Equipment Cameras DSLR/Mirrorless - Recommendations/Where to start?

In the market for a camera, primary usage would be product photography. Secondary usage would be day to day family stuff.

Honestly I’m not sure where to start with it. model numbers don’t seem to logically align (to me?) so it’s hard to know what’s old and new. So many brands & price ranges it’s hard to know where to begin looking to narrow my search.

I unfortunately don’t have a camera shop locally (which would have been my first point of call)

Any recommendations on how to narrow my search/best places to research/buy would be greatly appreciated. Budget probably tops out at £1k for entry level with a lens. Happy to purchase used.

 

If you scroll to the bottom of the wikipedia page for any Canon or Nikon DSLRs, they list the timelines and market segments.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_D7500
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_EOS_850D
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Canon_EOS_mirrorless_cameras
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_Z-mount

I'm still rocking a EOS 550D(T2i), which is now 14 years old and it still does everything I need. Only complaint is that it doesn't support exFAT, so video recording is a bit hobbled by the 4GB file size limit.

 

Used is a very, very good option - if you're in the UK then companies like MPB who sell used gear pre-tested and backed up by condition guarantees are a great option.

If you have a budget of £1k to play with you could buy some very nice gear indeed 2nd-hand, I've recently upgraded to a Canon 5D Mk2, and with my standard pair of a 17-50 f2.8 and 70-200 f4 that would be less than your budget, and suits a huge range of scenarios.

That would be my recommendation - a crop-body SLR, 2 or 3 good lenses and lots of practice. Use aperture or shutter priority mode and get a feel for how the settings change the results.

One thing I really recommend, if you can find it, is getting constant-aperture lenses - that way when you're shooting you can adjust the focal length without changing any other parameters.

e.g. A canon setup which would cover just about every still photo scenario very well:
https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/product/canon-eos-7d-mark-ii/sku-2663163
https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/product/canon-ef-50mm-f-1-8-ii/sku-2493396
https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/product/sigma-17-50mm-f-2-8-ex-dc-os-hsm-canon-ef-s-fit/sku-2444230
https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/product/canon-ef-70-200mm-f-4-l-is-usm/sku-2676391

 

Thanks chaps!

Both really helpful bits of advice

 

I've got a £20 referral link for MPB, Which would basically cover the shipping, but it's always helpful.
Krikkits's Canon selection is a lot of bang for buck. The 7Dm2 is a capable bit of kit, and with dual SD Card slots too. I had one with the legendary 24-105 F4 L.
Here's an image taken with the 7Dii:

HoverTravel 'Island Flyer' GH2161 by Sam Masters, on Flickr

Sam

 

Canon 7D MK II is a contender at the moment, I've lost count of the amount of clean EF lens I've sold on eBay in the last few years I've uncovered in the bottom of boxes from auction. (15 at least)

One thing perhaps making me consider other options is the physical size of a DSLR and how practical it might be to carry around for general family stuff. So I've started looking at some smaller options and the Sony A6400 has also taken my fancy after reading extensive comparisons and reviews.

Naturally, I've then started to look up the Sony line and the A7 III has also caught my interest. I could stretch the budget ever so slightly but I think its probably overkill for my needs and I think things could get expensive pretty quick.

 

I've got the Canon 90D which is similar in size to the 7D MK II (thought the 7D MK II is around 200g heavier - 700 vs 900 approximately) and it isn't the most practical of things to lug around with family in tow on a day out. Looking back, I should have gone mirrorless but you can get some really decent DSLR bargains as you're well aware in the second hand space.

 

I think, money no object, mirrorless is definitely the way. However, with how much excellent gear is available second-hand it's worth compromising - lots of people are abandoning ship for RF in the Canon sphere, which leaves an enormous number of EF lenses around.

DSLR with a prime lens like a nifty fifty can be relatively svelte, but it'll never hold a candle to a tiny compact mirrorless, which itself will be miles away from a compact camera or (heaven forbid) a phone these days. When I'm out and about I use a hip sling and a small cheap satchel to keep it in, a double whammy of being less obvious what you're carrying, and controlling the weight a touch.

 

I think a used Sony A6400 from MPB with a decent lens is where I’m heading now. Sinking all my money into a A7 III is overkill for my needs. Especially when I decimate the budget on a body and end up with cheap as chips kit lens paired with it.

Looking at lenses the Sigma Prime Lenses (16,30 and 56) seem to be quite popular. One video I watched recommended the 16mm f1.4 as a good all rounder (In the opinion of this particular YouTuber) while others preferred the 30mm.

There’s then the Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 considered a great all rounder kind of lens. However, while in the budget, it’s on the pricier end of the scale.

Having watched this: comparing the prime lenses to the zoom. I much much prefer the separation and subject isolation you get from the prime lens over the zoom. So I’m leaning that way for my first lens and there’s a few nice examples of eBay for about half the price of the zoom.

Although need to do more research. To figure out if this is the best decision

 

Unless you think you'd never, ever run the zoom ring I would go for the 18-50 personally - 16mm is pretty wide (even on a crop-body), pretty inflexible for a novice, and you're relying on a lot of cropping if you want to close in on a subject. I rarely shoot at the wide end of my 18-50, most of the time I want a wide landscape shot and grab my phone. If I did a lot more I'd be considering a proper wide lens for landscapes.

Yes, wide open the bokeh is nowhere near as pretty on the 18-50, but it means you can have the de-facto walkabout lens in a very usable aperture.

