I recently had a baby boy and have been thinking about getting an SLR to capture all the moments. I’m not interested in landscapes and or other forms of photography, just photos of people. Please recommend a camera and lens in the following price ranges: $400-$600 and $600-$800. $800-$1000.
Thanks.
Exactly, there may be some low light difference in performance but for most people the camera on their phone is going to be better than a budget camera. Current gen phones unless you know what you're looking for it's hard to tell the difference from even from higher end camera and lens well past the $1k max budget of OP.
rubbish, you can't compare the light capture of a larger size sensor, to a phone. And you don't need no fake ass bokeh with its artifacts. And the general sharpness is much improved.
All true, though a good SLR is pretty useless in the hands of the average person. I remember being extremely disappointed in the Quality of my 7d until I spent some time ready and learning. Unless he is also willing to take the time to learn how to use it he may well be better off with a phone.
PS: he won't be getting a particularly good SLR and lens for the price range mentioned either.
Who said anything about a good SLR?
The entry level Nikon/Canon/Sony models all blow smartphones out of the water in terms of base image quality - phones pretend otherwise by pre-applying filters and corrections, but stick a d3xxx or equivalent image taken on auto with kit lens into Lightroom and you'll get a much better result. Things only improve from there once you work out your MASP and upgrade equipment.
This is absolute nonsense and fake information.
The camera photo may look good on your phone screen, your camera applies alot of processing to make it look so.
But the minute you put that photo up on a PC screen and compare with a DSLR photo the quality difference is massive. Even an entry level DSLR such as the Nikon that was on the front page yesterday for $370 yesterday blows any flagship camera phone out of the water when it comes to quality.
Fortunately there's plenty of direct comparisons by photographers on youtube etc so OP can make up their own mind. Yes a DSLR with good glass is going to be superior but within this budget and intended purpose it's not the right recommendation. Someone not into photography isn't going to pick up the give aways between the two unless they're pointed out to them and even then they probably won't care. Add the fact that the DSLR isn't going to be carried around with all the other stuff new parents are going to want/need to carry around with bub whereas a phone will always be there.
lol you can tell this guy has no clue, there's actually not much difference in picture quality between a high end SLR and a low-mid level SLR, especially for just taking photos of your baby. You only need a high end SLR if you need specialist features.
Suggest you get a second hand mid level dslr and a 85mm or 50mm prime lens
Disagree purely because if you're asking about it on an Ozbargain forum you don't have the necessary knowledge/skill to work an SLR or mirrorless or whatever to produce photos that'll beat a good phone.
As long as you know some basics in framing, the auto modes on a modern DSLR would be more than sufficient to act as a point and click. With the larger sensors, you're bound to get better image quality than any phone could offer - especially in low light situations.
What I'd disagree with mlburnian would be the focal lengths he's suggesting to get. OP will most likely get a cropped sensor DSLR (if he was going that route), and the cropped factor will make the 85mm way too telephoto-like and the 50mm becomes way too tight as well. A 35mm for a cropped sensor would probably be better.
@Munki: No these are the best focal lengths since u can't be too close to babies, and toddlers when taking photos. Best if they don't know that Ur there taking photos.
@mlburnian: They're babies. Them interacting with you trying to take pictures will be great…Also they'll most likely be indoors (especially newborn stage), so how are you gonna wield an 85mm indoors? Do you live in a mansion with plenty of space? I know I don't…
On an APS-C camera with a cropped factor of 1.5x, I think the best you'll get would be a 30-35mm.
Don't need skill.
An SLR on auto, with a good 50mm f2 lens will take a quality photo every time.
A phone will only take a good photo if there's heaps of light and not much motion.
@bmerigan: Yep, and most indoor lighting won't be bright enough for a phone camera if the subject is moving around. Photos will be blurry, or if it cranks the ISO in exchange for a faster shutter speed, very noisy.
@bai tu: Unless the baby is flailing about at speed in dim conditions a phone will suffice.
With ops budget they are looking at an older APS-C camera with a slow lens which will require jacking up the ISO in the same conditions anyway.
