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.
I second the Fuji X100 series, phenomenal camera, definitely can pick up second hand in your price range and just a wonderful camera to carry around and use. Beautiful wide 35mm equivalent f/2.0 lens with built in ND filter. I've had the X100S for the past five years or so and it hasn't made me want another camera which is amazing in itself. The only time I want a different camera when i don't want to carry one, i.e. when i use my phone!
A lot of phone photographers with loud (mostly incorrect) opinions.
No phones are still not as good as a SLR camera. Unless you are shooting in a fully lit situation. When then… no.
A crop sensor (mid tier SLR) is not going to produce effectively the same image as a full frame sensor or larger. irrespective of light, but it is the major benefit of the bigger sensor.
Yes lenses make a huge difference and prime lenses + adequately difused lighting is recommended.
If you are picking up an SLR for the first time. But a second hand crop sensor camera with a prime lense 50mm f1.8/f1.4 or 35mm f1.4 are both okay for an amateur.
If you plan on using this camera long term. Consider a mirrorless camera. Portability trumps quality for amateur photographers. Massive fan of Sony rx100 series for true amateurs.
Portability trumps quality for amateur photographers.
So phone cameras then?
Depends. Going to take photos at the park? Then yes definitely. If you want to take photos of your baby in a cot with downlights. Definitely not.
Get a compact like the RX100. Small, pocketable and more likely to be used than a bulky dslr.
Otherwise just use your phone.
I had an rx100 but I still preferred my phone camera. The difference in photo quality was barely noticeable to me. Cheap gear is not gonna be that much different from a phone camera for 90% of situations
You couldn't go wrong with any DSLR from a reputed manufacturer. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Pentax, etc. What actually matters is the lens that you stick onto the camera.
Your main requirement is to take photos of a baby, and most of it I suppose will be indoors. Also considering your budget here, I'd get an entry level Canon DSLR and a fixed focal lens (aka "prime lens") with a low f number (lower the f number, larger the aperture). Something like an entry level Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 stm.
Sony A9 II if your baby is super fast.
The pros of DSLR are original RAW unprocessed files and many type of lens. Photos taken from phones might look nice but they are highly processed and details are loss. My 11 years old canon 450D with cheap 50mm 1.8 lens still take better photos than modern phones.
Sony rx series, does it come up to mk6 or 7 these day already? Much better than phone affordable, easy to carry
Most of the time when your baby is doing something cute and you want to get a photo, your nice SLR is going to be packed away in a safe place and you won't have time to go get it.
What camera will end up getting used? Your phone camera, so make sure you have a decent phone.
Also get some photos professionally done while your baby is still a newborn, the pros know their shit and you will get some amazing pics.
OP, enjoy the parenthood and use your smart phone as it is convenient.
Should have put up a poll. Put the money into a bond and send the kid to a good school instead!
Since babies don't move all that quickly, a used Canon 70/80D with a used Canon EF85 1.8 or a EF50mm 1.4 prime lens would more than suffice. These should be achievable well below your budget. A decent prime lens on a cheapo DSLR body does wonders.
I'm not a fan of the nifty fifty (Canon 50mm 1.8). I've seen many well cared for used 50mm 1.4 for under $300. The difference in sharpness and bokeh will be extremely noticeable
Are you talking about the old plasticky 1.8's? The current STM version with the metal mount is tits.
As someone who did this, I feel like I can give an opinion that might help you think. I can't recommend you a camera but I can give you a holistic approach to this as it can be a fair bit of money.
The main advantages of a DSLR or mirrorless will be the quality, being able to swap lens (different focal lengths) and using accessories (eg a proper, off camera flash and lighting). If those sound necessary to you, or you plan to invest money and time into this, it can work out well! Another major point to consider is, if you do travel a lot and don't mind bringing the camera with you, it'll also be really good for travelling and taking better pictures (eg of scenery).
Quality wise, you will be able to print pictures from a DSLR to a large canvas, and it will generally be nicer than a camera phone. Swapping lens allows for different usage scenarios (eg I take pictures of my kids playing from very far away to get more candid shots).
A lot of studios, especially the ones that take baby pictures, will use lighting to create more dramatic pictures.
If you already have a nice smartphone with a good camera (if you don't, this can also be something to consider), will have different advantages. For example, I use Google photos to back up all my photos of my kids whenever I have wifi. This is super handy compared to a DSLR where you will have to transfer them from your memory card to your PC and then store them securely elsewhere, whether that's on the cloud or hard drives. The cloud is also extremely handy to show pictures of your kids to others anywhere you have internet. I often show my kids pictures of when they were younger, and I simply don't have that flexibility on my mirrorless. Smartphone pictures are also quite nice if you don't find a need to print them or use accessories. It will be a lot cheaper than investing in a whole new camera setup.
There's also the whole issue of portability. I do take my mirrorless camera to the park but I don't do it every time we go out, whereas I do bring my phone. Trust me, no matter how often you think you'll do it, it'll be less than that.
There's a lot more to discuss but I'm on my phone and can't finish typing it all up so I'll edit this properly at home.
I bought a DSLR - mucked around with it at home and brought it to one holiday where it was hardly used and that is it.
With a newborn and all that goes with it, keeping another gadget charged was the last thing on my mind.
Packing for going out with the pram, nappy bag, sterilised bottles plus the million other things that go with it, the camera never made it out of the house.
I would agree with those suggesting a good phone camera, you'll always have it with you, those priceless moments like your kid deciding to pee while lying down getting changed will never get caught by an SLR.
