Gear Guide | 3 Tips BEFORE You Buy Your First Camera

One of the questions I get the most via email or from friends or family that know I love photography is what camera they should buy. So to save my sanity, I figured I’d write this post. Because the truth is every situation is unique.

Yes. You heard that right. Unfortunately, there’s no magical sorting hat you put your head into that sorts you into what brand or camera body you should buy, so you’re going to have to do the research and figure out what’s best for you.

But BEFORE I start discussing specs with ANYONE, I always ask three critical things BEFORE walking through what they should be looking for. Here are those three things.

Buy What YOU Can Afford

Some cameras are $200, and some cameras are $40,000. What's your budget? A camera alone is an investment, but add lenses, lighting equipment, and all the odds and accessories you may not have considered, and it quickly adds up. Don't focus on what's cool and trendy; focus on what isn't going to kill your bank account.

Be realistic, and in the famous words of Jay Z–"If you can't buy it twice, you can't afford it."

Buy What YOU Need

Who cares about megapixels or 4K vs. 8k when you’re never going to use it?

Having a camera with every bell and whistle you can find is like buying a sports car you’re only going to use to drive around at 0-25MPH and use only on the weekends. Some people like to be flashy, but for the rest of us, it’s highly impractical.

Focus on investing in what your particular needs are. If you’re not shooting large print ads, do you need 50 Megapixels? If you’re not going to use 8k video, because you are recording your grandchildren’s soccer game, do you need to have that as an option? I think all of us, as consumers, sometimes forget a WANT vs. a NEED. Before you press that buy button, ask yourself honestly–Are the options you’re looking at something you NEED or something you WANT. Because if it’s something you WANT and not something you NEED, you may be able to save yourself a few dollars better spent elsewhere.

Buy for YOUR Level of Commitment

Photography is one of the most expensive hobbies a person can have. As I alluded to earlier, there are many other expenses beyond the initial investment of the camera.

First, you have lenses. Then you have tripods, bags, memory cards, batteries, and if you start shooting video, you’ll expand that margin substantially.

I’m going to be 100% honest with you–I’ve owned and operated a photo business, and you know what camera I take with me more often than not on vacation? My iPhone. Why? Because I don’t want to commit to drag around 2–3 lenses, batteries, tripods, etc., every time I leave my house. Yes. There are always exceptions to this rule, but that’s generally my reality.

HONESTLY, if I weren’t shooting portraits of people or editorials, something like an iPhone or a point-and-shoot would suffice for my specific needs.

I know–Shocker, right? Stop overcomplicating it and buy what you with ACTUALLY bring with you.

Are you the type of person who prefers to bring everything and the kitchen sink with you when you travel, or can you manage to live with less? If you fit into the latter, you may want to consider buying accordingly.

BONUS TIP! Visit a Camera Store!

Before you buy a camera, either rent it from a rental house or head over to a local photo store to try the camera in the store. While we live in a world of convenience, you want to be sure that you’re buying what you need and that it’s a genuine product.

There are plenty of horror stories of folks who’ve bought cameras from retail sites online only to have a vendor fulfill the order with a fake.

And that’s it! Those are my three tips before buying your first camera. They’re reasonably practical but will lead you in the right direction for your particular needs at the end of the day.