Camera for a beginner

[RLL39]

Looking to buy a canon camera bundle for a beginner on a budget of $600. Interest in landscape/wildlife photography but since I'm just beginning that might change. So what's a good all around camera for a newbie?

[ebiggs1]

Bingo!

[Tronhard]

Buying a better camera does NOT , in itself make you a better photographer, you have to have the technical and artistic skills to make use of the features that the technology offers. 

When one says that professional photographers use superior gear I agree completely. But that is totally irrelevent to the discussion we have been having to help the original poster. Professional photographers got to be so because they studied the art and science and developed sufficient skills to be able to work at the professional level.  There are many poor photographers out there with great gear.

Some of my favourite images have been taken with modest equipment.  I have improved my photography over the years through experience, but occasionally I deliberately go back to the older and more modest gear I have to see if I can get more from it, and usually I can.  I would say that better equipment allows a good photographer more technical capabilities.

As Ansel Adams said, “The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it!” (i.e. the creative mind).

In that respect I am particularly looking at upgrading DSLRs.  Going from a simple point and shoot to a camera with more controls is obviously an important step and a significant factor in taking consistently bette images.

[ebiggs1]

" Professional photographers got to be so because they studied the art and science and developed sufficient skills to be able to work at the professional level."

Right!  I studied the art in my grandma's bathroom, er ah, I mean darkroom.  I went to the local drug store where you could buy any chemical you wanted, no questions asked.  No age requirement either.  Finally got a brew that developed photos.  A desk lamp was my 'enlarger'. An Argus 75 and a roll or two of 620 and school is in session.

It is the same old feelings of guilt about buying better gear that has been around for as long as I can remember.  The old saying, buy the best you can afford is more apropos.

[Tronhard]

I agree generally with your statement about the old saying! 🙂

In the specific case of our original poster, he seems to have a limited budget, hence my efforts to focus him on starting modestly and putting his efforts into learning and experience. There is a lot to be said for joining a camera club and attending a few courses, even if they impact on one's limited budget. I just co-taught a course for newbies at my local club, and of the attendees several realized by the end that they had purchased gear that was not suitable for their purpose. Had they attended the course first it might have saved them from frustration - I felt for them...

[RLL39]

That's my plan! I've already been researching classes in my area. I just wanted a good all around camera to get started. Then as my taste for photography changes, I can adjust my purchases to what I need. That's why I was vague with what I wanted to photograph. I have no idea what I want yet 🙂

[Tronhard]

That is a very wise strategy, if I may be so bold.  Photography is a great balance of the technical and the artistic.  I am retired now, and my sight is beginning to fail me 😞 but I shall enjoy the pasttime as long as I can.  I wish you every joy and success in your journey.

In the meantime you might want to have a look at the free online lecture series - "Lectures on Digital Photography" by Marc Levoy, Professor Emeritus of Computer Science at Stanford University.

https://www.sites.google.com/site/marclevoylectures/home

Some of the stuff on lens optics and colour theory is a bit up there (I haven't had to use Calculus in over 40 years so I took the equations as read!), but the practical stuff and some of the really cool demo stuff is brilliant.  There are also sessions on the history of photography, which is great to give you a social and cultural context for the photographic medium.

cheers: Trevor

[Waddizzle]

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@RLL39 wrote:
That's my plan! I've already been researching classes in my area. I just wanted a good all around camera to get started. Then as my taste for photography changes, I can adjust my purchases to what I need. That's why I was vague with what I wanted to photograph. I have no idea what I want yet 🙂

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The T6 is a really good starter camera.  If it is anything like the T5, then the menus have a tutuorial mode, which explains each setting as you select it for adjustment.  The kit lenses are not Canon's best, especially the 75-300mm lens.  Like the others have said, avoid that kit.

The T5i comes with a much better 18-55mm lens, compated to the T6.  It offers the same resolution as the T6.  It has a tilt-twist LCD screen, which I don't find particularly attractive.  It's just another mechanical something that can break, although it is nice that you can tuck away the LCD screen.

The T6i is almost the same camera as T5i, but with one MAJOR difference.  It offers 24MP resolution, compared to 18MP resolution for the T5i and T6.  It also uses a more advanced image processor compared to the T5i, which in turn has a more advanced processor compared to the T6, which in turn has a more advanced processor compared to the T5.

I would advise a basic T5 kit from the Canon refurbished store link that I posted above.  It's a small investment, and just enough DSLR to get your feet wet enough to take that camera course.

[RLL39]

I actually got a $50 gift card at Amazon so I got a brand new t6 kit for $449. It gets here Friday so I'm sure I'm gonna have ten billion questions for everyone soon. Thanks for all the advice, I really appreciate it 🙂

[Waddizzle]

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@RLL39 wrote:
I actually got a $50 gift card at Amazon so I got a brand new t6 kit for $449. It gets here Friday so I'm sure I'm gonna have ten billion questions for everyone soon. Thanks for all the advice, I really appreciate it 🙂

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Good choice of camera.  It's a great starter DSLR.  You can download the manuals here, and get a head start.

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support

Start typing "Rebel T6" in the box, and click on the full model number when it appears.  This will take you to the product support page for your camera.

[Signsofautumn]

Hi, thank you very much! You have helped me a great deal. I never heard of a bridge camera until you answered my question. I have a lot of learning to do myself if I want to make purchases for my daughter. I'd hate to give her another camera as an upgrade and have her be disappointed with the quality. I want her to continue moving forward and keep this positive since she loves wildlife photography. She likes to take pictures of squirrels, turkey vultures, hawks and all the birds down at Forsythe bird refuge in New Jersey shore. We have only had a few opportunities to photograph deer, fox and large wildlife, but maybe someday I'll take her to the wooded wildlife refuge and make sure she has the right lens. She also wants to start entering wildlife photo contests this spring. Hopefully she'll enjoy the competition and learning experience. Thanks again!