Camera Advice

[Myron]

Hi All

I'm looking for some advice | Recommendations for a decent camera around 10k-15k budget, my sister has recently finished matric and would like to get into photography. I know nothing about photography however I wish to set her up with some decent equipment, I was wondering if anyone could guide me in the right direction of what camera would fit the above budget as well as anything else that would be needed.

 

[BlueCrayon]

Hey man,

I've had a few friends that did this and none of them ever made more than what they paid for the cameras + equipment, so be careful not to have too much layout upfront.

Not trying to be a debbie downer just letting you know what I've seen personally with my own eyes.

 

[Andrew_Smith]

Modern cameras are highly capable, and considering her newness to photography, there's no need to go all out. Would she be open to the idea of a second-hand camera? You can explore options on websites like:

• Outdoor Photo Community
• Camera World
• Keysers

She needs to grasp the fundamentals of photography. One will quickly realize that the person behind the camera matters more than the equipment itself.

While there's no denying the allure of nice gear, my shameless plug involves my somewhat outdated portfolio, which desperately needs an update: Andrew Smith.

All the work featured there was captured using a second-hand camera worth around R5k. Despite the camera's age, I always shoot in RAW and perform some magic in Adobe Lightroom. Of course, not everyone enjoys the process of shooting in RAW and then editing afterwards to achieve the desired image.

Best of luck on this photography journey!

 

[JollyJamma]

Been looking recently myself as I found my old Canon D450 DSLR camera recently.

It’s an expensive gig but it can be made much cheaper.

Used gear goes for 1/6th of the new price and lenses that are popular are exceptionally cheap.

Any good used DSLR camera with a versatile lens will be fine.

As was said above, it’s the photographer, not the camera.

 

[EKD Online (Pty) Ltd]

Canon PowerShot SX70 HS Camera

EKD Online - Canon PowerShot SX70 HS Camera - Capture special moments in stunning style with the CANON POWERSHOT SX70HS - 3071C013AA

ekdonline.com

CANON POWERSHOT SX70HS, never seems to disappoint.

 

[goldfritter]

With that budget you can get a lot of stuff. Definitely don't blow it all on just the camera.

It depends on what she is most interested in. If she's into wildlife or sports photography, then one really good zoom lens and perhaps a monopod will be enough to take up most of the budget. If she wants to shoot in a portrait or studio setup, then it's better to get lights, flashes, tripods, selection of lenses, etc.

It may be a better idea to get a decent entry-level camera with one or two lenses and a basic flash at the start, let her play around for a while to get an idea of what she's most interested in. Then when she has a bit of experience you can tailor the rest of the purchases around that. Might be a more rewarding experience that way.

 

[goldfritter]

Canon PowerShot SX70 HS Camera

EKD Online - Canon PowerShot SX70 HS Camera - Capture special moments in stunning style with the CANON POWERSHOT SX70HS - 3071C013AA

ekdonline.com

CANON POWERSHOT SX70HS, never seems to disappoint.

Lol, love the enthusiasm, but I would recommend against spending the whole budget on a bridge camera that can't change lenses or mount a flash.

Got any DSLR or mirrorless cameras in the catalogue?

 

[Switch]

Skip the most entry level of dslr cameras as they lack quite a bit of functionality, rather find a decent mid range second hand camera body. For canon cameras, entry level models are numbered in the thousands like 1000D, mid range is numbered in the hundreds like 500D. You could start off with a 18-55mm zoom and a 50mm f1/8 fixed lens then go from there onto other lenses, though normally the 18-55mm gets replaced fairly quickly with some thing more appropriate once your skill level reaches a point where you know exactly what you want.

The actual camera body isn't very important, the lenses are far more important.

Edit: I actually wrote a more detailed post about this over here, have a look.

 

[Myron]

Thanks for all the help this far. At this point I agree not to blow the entire budget on just a camera. From what I know she is interested in a lot of portrait photography. She has been mainly doing a lot of her photos from her phone and from what I have seen they mostly portrait photography.

I think a decent entry camera as mentioned by @goldfritter and bundle it up with a lot more gear.

