I would like to take photography as a hobby, how do i start? what kind of camera should I buy???

Question

Please help I really would like to do this, it seems very interesting..

Answer 1

The easiest way is to buy a cheaper digital camera (some of these can be purchased for under $150 dollars and can still give you a good range of options as to what you can do with them .... this is important, however, you cannot just get a camera that is 100% automatic, you have to be able to change the 'speed of the film' the exposure settings, etc.) and then take a simple, local photography course.

You might also take a look in your local library for books dealing with photography and study them, read them, and learn especially about lighting and the rule of thirds.

The great thing about digital photography is that you can take a hundred photos with a good sized memory card or stick and it doesn't cost you a thing (unlike film where you have to pay even for the horrible photos when you have the film developed). You can go through and immediately see what worked and what didn't work.

Answer 2

Depending on how passionate you think you're going to be with photography, you might want to think about investing in an SLR (single lens reflex). The difference between compact camer and SLR camera is that the SLR has interchangable lenses.

I'll tell you my story.

I started out being really interested in photography so I used the camera function on my video camera. I took photos of all sorts of things from people to landscapes to close ups. I tried all different angles and lighting. The fact that the camera only had a resolution of 1 megapixel limited how big I could print the images so I decided to purchase a Sony digital compact camera. After spending six months with this camera, I learned I couldn't do half as much as I wanted do due to the fact that the zoom was only 3x max, focus was automatic and exposure was almost completely automatic. So I decided to purchase a Fuji Finepix S602 which was big and looked like a professional SLR. I had better luck with that camera and could do so much more due to being able to manually control all the functions. It was only a 3megapixel like my sony but the image quality was still much better. After another year with this camera and lots of reading, I learned I could do so much more with an SLR so I purchased a Nikon D70 which came with an 18 - 70mm lens. I've never looked back. I can do absolutely anything with it and the image quality was awesome compared to what I thought was a good Fuji. I eventually purchased a Nikon D200 and some more lenses for different purposes. I have three main lenses: a 28 - 300mm for general purpose, a fixed 90mm macro for portraits and extreme close up and an 11 - 18 mm for wide angle. There is no limit to what I can do now. Most of what I do would be extremely difficult if not almost impossible with a compact camera.

I hope that helps. I don't want to tell you what you should and shouldnt get so I thought it best to share my experience with you. If you don't want to get serious then by all means, buy a good compact camera (Nikon, Canon, Fuji).

Another important thing here, read lots of photography magazines and books. They are better than any photogrpahy course.

By the way, I eventually became a professional photographer and it all started with playing around with a video camera. So don't think a cheap camera would be a waste of time!

Feel free to email me with any questions.

Answer 3

it all depends on whether you think you will really have a passion for photography. I got started when I was about 10 from my mom and brother, I'm now 14, am in love with photography, want to persue it for a career, and I still don't have a camera of my own because my mom has 4 SLR cameras.

So it definitely has to do a lot with how much you want to do with photography. If you just want to do it as a side hobby, I'd suggest a Canon. But if you really love photography, get a Nikon. Any Nikon.

If you wanna get an older camera that takes great pictures, get a Pentax K-1000. My mom has 2, my brother has 1, and I love using it. My mom also has a Nikon N65, but I still love her Pentax.

Answer 4

First things first, I hope you realize that photography WILL require spending of money. If you do film, you'll need processing (and/or equipment and supplies). If you choose the digital: memory card, storage, printer and paper. No matter which way you look at it, money needs to be spent. This on top of buying camera equipment.

That out of the way, obviously the first thing is buying a camera. I advise spending a little extra on the camera itself. SLR (Single Lens Reflex) is definitely something you will want later. Simply put, an SLR captures exactly what you see in the viewfinder; this is because it uses a single lens to viewfind and capture the photo. But because an SLR is advanced, almost all have manual (or advanced depending how you look at it) features included. But once you learn how to control exposure (capturing the image), you'll find the manual aspect invaluable. So regardless of which film or digital, look for an SLR.

I can point to my experience, I started with a pro-mateur (high level amateur) camera when I started to take real photos. I was glad because as I grew into photography, I've never had to upgrade and can still use the camera perfectly to this day. That's 15 years on the same equipment. But that's costly up front.

Equipment selection should also depend on what type of photographer you'd like to be. I myself love landscapes and sports photography which are 2 opposite aspects of photography; one has very little time versus all the time in the world. This will effect things like lens selection and advanced features of the camera. For example, Sports photo requires fast shutter speed, zoom, and motordrive (fast frame rate). But a landscape photographer requires almost no features.

For SLRs, the 2 top companies have to be Canon and Nikon. Canon tends to be more feature rich and much lighter weight which is great for Sports. Nikon tend to be a bit more sturdy and more ergonomic layout (for instance, Nikon lenses have aperture rings. You'll understand once engulfed in photography). The nice thing about both SLRs are that they have changable lenses and the only real limitation you'll have is budget. So in all honesty, play around with both companies and match something to your budget.

I do recommend a photo course but you can learn everything via books and other photographers. The biggest thing you need is someone to critique your work. This way you constantly get better. Also, you can get ideas just looking at some photographic idols like Ansel Adams, Herb Ritts, and so on. You'll start seeing how to frame your subjects, angles, some lighting and more. Once you learn the basics, experimenting (lots of it) will be the best teacher.

If you have any other concerns, feel free to contact me.

Answer 5

Photography classes are a great start to learn photography. I personally, I would stay away from the camera store classes as some of them are more interested in trying to sell you more things instead of helping you learn. If you are in Toronto, the School of Photography is a good choice. You can find them at www.schoolofphotography.ca.

As far as what camera to but I would make sure it has manual overrides to allow you full control of your camera. A Canon Digital Rebel or a Nikon D70 is a good starter camera.

Good luck.

Answer 6

Digital cameras are fantastic if your primary interest is capturing the pictures themselves. If you actually want to work with developing regular film as part of your hobby, I would recommend a 35 mm with auto-focus. You can use either color or b/w film.

If you choose the digital route, you can buy really nice glossy photo paper in office supply stores or regular general retailers. This allows you to print regular pictures on your own printer from your camera. Good Luck!!

Answer 7

you like to take photography as a hobby, the first step you should take is buying a camera :P
A Canon EOS 20D with len kit will be a good choice. Best regard.

Answer 8

yeah yeah yeah, buy this, buy that..

Go to your local photo store and ask the people there about any classes in the area you can take.

Or look into the local Junior or regular college to see if they have a photo course.

You'll learn all about Photography, they might even recommend a camera to get to start off with.


You will learn more that way then just going out and buying a camera and taking pictures.

Answer 9

Join Photographic Club to start as hobby,Canon Camera delighting your always.

Answer 10

get yourself a good used pro cam on Ebay. You can get a Canon EOS 10-D for about $500