Pls help me buy a camera and lens

So I want to buy a camera and lens for outdoor photography and also taking pictures of my Taco while offroading. I don't know much about photography other than point-and-shoot. Would this combo be a good choice?

$1,798 Sony a7 III ILCE7M3/B Full-Frame Mirrorless Interchangeable-Lens Camera with 3" LCD, Body Only,Base Configuration,Black

Sony a7 III ILCE7M3/B Full-Frame Mirrorless Interchangeable-Lens Camera with 3-Inch LCD

and

$1,298 Sony - FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS Standard Zoom Lens (SEL24105G)

Sony - FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS Standard Zoom Lens (SEL24105G)

 

I'd get something with an F2, maybe in the sub 70mm range for anything less than 30 ft. If you want to see further then sure 100mm+.

 

Sony and Fujifilm are the two mirrorless options I’d consider. I like that Fujifilm has smaller lenses, easier to pack on a trip.

Either can be a great choice. Sony has the spec sheet but I think of it as photographing in a computer haha good specs, less “feel” in my opinion. Lots of people love them though. I find Fuji more intuitive and enjoyable to shoot but that’s personal and I’d hold and try both.

One is Full Frame and the other a crop sensor so there’s pros and cons there. Image quality, size, weight, cost, file size, etc.


One tip, camera bodies come and go, good glass (lenses) are forever. Don’t worry about getting the most expensive camera as it’s technology and as you get better at photography and technology advances you’ll want a different camera later anyway. But if you can invest in one good lens you’ll be a happy camper with it for a long time.


I’d look for a used or refurbished kit on a Facebook group or from B&H or Adorama or KEH to save some money. Post any questions you have! Have been photographing and teaching photography for years. Peace!

 

No idea on Sony specific stuff, but something like this would be on my radar as a good general purpose lens https://www.focuscamera.com/sigma-24-70mm-f-2-8-dg-dn-art-zoom-full-frame-e-mount-lens.html

 

OK then maybe this lens instead

$1,698 Sony SEL2470GM E-Mount Camera Lens: FE 24-70 mm F2.8 G Master Full Frame Standard Zoom Lens Black

Sony SEL2470GM E-Mount Camera Lens: FE 24-70 mm F2.8 G Master Full Frame Standard Zoom Lens

 

ha that'll definitely do but I'd try it out in the shop (shop local if you can) and see if it works for you. Its a bit of coin for a very nice setup for sure though.

 

did you end up buying a camera? My .2 cents.. a great camera doesn't create great pictures. You can take really good pictures with a "low quality" camera. Unless you really want to get into photography, you may be more satisfied with a point-n-shoot. In this world of digital media, and no one really printing anything, image size doesn't always matter. If you think you're going to want to get into photography, and be happy with incremental progress, then you can certainly get good results with what you've selected. 24-70 is a good "walk around lens" but you may want to read up more on different types and consider what images you think you want to take. Because people usually go "wow" over really wide shots or something that had fantastic zoom and bokeh. My point is, if you like really wide nature shots that lens won't quite do it. And if you want to take pictures of birds and other nature that zoom won't quite reach.

 

Thanks for the tips! I haven't purchased anything yet. There really is just so much to consider...... carrying around another piece of equipment, keeping track of it, is it really necessary, does the resolution really matter on computer screens and phone screens, the ease of just using my Pixel 4XL smartphone, etc.......

 

You mean a real, dedicated camera that is like a step above a smartphone camera, right?
Any recommendations?

 

Id agree with above, Buy a beginners camera first as you dont need much to take great photos. Once you want to upgrade you always can, no need to have an expensive camera if you dont get into it a bunch.

 

Are you specific to Sony? I have a canon rebel t7i and it’s a great starter setup.

