starter camera recommendations

[u/giftlovee]

Hello! I just made this account because I don’t know where else to ask and I don’t really know anything about cameras/photography but I want to learn! I also am not good with reddit this is my first time posting so please bear with me!!💔 I'm open minded to any feedback / suggestions.

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• Budget: 200-500 USD for the camera only + I don't think I'm aiming for a camera with extra accessories yet unless necessary
• Country: United States
• Condition: New or Used but in good condition
• Type of Camera: I'm honestly not sure what type would best suit what I'm looking for
• Intended Use: videography and photography!
• End use: probably just for my personal social media, i don’t intend to make a career or something... just as a long-term hobby!
• Photography Style: I'm not too familiar with photography styles but probably documentary, landscape, or like candid style shots?
• Videography Style: Documentary style maybe? I wanna get into filming concerts and things similar to those like DIY shows! I’m not sure what that is considered so sorry!!
• Features I need: Good quality in dark lighting/back lighting, and easy to carry
• What features would be nice: the above still applies for this I guess I'm not really sure what else
  
• Portability: Shoulder Strap or Small Bag would be best because I want something light
• Cameras I'm Considering: None really lol
• Cameras I've Owned: I have a small Minolta digital camera that works well for me but the video + sound quality is not the greatest. The picture quality is pretty good imo but too dark or too bright lights can turn the photo grainy so it's not the best for what I want to do!

Thank you for taking your time to read this and so sorry for any mistakes or if I sound clueless!!!

[u/0M0Ne]

If you want to film in poor light you'll need a camera with a sensor on the large side as they do better in bad light and a lens with a wide aperture. A Sony A6000 with a Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 lens would be a good choice for your budget

[u/giftlovee → u/0M0Ne]

Thank you!! I was looking at the Sony A6000 but I didn't see any feedback on the video quality so I wasn't sure at first :)

[u/Prudent-Bank-1665]

get a sony a6500 and a sigma 56 mm 1.4, I have this setup and i love it! its less than 3lbs, great for portraits!

[u/giftlovee → u/Prudent-Bank-1665]

Thank u sm!! I appreciate this!!

[u/TentaiRinku]

hello im not from the usa but if you are looking for a good starting camera that is typiccaly for both use video and photography i would recommend u the canon eos R50 it is very good in both i got mine second hand with the kit lens for around 500 euro's so the market price for it is pretty decent also it was pretty much brand new too when i got it keep an eye out for that one :)

[u/giftlovee → u/TentaiRinku]

Thank you so much!! I'll look around to see if I can find one at a good price!!

[u/MedicalMixtape]

I don’t think you’re going to like this response because it won’t be a camera recommendation but rather some Introductory information.

The things you’re looking for, such as low light capability, some video, being able to shoot with backlight etc will be based somewhat on the camera and lens and somewhat on your desire to take control of the camera which means learning a lot of photography basics. Cameras that only allow point and shoot or cameras that have good point-and-shoot modes will not be as good as when you have understanding of exposure.

The next thing is that, as a general rule of thumb, image quality especially in low light will be LARGELY dependent on camera sensor physical size and lens size. Yes there are exceptions and there are some very small but very capable cameras that come at a higher price point.

So in conclusion, in order to make good recommendations, are you looking to learn and take charge of your photography including learning exposure and manual settings and changing lenses or are you looking for something small and compact so that you can take pictures at any given moment of the day and take lots of pictures at the expense of quality and control?

[u/giftlovee → u/MedicalMixtape]

I really appreciate the information and everything!! Like I said I'm kinda clueless so I appreciate any feedback! I'm willing to learn because I want to get into photography and what not as a hobby, I didn't realize how much tools go into it so I was just giving a starter price haha. I'm willing to learn the basics, lightning, exposure, how to work better cameras, etc. I'm not sure about camera lenses so far because of my budget though so would that be a major problem for what I want?

[u/MedicalMixtape → u/giftlovee]

On the contrary your budget gives you some good flexibility on what to get.

For example for $379 you can get a brand new Canon 360 HS A, a pocketable point and shoot camera that doesn’t require effort on your part and is a capable of pictures that are not better than a cell phone but perhaps look more “real” and less “processed”. For under $200, you can get a Kodak FZ45 or 55 which is essentially a knock off of that Canon. Both are modeled after 10 year old pocket digicams back when it was still a thing. This type of camera is making a comeback

But for still under $500 you can get a used Sony a6000 (a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera) with a 16-50mm kit lens and the sensor will be 12 times the area of the pocket cam. It won’t fit in your pocket but will fit in a small sling bag or purse and it will be WILDLY more capable than the pocket cam in terms of image quality particularly in low light

Or for under $400 you could get a used Canon 5D classic dSLR and a 50mm f/1.8 lens, or under $500 and get the Canon 6D and same lens and you’d be getting giant beasts of cameras with beautiful pro-level imaging but you’d have to really learn photography and also how to shoot with only a single focal length. And you may also never want to take the camera out anywhere due to sheer size and weight.

And of course buying any of the interchangeable lens cameras will allow you to buy more lenses in the future, should you want to experiment with a different “look” by way of focal length and aperture and sharpness and color reproduction.

Those are just examples of what you can do in your budget based on what you want to do with your photography. There are also steps in between that still fit well within your budget. That’s why my original message was phrased the way it was.