand is the difference between zoom lenses and prime lenses. Zoom lenses offer a range of focal lengths allowing you to zoom in and out. Prime lens have a fixed focal length and the only way to "zoom" is to physically move your body. Every photographer has different preferences and a different style, but I almost solely use prime lenses. The reason I prefer prime lenses is primarily because they produce sharper pictures and they perform better in low light settings (because you can drop your aperture down as low as 1.2 depending on the lens). However, there are benefits to zoom lenses and one of the biggest is the versatility they offer you. Zoom lenses can be better for beginners because of the versatility and flexibility and because it's easier to compose a picture since you don't necessarily need to move your body to get the shot you want. Most starter DSLR's come with a zoom lens (usually an 18-55mm).
The First Lens I recommend Purchasing: The "Nifty Fifty"
Outside of your kit zoom lens, the first lens I always recommend purchasing is whats called the "Nifty Fifty" or the Canon 50mm 1.8. The 50mm 1.8 is Canon's least expensive lens and I think it's one of the best! It's very sharp and creates great bokeh (bokeh is the blur produced in the background of pictures). The 50mm is also versatile and can be used as a portrait lens but it can also be used in a lot of other situations. I remember when I first got the 50mm and I was AMAZED at how much better the quality was than my 18-55mm kit lens.
A Great Portrait Lens: The 85mm 1.8
Another great lens that I highly recommend (and still use to this day!) if you plan to take a lot of portraits of your children, family and friends, etc. is the Canon 85mm 1.8.The 85 produces amazingly sharp pictures, gives you great bokeh, and it gives you a beautiful, creamy background because the long focal length compresses the image. The 85 can be a little tricky to use because you can't fit much in the frame and it's only good for photographing small groups or one person. It's much less versatile than the 50mm which is why I don't recommend it being the first lens you purchase, but it is an excellent lens if you want to add to your collection!
The image to the right was taken with my 85mm. See what I mean about the creaminess?!!
Good Options for a Beginner DSLR
There's a lot of great options out there for beginners and this list is by no means exhaustive! The first DSLR I purchased was a Canon Rebel XS which isn't even being made anymore. Canon Rebels are great options and one that I recommend is the Canon Rebel T5.or the Canon Rebel T5i. The second camera I purchased was the Canon 60D and I still recommend the 60D to beginners if you have more money to spend.
If you found this post helpful, please share it with friends! Also, please leave comments below with questions or other posts you'd like to see and check back in two weeks for my next post in this series on: "Understanding Post-Processing."
*Please note: There are affiliate links throughout this post and I make a small commission off anything you decide to purchase through my links. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
