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?

[Tronhard]

There is a later lens in that model, the Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM unit, which is an improvement, but the one you quote is quite a good unit too (I owned one). The STM version has dropped the price on the one you mention.

I would recommend looking at sites like DPREVIEW.COM to see what lenses Canon has made and see some of the reviews.  Just avoid the tech trolls!

The following images were made with a 10 year old Canon 400D (10 Y.O. body) using a 15-85mm stitched together.  NOTE the resolution had been reduced to make posting easier, still I think it reinforces my point.

[RLL39]

Thanks! Will definitely check it out

[Waddizzle]

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@RLL39 wrote:
Thanks! Will definitely check it out

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I think the best place to purchase "used" Canon gear is at Canon's Online Store, in the Refurbished Department.

https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/cameras/refurbished-eos-digital-slr-cameras

They sell refurbished cameras and lenses.  The gear comes with one year warranties, too. 

[ebiggs1]

"Better equipment does not make you a better photographer,..."

However, you don't see most pro's using cheap gear.   Wonder why?

[ebiggs1]

"Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS Lens. Found a used one for $99. Is that a good price?"

"Looking to buy a canon camera bundle for a beginner on a budget of $600. Interest in landscape/wildlife photograph..."

Are you straying from what your original post stated?  If you are OK because that is a nice lens for beginners but it will not make a good lens for wildlife shooting. Of course it does depend on what wildlife you want to shoot.  Elephants or small birds.

[Tronhard]

And most of those pros will have started at some point in their careers as newbies, much like our poster. He is definitely not a pro, so I am not sure of the relevence of your comment  to his situation.  He is at the very start of his journey and I think it is better that he not invest a lot of money (considering his limited budget) until he learns more about the art and the technology.

You can still get great results from less expensive or older equipment, considering his limited budget I am encouring him to get better lenses that he can afford than focus on body. When I picked Canon I did so on the basis of the excellent 70-200L2.8 MkII lens, which I still consider one of the top lenses in the world.  Once you start that, as I said, you buy into a system.

People are often touting the importance upgrading to the newest body and the next model up, and I am not immune from that myself.  But in the end they can all render great photos and to provide the best result for our poster, the greatest improvement a new photographer will make is by learning and improving his technique.  Doubtless one day he will outgrow his first purchase and when he does he will not take as big a hit as he would have if he had paid full price for a new unit.

Having just read your last post I agree that he is a bit vague on the kinds of photography he has in mind, but I think that is symptomatic of his situation.  I found that my interests for non-work photography became more specific as I figured out what I really liked, and that has adapted with time and my location.  With a limited budget to start off with, it's hard to find decent lenses that have a big reach.  I know some people who do bird photography and they swear by their bridge cameras with their super zooms.  But as I have said, the type of output has a major impact on the choice of that kind of camera.  If the output is for digital, say 1920x1080 he may get great results from a brige camera, but if he wants to produce prints above say, A3 (double legal?) size, then the resolution may not be that good.

[RobertTheFat]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

"Better equipment does not make you a better photographer,..."

However, you don't see most pro's using cheap gear.   Wonder why?

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Better equipment will make any photographer better. How much better depends on how good you already are. The better you already are, the more difference better equipment makes.

[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.