Beginner's Guide to Choosing Your First Camera Setup
As a beginner, choosing your first camera setup can be an overwhelming task! There are all sorts of brands and models and opinions to sort through and nobody wants to tell you exactly what to get.
I know from experience! In the spring of 2019, I purchased my first really nice camera. I spent about a month wading through reviews online before I bought the dang thing!
After a year of using solely this setup, I got a pretty good feel for the pitfalls and upsides, which is why, unlike most photography advice out there, I’m going to tell you EXACTLY what you should buy as your very first photography setup.
“You’re that confident in your gear, eh?”
It’s not about the gear so much as it is about getting something that’s decent and running with it!
Something quality, something nice, something user friendly, something with room to grow…that’s it.
And that is exactly what this camera setup is, which is why I feel 100% confident in recommending it to you. Once you’ve grown as a photographer, you won’t need a beginner’s guide to pick your next camera. My suggestions are just meant to get you started on the right foot with a setup that will encourage, rather than discourage, you!
No more hemming and hawing and getting stressed out about making the right investment. What I’m about to recommend is a solid place to start.
If you’re curious about exactly what’s in my beginner’s camera bag, check out this video:
Otherwise, let’s get to my recommendations!
I recommend two things (and two things only) for a beginner camera setup!
- A mirrorless camera body
- One really nice prime lens
Let’s tackle the mirrorless camera body first!
I use and recommend the Sony a6500 or the Sony a6600. I personally started with the a6500.
The a6500 was the perfect beginner camera for me because it’s great for photo AND video.
This camera seems to be an industry golden child for beginners and for good reason.
The 6500 is a compact workhorse with its five-axis in-body stabilization, 24.3 Megapixel sensor, and super-fast auto-focusing system. The touch screen makes focusing your photos a breeze when you’re just learning how to balance all the other settings in manual mode!
It’s capable of 4k video and is pretty good at tracking selected objects.
This camera is also fantastic for the solo photographer because you can connect it to the Sony app and use your phone as a remote shutter! This is how I take photos of myself, like this one:
A solid camera body is important but quality glass is where you want to put your money!
If I had to pick one lens to start with, I’d pick this one:
The Sigma 16mm f1.4! It has come down in price over the last year and is considered a steal of a deal in the world of quality glass.
This lens is a wide-angle lens, perfect for landscape photography. I’ve done portrait work with it and it does alright, a little distorted. For portraits, I prefer my Sony 50mm f1.8 lens.
That being said, the Sigma 16mm is easily my most used lens for the Sony a6500. Also worth noting, it’s my go-to lens for astrophotography with the a6500!
Some might say that recommending a prime lens (meaning fixed focal length, no zoom function) to a beginner is risky but here’s my thought on that:
Prime lenses produce a bit sharper image than zoom lenses, meaning you’ll feel more encouraged by your end result. Not only will you be happier with your end result, you’ll also learn more about composition than you would with a zoom lens.
Hear me out on this! With a zoom lens, you tend to stand in one spot and rely on your zoom feature to get you the shot you want. However, take the zoom feature away and you’ve got to MOVE more.
I’ve found movement is the key to developing an eye for composition…walk up super close to your subject, back away, get down on the ground, climb up in a tree, hold your camera at waist level, try top down.
My point is, a prime lens is going to help you earn those sea legs as a photographer faster than if your first lens were a zoom lens. Kapeesh?
Let’s review:
*If you think you’d much rather choose a lens for portrait photography go with the Sony 50mm!
“Seriously, only two items? Is that really all I need for my first camera setup?”
Minus an SD card, yes! That is really all you need to get your feet wet with photography. Keep it simple and grow! The focus should not be on gear. The focus should be on learning the fundamentals of photography and developing your creative style. The camera setup I’ve recommended will help you do that.
I promise, there will be plenty of time for fancy gear not too far down the road!
“Alright, what about editing software?”
My personal preference is Lightroom but lots of folks use Photoshop as their preferred editing tool. I chose Lightroom because it seemed more approachable to me when I was starting out.
