Buying first camera!!! NEED HELP

[awiltj]

I borrowed my brothers Nikon D3300 for a weekend and absolutely fell in love with photography! I'm looking to buy my first camera and am really getting mixed messages as to where to start. My friend who's amazing at photography suggested I start with something in the Canon t series but I wanted to get some other opinions too. My budget is extremely low (~$500) so I'm trying to look for the best bang for my buck- something that's easy and good to learn the ins and outs of photography on, develop my personal photographic style, diverse, and will last me a while. I'm about to go to college so I can't see myself being able to afford a new body anytime in the near future so I'd like something that's versatile and all around a good camera but will stay relevant for a while if possible. As I said before, I'm new, but I can see myself focusing on landscapes and portraits (candids showing true emotions of people). I'll appreciate any help you may have and I know that you are all partial to Canon but if you think it would be easier to learn on a Nikon, please let me know! Thank you so much in advance

[Waddizzle]

Go to Canon's on line retail outlet store.  Visit the refurbished DSLR camera section.  Pick out one of the Rebel T5 kits with the 17-55mm lens.  If the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM lens is available, grab one of those, too.  If not, pick one up at a place like Best Buy.  I think it is easier to learn about photography with an actual viewfinder than with an LCD screen on the back of the camera, which you will not see very well in bright sunlight.

LEARN.  The first lesson to learn is the "Exposure Triangle".  Canon has a very good series of video tutorials that teach all of the basic concepts of photography.

Don't purchase a tripod without seeking advice.  You DO NOT want any of the plastic tripods that they sell at big box stores.

[awiltj]

Thank you so much for your advice! One question I have though is are there many differences between the t5 and the t5i? Would it be worth it to spend the extra money? Also, I've heard from some that they like the t4i better than the t5?

[Waddizzle]

---

@awiltj wrote:
Thank you so much for your advice! One question I have though is are there many differences between the t5 and the t5i? Would it be worth it to spend the extra money? Also, I've heard from some that they like the t4i better than the t5?

---

The biggest difference betweent he T5 and the T5i, besides major price difference, is probably the LCD display on the rear of the camera.  The T5 camera lens kit is sale for $250 right now in the refurbished store, which is well under your budget.  That leaves you with money to be desireable accessories like a bag, lens filters, tripod, etc.

The refurbished price of the T5 makes it a much better buy than the "point and shoot" cameras like the G16.  The EF-S 24mm will give you an opportunity to understand and appreciate apertures.  It also takes pretty decent pictures, too.  On the T5 the lens will give you an effective focal length that is just over the classic 35mm focal length.  The 35mm effective focal length is the perfect focal length to learn about photography, IMHO.

The T4i is no longer being sold as new.  It has been discontinued.  I suspect that the T5 may soon be discontinued, simply due to the deeply discounted prices I have seen.  It is the perfect camera to learn about DSLR cameras. 

As far as Nikon or Canon goes, the quality of the lenses, "the glass", is what makes the biggest difference.  Canon dominates the professional market for a reason....their lenses.

[TTMartin]

---

@Waddizzle wrote:

The T5 camera lens kit is sale for $250 right now in the refurbished store, which is well under your budget.  That leaves you with money to be desireable accessories like a bag, lens filters, tripod, etc.

---

At $250 you can't go wrong with the T5 as a camera to start and learn on. It's a great camera to learn all of the fundamentals of photography without breaking the bank. It's priced such that you wont hesitate to take it and use it.

As for Canon vs Nikon, my personal opinion is that Canon has the best value in lenses throughout their lens line. Canon's consumer grade STM lenses have great image quality at an even better price, and Canon's IS II L lenses are simply the best available. 

[ScottyP]

I agree with Wadizzle's suggestion of T5 and kit lens (18-55, not 17-55, which is a $750 lens) plus the new and improved nifty fifty 50mm f/1.8 STM so you can work in low light and play with shallow depth of field.  I think that with a $500 budget it would be hard to do wrong with that combination and you will be able to make very nice images with that setup.   Adding the 24mm might be nice too if you have room in the budget. 

This is combo does not give you a telephoto lens, but if you don't need one don't buy one just to have one. If you get into sports photography later on you can save for a nicer one than what you'd get if you were trying to find a cheap one now.

[RobertTheFat]

What's your college major going to be? If you're so in love with photography that you might want to make it a career, consider joining the staff of your college newspaper. It's a good learning opportunity, and they may have equipment (lenses, etc.) that you can use that's better than what you can afford.