I’m totally new to photography and want to get my first camera. I’ll mainly be using it for nature photography while hiking and traveling.
My only focus is on photos of the highest possible quality.
My budget is around $600, and I’ll also need essential accessories, but don’t know what I’d need, like a lens?
Not open to refurbished, as I’m buying in Vietnam.
Don’t focus on the equipment. Any dslr, be it mirrorless, full frame, or traditional format, will be more than enough to get started and learn how photography works.
Force yourself to use manual mode and learn how fstops, shutter speed, iso and everything else tie together to make an image. I know you said no refurbished, but the used market is ideal for beginners. I went to school for photography (not my current career) but I still use a 20 year old nikon with the kit lens and a couple nice prime lenses I added along the way. The equipment rarely holds you back. With that said, once you have your feet wet, lenses are where you want to invest. An entry level camera with a nice lens will take better pics than a high end camera and shitty lens.
This is good advice. As your skill and interest grow, you’ll be better able to understand what you like to photograph, what you need to be better at it, and what everything means and does. A DSLR can do a lot of photography decently without all the accessories and steep learning curve.
Fact is photography is an expensive hobby and depending on your definition of quality and the type of photography you’re into $600 could be plenty or it could be nothing. Here’s some options, though.
Canon EOS M50 Mark ll: A mirrorless camera with a 24.1 MP APS-C sensor. Iť’s small, portable, and comes with a kit lens to get you started. As you go you will discover what your needs are from a lens and you can upgrade accordingly.
Sony Alpha a6000: Another mirrorless option with a 24.3 MP APS-C sensor. Compact, good image quality, and fast autofocus. Again the kit lens should be enough to get you started.
Panasonic Lumix FZ300: This one is fixed lens, but you get quite a range out of that one lens. It’s also weather-sealed, which is handy for outdoor use.
Buying refurbished or from a reseller like B&H or even eBay, if possible, could really help you get the most out of your budget and reach a little higher than what I’ve suggested.
You don’t need much to start, an SD card, preferably 64GB or higher. Maybe a waterproof camera bag for hiking, but it’s not essential and many new cameras will come with a bag. You may eventually want a nice tripod, and backup batteries for longer trips.
I bought my Rebel EOS on EBay with a lens for under $200 I think. It’s a few years old. I spent $100 taking it in to have it professionally cleaned. It’s a fantastic little camera! I’m by no means good with it but it does everything I ask of it and then some.
I’d look at something like an e-m10 or e-m5 (whichever version gives you enough money over to get lenses) for lenses a 14-42mm and a 40-150mm would give a really good focal range (there’ll be several different options for both of these lenses so get the ones that have the best reviews in budget)
The reason I recommend these cameras is the size and weight of the body and lens combination will be less than a lot of others. So as you’re going hiking with them it’s something that needs to be thought about.
Sony a6500 is a decent entry level camera. If you’re thinking of doing landscape photography then you want a wide lens, something like 25 or 28mm is good. If you can afford it, a zoom lens like 28-75mm will be pretty versatile.