Yes the image quality will be better but guarantee these images will be viewed on a phone via Facebook, Instagram or just being shown on a phone in person and unless the viewer is pixel peeping they won't know or care.
@Nebargains: There's a bunch of cheap fast lenses for APS-C cameras 1.8 or better < $100 which are fine for low light usage.
Modern camera phones are decent enough though, especially at the high end, they throw processing at it to make it look ok. It won't look as good as a larger sensor 'can' but probably better than most people care about or will bother to get with an SLR, at least at close range.
Agree with mlburnian 100%
If you must get an SLR, go for low-mid level. Virtually zero difference for portrait photos or baby photos.
I agree with what others have said, just get a pixel 4 or samsung s10 or any other phone with a really good camera.
There are a lot of self-identified "photographers" out there who have made huge financial and emotional investments in their gear.
So it's absolutely intolerable for them to hear that most people prefer taking and viewing photos on phones, rather than using SLRs to create 38 x 20 inch prints for display in some gallery in The Marais.
Yeah, naa.
They may look similar on your phone screen - they're optimized for this.
In print or on a large screen, there's a huge difference.
A phone is far more convenient and takes some decent photos.
But a DSLR will give you far better photos in most situation, they're also a ton of fun to experiment with!
flagship mobile phone
This is usually twice the price of entry level SLR!…
This is late 2019. I'd say 3-4x now!
True that
That's a very dangerous opinion you've got there. Word on the street is the SLR mafia has put a price on your head!
Never compare phone cameras to the holy SLR unless you want to sleep with the fishes.
want to sleep with the fishes.
My smartphone phone has a IP68 rating. I can't remember the last time I saw an el cheapo SLR with that.
Galaxy S10 series, Huawei P30 or Oppo 5g.
This is total rubbish. Compare 15 year old Canon SLR to an Iphone 11 Pro on a computer screen. Not on your phone screen.
SLR winsssssss. Look at the size of the lens for starters lol
People don't look at family images on PC anymore. Nowadays it's either on a ~6" smartphone or an iPad/android tablet.
Best Camera for Taking Photos of a New Born?
The one you have with you, which is most likely a mobile phone.
I have to agree. I have a decent FF DSLR, but most of the photos of my child are taken on my wife's phone - which does a fair job for what it is.
You will get better photos from a DSLR if you use it properly, but you probably won't take it with you most of the time.
If you really want a dedicated camera for taking photos of your kids, I'd suggest something like the Sony RX100 range.
That's weird. This is my story and I don't even remember typing that.
With all the photo editing apps, good phone is fine. I use Snapseed to edit my photos and it makes a massive difference. Unless you were going to blow up prints of them, I wouldn't bother. Also need to invest the time to learn how to take photos probably. My husband has a SLR and on our honeymoon my s8+ took better photos 😂
Also I find that most of the moments with our newborn are pretty spontaneous and the phone is always right there whereas my camera is always packed away somewhere.
Put the 1000 bucks in an index fund or long term savings account for the next 18 years, and use your camera phone.
You won't care about the quality difference when you look back at them but you will appreciate the extra photos you took because you didn't have to go drag an slr out to try and capture some moment.
Plus, your kid will appreciate the money in 2 decades time ;)
PS congrats on the baby
Plus, your kid will appreciate the money in 2 decades time ;)
And in 20 years, when that $1,000 has grown up to $1,200, they can then go to Dominoes and get the large pizza and 2 drinks for $1,199
well, you could add it it from time to time ;)
But pretty sure $1k in an index fund for 20 years would have a compounded return of more than 20% ;)
You're right, it's probably closer to $1,500… With the extra $300, they could probably get a garlic bread to go with it. :D
@pegaxs: Even at a conservative 5%, that would return into $2500.
The S&P 500 has averaged 9.8% over the last 90 years so it'd be much closer to $5,794 (CGT and income tax on the dividends would eat some, plus this isn't inflation adjusted).
Seems like a good idea actually. Chuck 5k in and they'll have just shy of $30,000 on their 18th birthday.