What would be the thoughts on the following EOS 2000D

 

[heinreich]

@eyetac por favor

 

[eyesuc]

If you are looking at the 2000D, there are some options right here on carb.

[For Sale] - Canon EOS 2000D DC Starter Kit | Photo, Video & Security

Item: Canon EOS 2000D DC Starter Kit Age: under a year,used once Price: R4800 Payment Method Accepted: Cash/EFT Warranty: i believe remainder of of 24months,can assist Warranty Holder: Packaging: yes Condition: excellent like new Location: Randpark Ridge Reason: not needed Shipping: yes on...

carbonite.co.za

[For Sale] - Canon EOS 2000D for sale | Photo, Video & Security

Item: Canon EOS 2000D, extra long lens, carry bag, memory card. Age: a couple of years Price: R6200 Payment Method Accepted: Cash/EFT/Geopayment Warranty: No Warranty Holder: N/A Packaging: Yes Condition: Excellent, hardly used Location: Port Elizabeth Reason: Just sitting in a cupboard...

carbonite.co.za

 

[eyetac]

I would advise against getting a DSLR. They are being phased out in favour of mirrorless cameras.
There is nothing wrong with a DSLR, but when it comes to lenses, adapating DSLR lenses to a mirrorless camera can be a pain and expensive with adapters etc.

Best to just dive straight into getting her a mirrorless camera.

You can pick up a 2nd hand Sony a6300 for around R9k or if you can fine an a6000, they go for about R6k.

Sony Alpha a6300 Mirrorless Body (Used) | Cameraworld

Includes: Battery, USB Charging Cable

cameraworld.co.za

Then a starter kit lens for cheap

Sony E PZ 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens for Sony (Used) | Cameraworld

Includes: Front, Rear Lens Caps

cameraworld.co.za

and lastly, a 50mm f1,8 for those portraits she seems to love doing.
This will give her that creamy soft background bokeh

Used Sony E 50mm f/1.8 OSS [27723]

Condition: Optically very good. Cosmetically good with some minor scuffs on exterior.

kameraz.com

 

[eyetac]

The aforementioned cameras are vastly superoir to an entry level canon 2000D

 

[eyesuc]

The aforementioned cameras are vastly superoir to an entry level canon 2000D

Don't get me wrong, I know next to nothing about cameras. I mean, I LIKE cameras, but they don't like me. I only linked OP to options available for what he mentioned. I happened to see them popup earlier.

Didn't mean to give advice at all. @Myron do what eyetac says.

 

[eyetac]

Haha, nah bru.. what you posted is great. But if he wants to gift her something that is objectively better, albeit 2nd hand, the sony is the way to go.

But don't limit yourself to sony.
You can find very nice Canon Mirrorless.

Fuji is also a great one to consider.
You can find an older XT or even an XT20 for a good deal. Fuji lenses are quite pricey though.

 

[Andrew_Smith]

I wholeheartedly endorse @eyetac's recommendation.

If your budget permits, consider opting for a mirrorless camera. The advancements in mirrorless technology have significantly enhanced performance and versatility.

Additionally, don't underestimate the remarkable quality delivered by the Nifty Fifty lens. It's often overlooked, yet it stands as one of the most underrated lenses, providing impressive results.

 

[Myron]

Much appreciated once again for the advice and help. I dont mind 2nd hand gear. my objective is getting her the gear. I am now leaning towards the mirrorless setup as mention by @eyetac

also thinking of the mirrorless camera, would this be an ideal setup for going into varsity as she will be using it throughout her studies.

 

[eyetac]

Absolutely. Just get her a decent camera bag to keep everything safe and secure.
You may also want to get her a spare battery

 

[Myron]

Absolutely. Just get her a decent camera bag to keep everything safe and secure.
You may also want to get her a spare battery

Thanks. I think let me go ahead and get the entire setup you linked

 

[inn3rs3lf]

Get the Sony. I was looking for a deal at that price for a while, and never found any a6000+ under R12K, and with that lens at R2K, it's an absolute steal.
The only other thing that I would suggest, is another battery. Mirrorless tends to fly through if you're not careful with how you use it, and when you're just starting, you will be taking 20 000 photos in a minute

 

[Gummi]

First thing you need to ask...and I might have missed it further up, is what type of photography your sister would like to do. Is it landscapes, people and functions, birding, wildlife/sport? Would you be comfortable with secondhand or must it be new?