 

Yeah I get that, I started second guessing myself on the practicality of the 16mm quickly after posting and edged further toward the Sigma 30mm as a starter.

The bokeh is what draws me to the prime lenses in honesty. But I do also recognise the practically of the 18-50 for a total noob.

The 30mm Sigma f1.4 is £259 on MPB, with the body it comes out at around £800 all in... by chance I now have a colleague who has offered up his Sony 50mm f1.8 OSS which I could also nab within budget and cheaper than MPB and eBay. (Whether or not a 30mm f1.4 and 50mm f1.8 is a reasonable pairing is yet to be understood)

On the other hand, the versatile 18-50 f2.8 is £464 used and would basically be every penny I'd allocated to the budget.

More research needed.

 

Sony APS C cameras are good and portable, I had a an early one without an EVF, which was limiting (NEX5?). But they've come on a lot since.
If you're looking at portable APS C cameras, di consider Fujis cameras which are great.
I have an X-T1 with 18-55mm lens I'll be selling soon. It's about £500 and very capable.
I'm shifting back to Nikon as I don't use my DSLR any more. It'll be Nikon Z mirrorless of some sort. Probably full frame.

 

Definitely a minefield, and there's a case for each:
18-50 - Flexibility - no faffing about swapping lenses or simply not having the lens for most of the walkabout shots you want. Still a good aperture for low-light and portraits, especially at 50mm.

30mm + 50mm - once fixed you're more focussed on getting the shot with what you have, it's more of a compromise, but it's also much more of a useful exercise in making your kit work at the scene you have. Most of the time you won't want to be swapping lenses every 5 minutes, it's a pain.

If you're really focussed on portraits and want maximum bokeh then I'd say go for the two primes, if it's more of an everyday walkabout job I'd say the 18-50.

 

The good thing is you're not limited to one or the other, you can experiment over time with whatever you like lens wise.

Secondhand is going to save you a load of money, and the joy of mirrorless cameras is that you can adapt a vast array of other lenses for the cost of a cheap lens adaptor ring - at £10 upwards.

I have just bought a used high quality Nikon F (SLR) lens to Nikon Z body (mirrorless) for £18, which is £45 new - the world's your lobster!

 

If you're looking at Sony E, And the A6xxx series, then for cheap primes, look at the current crop of Viltrox lenses.

Even though currently I'm using the Nikon Z8, I absolutely love Fuji. The X-H1 really gave me my love for photography again.
Looking on MPB, the X-H1 and A6400 can be had for similar money, Both similar age (2018/2019), The Fuji will have better colours in it's jpegs, the Sony will have better AF. The Sony does have a 'larger' choice of lenses, and the upgrade path of Full Frame.

Sam

 

Do you plan to carry it around at all times? Or just pull out the smart phone?

The best camera is the one you have with you. It doesn't have to be a "proper" camera.

For product photography, how much space do you have? A 35mm for crop or 50mm for full frame prime stopped down would give very sharp photos. But I would leave some budget for lighting.

 

Maximum bokeh I think is what I'm after. At a later date I can look at something more versatile as a walkabout lens but static product photography was the original aim and making that as sharp as possible is probably what I want to prioritise. Thanks for the help!

Nice! - this is something I'm also very interested in. I come across a lot of cool (sometimes quite rare) vintage lens on a fortnightly basis. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to get them for as little as £3-£4 in a job lot. So an adapter from E to M42/other mounts is probably on the cards for cheap experimentation. Annoyingly, I sold a really clean Helios 44-2 F/2 about a week ago which in hindsight I wish I'd kept a little while. I've bought and sold maybe 20 in total so will have to hold on to the next one


edit: just checked my fleabay and I have a Pentacon 50mm f1.8 M42 which is clean as a whistle... maybe I'll hold on to that for fun. Just found a few YouTube videos saying essentially not to write it off.... interesting...

I have been looking at both Viltrox Lens and at Fuji. the X-H1 does look like a good fit so I'll take a deeper look at it this afternoon. I do like the prospect of an upgrade path to Full Frame but that could be just an excuse to spend money on things I simply don't need!

Yep, would like to have it with me for most family days out, which is what made me rethink going for a full sized DSLR. Some of the time I leave my phone in the car to avoid distraction when out with the family. (Partner keeps hers for emergency and TikTok obv)

I have two light boxes at home for product photography (when I previously was using my phone) but they don't really cut the mustard anymore so better lighting is on the list.

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This has been genuinely very helpful, unless anything jumps out before I'm going to order the A6400 and Sigma 30mm 1.4 from MPB tonight in time for a holiday the end of this month.

 

DP, my NEX 5 came from @sonicgroove here with a very sharp 50mm pentacon lens with M42 to Sony E adaptor. It was a nice combo albeit front heavy, not as much as the Sony kit zoom however!

I forgot to ask you, do you ever see any Nikonos kit in your acquisition trawling?

I think the Fuji X-H1 is a great camera and would have gone with it if I'd jumped across to Fuji X.
I've used Nikons for a long time (back to D1X and D100) and find the ergonomics and UI work naturally for me. This will be my first full frame digital camera, it's all been APS C so far.

 

Sounds great, would love to see some of the result

 

Interesting to see how popular vintage stuff seems to be alongside the A6000 cameras. Something to tinker with at low or no cost

Super rarely, I had one maybe Nikonos underwater camera about 12-18 months ago but was in fairly sad condition. Canon A1 I come across more frequently but the seals are usually always in need of replacement if it’s still in working condition.