Put back into your home loan, one day kid going to own it, so kid can sell it and buy some beer for the pizza.
I use disposable cameras on my loved ones.
Cause then I can show them how much I love them when I take their photo and promptly throw the camera out in front of them
You would be better off learning about lighting and technique.
Had my 2 kids school end of year. i had my S8 and my few year old Panasonic which was a 500 camera at the time, other than being able to optically zoom in, the SG S8 did a better job..
And the S8 has been better at other things in the past as well.
I think the comment about printing a larger size photo is very relevant though..
You start with SLR,then end up in Mobile Phone. By the time you are searching for your SLR, perfect moment is well and truly gone.
This and so much this. Extended family i know spent $1k+ on a 4k video recorder to tape moment and unless they have preplanned to use it, they never get it out. Sure it might be good for some occassions but for 99.99% of people your phone will do nearly as good and be there during the moment.
If I could [+1] this comment a few more times I would.
Congrats on the baby. I agree about the mobile phone. I used to lug SLR cameras with me when I travelled but they sit in the cupboard now. Get a mobile with a really good camera built in.
I did that 10 years ago with my first born. Bought a Canon DSLR and couldn't be happier.
But now I wouldn't bother with the DSLR. Day to day we use mobiles which are quick to capture the moment and easy to carry around.
Incase you do not have a flagship model already, just invest in a nice camera phone - like Huawei P30 or P30 pro
Congrats on the baby!
The P30 freezes memories, the SLR makes the reproductive organ look larger.(There is some use for them on top of tripods) I used to work in the trade and seen millions of pictures. Best memories come from the cheapest cameras, worst from the dearest, with few exceptions. I suggest a good camera phone and if one wants to spice up memories perhaps a small 360 stick. Still once the kid has grown up nobody knows what there will be used to look at the pictures.
Endless youtube compare ways to freeze memories for later enjoyment.
Get a ~$1200 mobile phone such as an iPhone 11 or 11 pro, and learn how to use portrait mode or whatever the android equivalent is.
Portrait mode will produce SLR-like photos. Photography nerds will be able to tell the difference but everyone else will think the photos look amazing.
Also, back up your photos to google photos. You can even set a face recognition album in there so that all photos of your baby are automatically added to the album, AND if your wife is also taking photos with her phone she can also automatically have photos of the baby go to the same album.
Android equivalent is portrait mode also.
And CHEAPER, not to mention the flexibility of adding cheap sd memory.
I use portrait mode on my Pixel 2XL - it takes amazing shots. Bonus is google photos archiving everything. I imagine Apple have something similar for archiving.
you can use iCloud, or Google Photos which will be the same thing that you use.
SPeaking from experience, 99% of 'moments' happen when you're least expecting it. You'll simply want to whip out your mobile and snap quickly.
DSLR is therefore a complete waste of money for this purpose alone.
Invest instead in a modern mobile phone with dual or triple lense camera e.g. iPhone X/XS/11/11Pro, Pixel 3,4 etc.
Might have to buy an SUV to go with the camera to go with the new addition.
Congrats.
You'll use your phone more than an DSLR.
SUV was for the bassinet.
like everyone says buy and use the camera phone… much more convenient and easy.. but if you have a genuine interest in the craft of photography, a mirrorless camera and a prime lens will probably set you back about $1200 for those occasions you want to use a camera.
Best Camera for Taking Photos of a New Born?
The one in your pocket. These moments come and go in about 30 seconds, so you want a 'camera' you can whip out and take a picture in no time at all.
I use a pixel myself, pull it out, double tap the power button and its straight into the camera. No need to unlock, I can take pictures near instantly. As I'm pulling the phone out of my pocket, I double tap the power button, but the time I get the phone up to picture taking level, its ready to go.
As I'm pulling the phone out of my pocket, I double tap the power button, but the time I get the phone up to picture taking level, its ready to go.
LOL you've given this some thought huh
LOL you've given this some thought huh
Thought? Nah, I do it all the time. Those kind of 'moment' shots are only normally there for a 10 seconds or so, so you gotta act fast!