 

[PHalanKS]

I need to sell my ZV-E10 for around 9k (with the 16-50 lens). Software wise it’s about 2 generations newer than the A6300 with the same sensor, but lacks a viewfinder (the one on the A6xxxx cameras sucks anyway).

I’d highly recommend the sigma 56mm f1.4 (about 4.5-5k used) over the Sony 50 1.8 (about 3.5 used) though.

Other than that it she’s keen on portraiture I would suggest investing a lot of time learning editing and retouching. You can do that without even buying a camera as a lot of photographers will share raw files for retouching challenges etc.

Then of course lighting. You can get pretty far with a cheap (2.5k) Godox flash like the tt600 or two and a transmitter (1k), and an umbrella or two. (happen to have those going spare too)

 

[Mogamad]

I need to sell my ZV-E10 for around 9k (with the 16-50 lens). Software wise it’s about 2 generations newer than the A6300 with the same sensor, but lacks a viewfinder (the one on the A6xxxx cameras sucks anyway).

I’d highly recommend the sigma 56mm f1.4 (about 4.5-5k used) over the Sony 50 1.8 (about 3.5 used) though.

Other than that it she’s keen on portraiture I would suggest investing a lot of time learning editing and retouching. You can do that without even buying a camera as a lot of photographers will share raw files for retouching challenges etc.

Then of course lighting. You can get pretty far with a cheap (2.5k) Godox flash like the tt600 or two and a transmitter (1k), and an umbrella or two. (happen to have those going spare too)

Was just about to recommend the ZV-E10. It's so much better than a a6300 just in terms of usability and the auto focus is A LOT better. Definitely my recommendation for a beginner and then pair with a 50mm.

 

[metalpetal]

Skip the most entry level of dslr cameras as they lack quite a bit of functionality, rather find a decent mid range second hand camera body. For canon cameras, entry level models are numbered in the thousands like 1000D, mid range is numbered in the hundreds like 500D. You could start off with a 18-55mm zoom and a 50mm f1/8 fixed lens then go from there onto other lenses, though normally the 18-55mm gets replaced fairly quickly with some thing more appropriate once your skill level reaches a point where you know exactly what you want.

The actual camera body isn't very important, the lenses are far more important.

Edit: I actually wrote a more detailed post about this over here, have a look.

Absolutely agree on the 50mm fixed lens (they call it the plastic fantastic). Good fstop and relatively cheap. Used mine for years.

 

[Switch]

Absolutely agree on the 50mm fixed lens (they call it the plastic fantastic). Good fstop and relatively cheap. Used mine for years.

Pocket rocket, nifty fifty, it has quite a few names. Current stm version is a nice upgrade over the original all plastic as it uses metal mount instead of plastic and is apparently quieter with improved clarity using 7 blades.

 

[paul.jpeg]

Hi, I'm a professional photographer and work commercially.

My advice would be to get a good old pro full-frame body and a prime lens. With your budget if you found a Canon 5dmk1/mk2 and a 50mm 1.8f. Getting a Canon 24-70 2.8f mk2 would be the next lens, second hand you can find them around 17k.

If your sister wants to get into it as a career she should message as many photographers as she can find and ask to assist them.

 

[abdulbaaridavids04]

Hey, if you're interested I have an A6000 for R5000.
I can throw in a kit lens for 1.5k too

 

[Myron]

Hey All, Thanks so much for all the help. managed to get an A6300 and must say it's honestly really good. My sis is very happy with it.

 

[Scarlet Scarab]

Hi All

I'm looking for some advice | Recommendations for a decent camera around 10k-15k budget, my sister has recently finished matric and would like to get into photography. I know nothing about photography however I wish to set her up with some decent equipment, I was wondering if anyone could guide me in the right direction of what camera would fit the above budget as well as anything else that would be needed.

Check out the sony a6400. Used it for a few years, amazing camera.