I would encourage you to choose one of those two editing softwares and start playing with it. Both are intimidating at first but I promise they will get less intimidating every time you use them!
I use phone apps for final touches but never as my primary editing tool. I’ve got a bunch of situation-specific apps I love but my two favorite general editing apps to use are:
Retouch for removing pesky little distracting objects from photos. This app makes it super super easy!
Snapseed for last minute tweaks like white balance adjusting!
A couple of bonus recommendations for you!
I’ve got two more suggestions for you, neither are necessary but often times helpful.
The first is a tripod. The travel tripod I use is the JOBY GorillaPod and it’s super handy to toss in my pack just in case I need it. This sucker is indestructible.
My primary tripod is the Peak Design Travel Tripod but that is not something I would recommend for someone just starting out! Spend your money on a nice lens. When I was starting out, I had the JOBY and an old telescope tripod that I jury-rigged to work with my camera!
My second bonus suggestion is a camera bag! For the simple (perhaps female) photographer, I recommend the Frost River Premium Shell Purse.
I know! It’s a purse, not a camera bag but it fits my camera and two lenses perfectly! No fuss!
If you need more of a hiking backpack setup, I recommend the Shimoda Explore Backpack. Again, I don’t think I’d spend the money on a backpack like this if you’re just starting out! Save it for a nice lens.
That’s all folks!
If you’ve followed any of the links for the beginner camera setup I’ve recommended, you might have noticed the price tags. I haven’t suggested the cheapest items on the market! Especially when it comes to glass, I want to set you up with a quality little combo.
Spend the money on nice glass and a quality camera body and you’ll be able to resell your gear when you’re ready to upgrade in the future! If you skimp on the lenses, I would wager a guess that you’ll get discouraged by the quality of your images.
With that being said, take my word for what it’s worth and hit that purchase button already! Don’t spend too much time in the shopping phase. Save that for further down the road.
For now, get outside and start snapping!
Happy Trails,
As a beginner, choosing your first camera setup can be an overwhelming task! There are all sorts of brands and models and opinions to sort through and nobody wants to tell you exactly what to get.
I know from experience! In the spring of 2019, I purchased my first really nice camera. I spent about a month wading through reviews online before I bought the dang thing!
After a year of using solely this setup, I got a pretty good feel for the pitfalls and upsides, which is why, unlike most photography advice out there, I’m going to tell you EXACTLY what you should buy as your very first photography setup.
“You’re that confident in your gear, eh?”
It’s not about the gear so much as it is about getting something that’s decent and running with it!
Something quality, something nice, something user friendly, something with room to grow…that’s it.
And that is exactly what this camera setup is, which is why I feel 100% confident in recommending it to you. Once you’ve grown as a photographer, you won’t need a beginner’s guide to pick your next camera. My suggestions are just meant to get you started on the right foot with a setup that will encourage, rather than discourage, you!
No more hemming and hawing and getting stressed out about making the right investment. What I’m about to recommend is a solid place to start.
If you’re curious about exactly what’s in my beginner’s camera bag, check out this video:
Otherwise, let’s get to my recommendations!
I recommend two things (and two things only) for a beginner camera setup!
- A mirrorless camera body
- One really nice prime lens
Let’s tackle the mirrorless camera body first!
I use and recommend the Sony a6500 or the Sony a6600. I personally started with the a6500.
The a6500 was the perfect beginner camera for me because it’s great for photo AND video.
This camera seems to be an industry golden child for beginners and for good reason.
The 6500 is a compact workhorse with its five-axis in-body stabilization, 24.3 Megapixel sensor, and super-fast auto-focusing system. The touch screen makes focusing your photos a breeze when you’re just learning how to balance all the other settings in manual mode!
It’s capable of 4k video and is pretty good at tracking selected objects.
This camera is also fantastic for the solo photographer because you can connect it to the Sony app and use your phone as a remote shutter! This is how I take photos of myself, like this one:
A solid camera body is important but quality glass is where you want to put your money!