All newborns look the same, just download some photos from the internet.
Yeah downloading photos of kids off the internet works real well.. :P
You want to capture precious moments, not make art. You'd want something close to you at all times. Phone.
Every parent thinks they're going to capture these phenomenal spontaneous photos with an SLR. You'll end up with lots of high resolution pictures of potted plants.
2 gopros
1 on your head
1 on bub's head
1 chest cam as well
*Breast cam
I recommend a canon eos m, same sensor size as an slr, but much more convenient.
Its great, and pretty cheap. I have a pixel 3 - one of the best camera phones, but the pics and video on my real camera are much better, well worth it in imo.
The sony's are also good.
Seriously … just use your phone. The SLR is a great idea, but ultimately becomes a hassle. Let's be honest, this is more about happy snaps, not building a photography portfolio.
i have a SLR and fuji mirror-less. 9/10 i go for the phone for pictures as its always on hand. I use the SLR/mirrorless for the milestone events - birthdays, month pictures etc.
A baby camera.
Most people will suggest a mobile phone and so will i.
If you're set on a DSLR look at Nikon/ Canon and get a nifty fifty to start off with (Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G or similar).
Or a Pentax. Much better cameras. ;)
As others have mentioned, mobile phone is what you'll use 99% of the time as that's what you happen to have with you and there are plenty of other benefits like instant cloud uploads (eg Google Photos) to back up photos/etc. Cameraphones take good enough photos (and videos) for those moments like first smile, first laugh, etc…
BUT, even against my iPhone XS Max (I know it's not the absolute latest but it was the newest at the time when our baby was born), I bought a new cheap (but not totally entry level) Canon EOS 200D DSLR with a kit lens (about $550 a year ago) and the photo quality of that inside the hospital delivery room is significantly better. I didn't use a tripod, and left it on automatic (since I was still new at the time to DSLR) but it took amazing photos with a much more natural 'feel' to them which the best cameraphones don't match. Since then, I still use it on special occasions such as baby dedication, monthly celebrations, and just whenever we are dressed up.
As others have mentioned, a phone is infinitely more practical and useful since you always have it on you, but I've found with the DSLR I put in the effort to deliberately use it, and I also switch between the kit lens and a prime lens (nifty fifty) to take really beautiful photos which the iPhone doesn't come close. It's obviously much heavier and requires you to deliberately carry it, but you'll appreciate the results that much more. Newer cameras can also synchronise with your iPhone/Android device to transfer photos quickly and make it easy to use the same OneDrive/Dropbox/Google Photos/etc apps to back them up as well.
I don't understand the price ranges you've listed. Why not $400 to $1000?
For a body I would recommend the Canon EOS Mark II 200D or the Canon 800D. (Note the names of canon models are different across the world, see the wiki pages for all the alternatvies)
They're quite similar, but with a few differences. You can also head to YouTube to watch some videos on the differences.
Then you have to pick a lens. Now, you could pick your body above and just select the "lens kit", which is a typical 18-55mm IS STM lens. I'm not the biggest portrait photographer though, so it might be worth going into a shop to ask for advice on this one. Will the lens kit lens suffice, or is there a better option on the market?
Google indicates there are other more suitable options are available.
This.
For me as a first timer, I appreciated the 200D being one of the lightest/most compact DSLRs and the newer one seems to be largely the same in that regard.
As for lens, all the pros will hate on the kit lens but honestly it'll still deliver excellent photos and is quite flexible for many use cases.
For me the only regret I have is not buying a twin lens kit which would've been cheaper and offer the two relevant ranges, and then add a 50mm prime lens for portrait photography such as this Canon EF50mm which is often $150ish on sale and is amazingly good value in the world of camera gear. You can spend more and getting better gear, less imperfections, etc… but honestly for a first timer, this is what I'd do and that's how I got into it.
If you do a lot of indoor photos, a flash might help too but keep in mind the bub may not appreciate it.
