topic Re: What camera/lens should I get as a "beginner" in Gear Guide

What camera/lens should I get as a "beginner"

ceva156 — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 06:42:18 GMT

I know my way around a camera for the most part, I have used a canon eos 4000d and nikon d5600 before and am looking to get my own personal camera.

I plan on shooting landscapes, nightscapes (astro), portraits, and maybe other things aswell. What camera do you think I should get? My budget is around $1500 USD for both camera and lens.

Thanks in advance.

Re: What camera/lens should I get as a "beginner"

ebiggs1 — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:44:21 GMT

It is always a dilemma when budget is the top determining factor. Almost always you will be buying twice which is counter to the stated budget goal. Sometimes it works depending on how you end up using and what you buy. My advice is to cheap out on the camera and buy the best lens that the budget allows. Go check out the Canon refurb store.

Re: What camera/lens should I get as a "beginner"

ebiggs1 — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:47:56 GMT

Now someone is going to come along shortly with suggestions of camera(s) that are under budget but don’t fixate on budget alone. It would be better to wait and save a bit longer if that combo fits and works better for you.

Re: What camera/lens should I get as a "beginner"

March411 — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 16:09:05 GMT

As ebiggs1 suggested this may be a good place to start and see what your budget will buy

Current Canon USA Deals including Refurbished in stock.

Re: What camera/lens should I get as a "beginner"

SignifDigits — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 16:22:10 GMT

ebiggs1 is right on target. Everything will be a compromise and if you get serious you will want to upgrade. You're not going to find a single lens that will be great at wide-angle landscapes to taking multiple exposures with a tracker for astro. With that in mind, though, perhaps we can get you started on some ideas. I'll stay within your budget and tell you the pitfalls. Here's a list that is close:

Canon EOS R50 body - lacks the nice controls of the R10 and no IBIS of the R7. Slower FPS for wildlife.
Sigma 16-300mm f/3.5-6.7 DC OS Contemporary Lens - does everything with mediocre image quality and no digital lens profile in Canon Digital Photo Professional Software. Still great value, though.
Pick your favorite focal length prime for astro based upon budgets and reviews. I personally would like to try out the 45mm f/1.2. I use my 15-35mm f/2.8 currently. You need a bright lens for astro work.

That combination would let you explore a bit and decide what you wanted to save up for. You'll need to add costs for warranties, a good tripod, bag, lens covers, and (if you want to do astro) tracker.

Re: What camera/lens should I get as a "beginner"

TomRamsey — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:33:58 GMT

Make a list of must have features for you, for instance, do you need stabilization? Do you need fast frame rate? Then look at the specs of all the cameras and see which ones work for you.
look at lenses and decide what will work, you may actually want to do that first. Then as SignifDigits said, you will need a good tripod for landscapes and Astro. Make the list of your acceptable gear and the decide your budget. Your budget may change as to what it is now which means wait longer or finance. Some online camera retailers have free credit if you pay it off in a certain time. I’ve done that to spread the costs out. I recommend buying the newest technology in a camera that meets your needs and that you can afford. Just don’t buy something that scrapes by and not get what you need. If you do you may be disappointed and end up not really using it.