If I had to pick one lens to start with, I’d pick this one:
The Sigma 16mm f1.4! It has come down in price over the last year and is considered a steal of a deal in the world of quality glass.
This lens is a wide-angle lens, perfect for landscape photography. I’ve done portrait work with it and it does alright, a little distorted. For portraits, I prefer my Sony 50mm f1.8 lens.
That being said, the Sigma 16mm is easily my most used lens for the Sony a6500. Also worth noting, it’s my go-to lens for astrophotography with the a6500!
Some might say that recommending a prime lens (meaning fixed focal length, no zoom function) to a beginner is risky but here’s my thought on that:
Prime lenses produce a bit sharper image than zoom lenses, meaning you’ll feel more encouraged by your end result. Not only will you be happier with your end result, you’ll also learn more about composition than you would with a zoom lens.
Hear me out on this! With a zoom lens, you tend to stand in one spot and rely on your zoom feature to get you the shot you want. However, take the zoom feature away and you’ve got to MOVE more.
I’ve found movement is the key to developing an eye for composition…walk up super close to your subject, back away, get down on the ground, climb up in a tree, hold your camera at waist level, try top down.
My point is, a prime lens is going to help you earn those sea legs as a photographer faster than if your first lens were a zoom lens. Kapeesh?
Let’s review:
*If you think you’d much rather choose a lens for portrait photography go with the Sony 50mm!
“Seriously, only two items? Is that really all I need for my first camera setup?”
Minus an SD card, yes! That is really all you need to get your feet wet with photography. Keep it simple and grow! The focus should not be on gear. The focus should be on learning the fundamentals of photography and developing your creative style. The camera setup I’ve recommended will help you do that.
I promise, there will be plenty of time for fancy gear not too far down the road!
“Alright, what about editing software?”
My personal preference is Lightroom but lots of folks use Photoshop as their preferred editing tool. I chose Lightroom because it seemed more approachable to me when I was starting out.
I would encourage you to choose one of those two editing softwares and start playing with it. Both are intimidating at first but I promise they will get less intimidating every time you use them!
I use phone apps for final touches but never as my primary editing tool. I’ve got a bunch of situation-specific apps I love but my two favorite general editing apps to use are:
Retouch for removing pesky little distracting objects from photos. This app makes it super super easy!
Snapseed for last minute tweaks like white balance adjusting!
A couple of bonus recommendations for you!
I’ve got two more suggestions for you, neither are necessary but often times helpful.
The first is a tripod. The travel tripod I use is the JOBY GorillaPod and it’s super handy to toss in my pack just in case I need it. This sucker is indestructible.
My primary tripod is the Peak Design Travel Tripod but that is not something I would recommend for someone just starting out! Spend your money on a nice lens. When I was starting out, I had the JOBY and an old telescope tripod that I jury-rigged to work with my camera!
My second bonus suggestion is a camera bag! For the simple (perhaps female) photographer, I recommend the Frost River Premium Shell Purse.
I know! It’s a purse, not a camera bag but it fits my camera and two lenses perfectly! No fuss!
If you need more of a hiking backpack setup, I recommend the Shimoda Explore Backpack. Again, I don’t think I’d spend the money on a backpack like this if you’re just starting out! Save it for a nice lens.
That’s all folks!
If you’ve followed any of the links for the beginner camera setup I’ve recommended, you might have noticed the price tags. I haven’t suggested the cheapest items on the market! Especially when it comes to glass, I want to set you up with a quality little combo.
Spend the money on nice glass and a quality camera body and you’ll be able to resell your gear when you’re ready to upgrade in the future! If you skimp on the lenses, I would wager a guess that you’ll get discouraged by the quality of your images.
With that being said, take my word for what it’s worth and hit that purchase button already! Don’t spend too much time in the shopping phase. Save that for further down the road.
For now, get outside and start snapping!
Happy Trails,
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