The kit lenses are so slow. Id get a cheaper body to be able to afford a faster lens tbh but otherwise I agree.
Thanks, both comments really helpful. What lens would you recommend If I was leaning towards the 200D?
50mm 1.8 probably $100 used. You can't go wrong.
@Presence: The only thing I'd be careful with is to watch out for which version it is. There have been a few different versions in the model's history since it's introduction in the 80's (or was it earlier?), so make sure you're getting the latest (2015) model with the metal plate and stepping motor (STM).
Thinking for your use case of predominantly baby/family photos and you won't be too far away, you probably won't need the telephoto (ie long zoom) lens so just get the standard kit lens which is 18mm-55mm. This will give you decent range for normal photography, as well as being a decent option for when you go on family vacations/etc. The other lens which will be useful is the "nifty fifty" 50mm f/1.8 which I linked above which is great for portraits and has a very nice bokeh due to the narrow depth of field. Here's a review. It's often on sale circa $140-$160 so it's a really good value lens to add to your arsenal and is quite small so you can carry it with ease (vs a telephoto lens).
If you end up really getting into photography and finding the zoom on your kit lens isn't sufficient, then you can invest in the telephoto lens and potentially some other accessories but I suspect you may not need this for a while.
The only other thing to keep in mind is pricing - from what I can tell given it's the lead up to Christmas, the EOS 200d II with the kit lens is currently $849 ($899 less $50 cashback) at JB Hifi which isn't bad, but it's not that cheap either since it's still a relatively new-ish model (DSLRs don't usually get refreshed every year - the previous 200D stuck around for a while). The cashback promo of $50 is until 6/1/2020 so if you can wait until boxing day sales you might get a better deal.
Just get a pocket jobbie like a Canon Ixus or Nikon Coolpix as you just point and shoot. If you mess around with settings on an SLR you may miss the moment that had you reaching for the camera in the first place, plus they're small enough to fit into a shirt pocket so can go with you almost anywhere at a moments notice.
May as well use a decent smartphone camera if it's against one of the cheaper compact point and shoot models unless you just want something which you can throw around and not worry about it getting broken/etc, or if your smartphone camera is not great.
I used to carry a Powershot S100 which was a slightly more premium compact camera with a superior sensor than the standard Ixus cameras but I believe these have largely been made redundant by cameraphones.
We bought a Sony a6000 and a sigma 30mm lens for our baby. Perfect camera for us, use it when we go out on family things and then use the mobile all other times.
Thanks, yes this is what I meant by ‘moments’. the mobile comments everyone made are totally on point but I was looking for a camera to take a few special shots. I’ll check out the Sony.
The a6000 is quite a steal. But go an a6100 or a6400 for the latest in autofocus. It's well worth the upgrade.
If you are not familiar with using a DSLR then your mobile phone will take better pictures. Only if you know the impact of white balance, aperture, shutter speed and ISO have to your photo only then can I recommend you use a DSLR. If your are not familiar on how to use DSLR then the photo is going to come out crap and you will miss a lot of golden moment of your little one.
I do not agree with above post saying mobile phone photo looks terrible when view on computer and when zoom in. My wife's iPhone 11 Pro and my Pixel 4 takes amazing photo.
But if you insist on buying a DSLR, I will choose canon because the colour is warmer. It comes down to personal preference and what your friend is using can also be a determining factors.
Phone is fine.
Having said that, some of my best photos (which I've blown up on large canvases) were definitely taken with a DSLR. You won't be doing that with a photo taken on the phone.
If you do go phone camera way, I've moved from Pixel 2XL to Note 10+ and I find the photo quality is much poorer, especially in low light.
Only issue I had with the 2XL was for portrait mode, it would freeze up (software processing I suppose) if you tried taking too many too quickly, which you tend to have to do with babies. That hasn't happened with my Note 10+ so far.
With an SLR, auto might be okay for you most of the time, but you would need to learn all the manual or semi manual settings and learn how to switch quickly to capture the moments before they pass/the best.
Once baby starts crawling, you're gonna end up on sports mode or equivalent manual mode most of the time!