 

Hi there, that's a great choice if it's within your budget and you want to take the time needed to learn how to use it properly. That 24-105 is excellent, while the 24-70gm isn't as well thought of in general (for the subsequently higher price). Rumor is they have a new version of it coming out in the next year but we'll see. You might find you want something a little wider for those wide field landscape style shots, something along the line of the 16-35gm (the G f4 version is quite a bit less but not as sharp).

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I'm a professional landscape photographer that shoots Sony, so I know them reasonably well.

Lyle

 

what do you want from your camera? I ask that, because way back in the day I thought "I need that camera to take great pictures". I then quickly realized I had a lot to learn. So are you generally interested in photography or are you expecting that the camera will achieve an outcome? The camera will not make up for poor composition, not taking advantage of good lighting, and generally making uninteresting photos. When digital SLRs became popular a lot (a real lot) of people bought them and got extremely frustrated and/or then only shot in "auto mode". which is a complete waste of money. I'm not trying to tell you NOT to buy what you original looked at. But a lot of photography elitists can't deal with the fact that smartphones take really good photos. So depending on your phone, and especially if you just want to post pics on social media, a new smartphone can take perfectly fine pictures. And you can learn the basic principles of photography using a smartphone. 1. Turn on the photo grid and learn the rule of thirds. 2. you can (though most people don't) typically control the exposure to some degree. 3. take lots of pictures, of the same thing with different angles and vantage points. Figure out what looks best. 4. and then take lots more pictures.

Try this site to check out some reviews https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/buying-guide-best-easy-to-use-cameras You're not going to go wrong with any major brand camera (Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, etc.)

 

As a serious amateur photographer for ~50 years I would highly recommend you buy used equipment to develop enough skills and knowledge that you won't be asking about cameras in a truck forum. You can get a used Canon or Nikon SLR digital camera and lens for $200-$450 that will take you WAAAYYYY down that road - might be the only camera you ever need. And they will be very high quality. Use it for a year and resell for minimal loss if any. I've actually made money from selling used lens even after having them for 5 years. Bodies don't hold their value.

As mentioned above, KEH, B&H photo video and Adorama have been around for a looooong time and I know the first two have stellar reputations for being honest and backing their used equipment. No need to buy equipment in "excellent" condition. A "good" rating is in great condition. Modern cameras are incredibly durable, just don't buy something obviously abused or beat up.

The mirrorless cameras are great, but not such great used deals just yet. They continue to improve the technology. Bodies are dispensable and replaceable. Lens are more expensive and last much longer making them long-term investments. The available older Canon and Nikon lens is vast. Nikon has the most compatibility with older lens. You definitely want a camera with manual settings for aperture and shutter speed so you can override the auto settings and stretch the limits of what a camera can do.

Also mentioned: It ain't the camera, it's the photographer.

I've been using Nikon for ~20 years now, but had Canon film for the previous 25 years. There are many great cameras from other companies. I just like the used market and a loooooong history on the two giants. Some samples...

https://www.keh.com/shop/nikon-d7000-16-2-megapixel-digital-slr-camera-body-only-black.html

If you want to jump in with both feet, a full frame camera is the next step:
https://www.keh.com/shop/nikon-d700-12-1-megapixel-digital-slr-camera-body-only.html

Educate yourself about DX and FX lens (regular and full frame).
A great bang for the buck lens is the Nikon AF-S 18-70mm 1:3.5-4.5G ED DX which can be had for ~$75 used. Another is a Nikon 50mm 1.8 (or 1.4) 50mm lens which will have some of the best glass that you can get for ~$125 (used). When you see people talking about premier glass with snap, sharpness and excellent blacks, this is it - but cheap.

A good resource on older equipment:
https://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/reviews.htm

 

Buying from eBay has its own caveats, but... And I'm not pushing this exact combo, only the PRICE for the PERFORMANCE. $100 for a whole lot of technology.

That set has been selling for $75-150 on ebay. Don't

https://www.ebay.com/itm/194216088019?epid=100107539

https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/nikon-d3000-digital-slr