In photography, a lot of people say that gear doesn’t matter as much, and that it’s the skill that makes a good photo.
I think that is good advice generally. But it applies better to people who have already attained some level of skill. The question of skill vs gear is a chicken and egg situation - better skill allows you to make the most out of gear; better gear allows you to develop a fuller set of skills.
Either way, at a given skill level, gear does influence the final image. This is why even at beginner levels, I do recommend giving it some thought before buying.
In this series I am sharing my thoughts on things beginner photographers should consider when buying their first cameras:
Interchangeable Lens
Flip Screen
For your information, I shot on a Sony Nex 5-R (it has been discontinued) for 4.5 years, on a Canon 1200D (also discontinued) for 1 year, on a Canon 80D for 2.5 years, and a Canon 5D Mark IV till now. I have also experimented with a Nikon D300 on and off.
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Here goes the FIRST CONSIDERATION of the series —
Interchangeable lens
When buying a camera, the model certainly matters. But what matters way more are the lenses! Some cameras come with a lens built into them and I advise you NOT to get one of those. Find models which has a mount that enables you to switch lenses.
An example
Since I am a Canon user myself, I will take Canon cameras as an example.
Canon Power Shot SX70 HS.
You can see from the above that the lens cannot be detached. Whereas below, to the right of the lens there is a button, which allows you to take out the lens when pressed downwards.
Canon EOS M50.
Why is this important?
In a previous article I mentioned how focal lengths can alter the outlook of your photos drastically. Every lens is designed with a specific focal length(s). So in order to be able to experiment with different lenses is totally key.
There is also a good chance that your very first lenses are compatible with those you will need as you progress, at least for a while. Manufacturers like Canon and Nikon categorises their gears into three tiers - Beginners, Amateurs and Professionals. For me, I was still able to use the lenses that came with my beginner camera as I moved on to an Amateur camera body.
Most of the time cameras come with a standard lens - usually around either 18mm-55mm or 18mm-135mm. Anything within that range would suffice for anyone who is starting out.
Summary
In this article we talked about
Interchangeability of lenses being one thing photography beginners should think about before buying their first camera
The reason being that this enables them more room to experiment with various focal lengths
Most standard lenses should work well enough for beginner purposes
More sharing coming soon!
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