I agree though, I did take lots of newborn photos with my 1st child at newborn age to about one, but the hassle of carrying it everywhere (on top of all the other baby related stuff you need l) and then having to transfer off to a laptop etc was just too much. Is collecting dust in the cupboard now…have not used it once on the 2nd child…I should try though…just for special occasions…you've inspired me haha
Thanks for all the comments everyone, very helpful. To clarify what I mean by ‘moments’ I really meant planned moments . Currently I am using a mobile for day to day random photos. I probably should of mentioned I am a 3D artist in game dev so I have a pretty good knowledge of photoshop and visuals in general, just no interest in photography due to lack of time. Phone cameras are amazing, but yeah I see the difference in quality being picky in both nature and profession when it comes to visuals.
I’m thinking the base model canon DSLR is probably the way to go or a mirrorless under $1000. All the people talking about mobile phones makes me think I’ll use a camera even less than I expect to use it.
Thanks again for all the responses I wasn’t expecting so many!!
Before you jump on a Canon or other alternatives, have a look at this: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/PENTAX-KP-BLACK-BODY-ONLY-DIGITA…
The Pentax KP is a beast for the price. You'll have plenty of years before you're likely to outgrow it. I might be a bit biased cause I'm also a Pentaxian, but bang for buck in terms of features, this camera is punching well above its weight. Do a bit more digging around and you'll find plenty of options.
Just get one of the latest smart phones and you'll be set. You'll be able to take solid photos and more importantly videos to cherish for years after. I've got a 15 mo son and the old adage is true - the best camera is the one you have with you. My wife has an iphone 11 pro and I have a S10.
This is coming from someone who used to be semi-professional photographer and has an extensive collection of professional gear. I'll pull out my SLR and big lenses once a month but more so 90% of my photos are taken with smartphones.
I was in the same situation and bought a micro 4/3 camera. It was amazingly impressive and I got some really nice photos. Relatively small too.
However, unfortunately 95% of photos are with the phone, simply because you don't have time to grab the big camera.
Eventually I bought a good camera phone instead. It's not the same. Lots of photos are in low light and/or with movement when it comes to children and phone cameras simply can't compare. That said, it is what it is, and you will still get lots of good photos even if you can't nail every shot.
So focus on a good phone first, as that will be the majority of your photos whether you like it or not. Then buy a big supplemental camera for occasional shots if you really want to. I would go for a smaller form factor mirrorless for convenience, they are still very good.
Edit: bought mine some 4+ years ago, so maybe there are better options now, but I've been very impressed as mentioned. It's the Olympus one, OMD em-10 or something, you know which one I mean.
It's cliche but really you want a phone with easy access to the camera. The Sony Xperia phones with physical camera buttons are good for this.
You'll want to be able to captcha amazing, fleeing moments and then share them with grandparents, back them up to the cloud, etc.
Also, take a bunch of videos. I've seen parents get more pleasure looking at random short videos of their children, capturing behaviors, babbling, crawling, etc which only lasts a few weeks/months (vs static photos).
I will +1 this one, with the proviso that you look at one of the later models, it is now up to the mark VII.
I have had the Mark II for years and couldn't be happy with it. The auto mode does a great job, but it does have the other settings to fiddle with.
The photos do come out better than my S9 for the majority of shots.
The best and cost effective option would be an entry level SLR with a 50mm 1.4 on it.
Depends if it's cropped or not - which an entry level will probably be.
At 50mm you'd need to stand 3-4m back, you wouldnt be able to easily stand above the baby and take a photo.
Possibly the most fun camera to use would be a fuji xt30 + 23mm f/2.
Congratulations.
sony rx100 ii/iii would be okay enough. aif you got iphone 10 or above the portrait mode would work as well.
But regardless of all these your wife will fill up her phone soon with 200 photos per day taken from her mobile. So i’d say save a bit on side for cloud storage 😬
iPhone 11
The quality of the images taken with a flagship mobile phone is nearly identical to an el cheapo SLR.