I managed to capture the last bits of his pee landing on his face with my phone and I can now put it in his wedding slideshow for the future :)
iphone 11 will do, unless you really trying to pick up the skin pores in full detail
The moments matter more than the quality in my opinion, assuming the quality isn't total shit. which most phones are fine for, moments need instant whip out and snap.
Ofcourse new borns don't do much suddenly, but later on, when they turn 6 months+
Don't get all super photographer mode - do yourself a favour and include yourself in some photos too!
A good photographer can use any camera and can still produce a great image, unless ofc if you associate great image with pixel or resolution :s
Don't listen to all these people saying that your phone is "good enough". Do you want your precious once in a lifetime moments captured on some rinky dink fraction of a centimetre sensor? Hell no! Memories like these deserve the absolute best. I suggest getting the 100 megapixel Phase One XF.
Get a DSLR and cart it around with all your baby gear. Lol.
Rgds,
A parent with 4yo and 1yo.
Edit: Don't put the DSLR in the same bag as the yoghurt and fruit purees.
Canon G7X on the used market will be perfect for your needs. An SLR will only be advantageous for responsive shutter and real time viewfinder which is best for sports or moving subjects.
We have a Canon 70D for special occasions and milestones. Use the standard lens in normal daylight and 35mm for beautiful indoor and night portraits. I also have a Canon G7X II for everyday use since it's more portable. I currently have a S10+ and I still think its camera is not comparable to the 70D and G7X. Oh and make sure you take both photos and videos. It's the videos of them laughing and their first words that you'll watch over and over again.
We got a NIKON 3200 slr some time after my daughter was born 8 years ago with two multifocal lenses and later bought a cheap 50mm lens. Don't regret it at all.
Right now my wife and I have p30 pro and Mate 20 pro respectively. Both excellent camera phones. In some ways the phone camera outshines the SLR in terms of everyday cool photos. But in terms of well lit, well framed photos.. E. G light shining in through the window the phone camera doesn't really come close.
We absolutely cherish those photos we took with the Slr. We also only just now can afford the top end phones - total cost altogether $1600 or so. The slr was around 500 I think.
just get a good camera phone…are you going to take a slr around all day? best to use camera phone
also dont post every single picture up on facebook.
Depends on if you only care what the photos will look like on facebook or if you want to print decent sized photos. I've taken great photos on my phone but when you view them on the computer and start zooming in you realize the quality isn't so great. If you're after a camera I'd suggest a Nikon D3500 with a kit lens (18-55) or spend an extra couple of hundred and get a 50mm F1.8
price ranges: $400-$600 and $600-$800. $800-$1000.
Why couldn't you just say $400 - $1000??? Are you high or too excited for the new born??
I agree with people here, are you willing to charge your SLR battery every time before you take a photo, take the camera out of it's bag, put on the lens, or just use the mobile that's always in your pocket and ready to shoot the perfect moment?
Anyone saying you have to charge an SLR battery every time you take a photo has clearly never used a SLR. The batteries are low discharge. Even if i haven't touched my LP-E6 in months, the battery holds charge. You can get generics for cheap online as a backup.
I'm with many others - the best camera on earth is the one you have with you. Which is most likely your phone. But if you want to set up for holidays and birthdays - there are many suggestions above.
You're probably not even reading comments because of all the negative Nellys on here. But a decent camera would be a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera with a 50mm lens. They're really good for portraits.
Something similar to a Sony a6000 etc. Great cameras to dab your foot into photography.
Everyone has their opinion, let me offer my $0.02 also :)
Honestly, just use your phone and setup Google photo for unlimited auto backup (better yet, if you have the newer iPhones your unlimited photo backup will be the original quality). Your newborn will take most of your time soon and you won't have time to setup backups, transferring from your SLR to your PC etc etc. Also in my personal experience it is not a good idea to wave around a clunky huge object around your wife after she gave birth :)
Personally, a second hand full frame DSLR such as a d610 and a 50mm prime such as the Nikon 50mm 1.8. about 1k all up
You can also consider mirrorless like the Sony Alpha 6000 range
I think for convenience a phone is great with decent quality shots. I bought my wife the 512gb iPhone XS Max on launch for that reason. It’s convenient and efficient. We already have a slr Nikon d5100 and while it’s still superior to the phone in every way it’s not practical enough to take photos routinely.
If the photos are just going on social media, then save your money and use sh*tty filters.
Get the cheapest slr you can find and pair it with a nifty fifty (50 1.8) lens… That should get you the results you are after and shouldn't be an expensive combo either. Easy better that any mobile in the market Atleast
You won’t be getting a camera for just the first few months and you will be using the camera for a few years at least. So it is important to think about the following:
Therefore, it is better to get a very good point and shoot that can do fast AF and capture while it is still light.
I would recommend the Sony RX100M7.
Congrats on the new born
No doubt an SLR would take high quality photos but the thing is, and I'm speaking for myself here so your experience may vary, but my bub is 5 months old and we have not taken a single photo on my wifes SLR or my RX100 yet.
We did however do a maternity shoot with a professional and might go back to her for a 6 month shoot.
I think we will start using our proper cameras when bub is a bit older but by then I think I want to use something like an Osmo Pocket for action vids.
Every other photo we have taken thus far has been taken in the moment with my Pixel 4 XL or my wifes S10+ as both phones are always near by and have camera shorts cuts. I can pick up my phone and have the camera app open and ready to shoot by the time the phone is raised to my line sight. I think by the time we got our cameras alot of these candid in the moment shots would've been missed.
When you are looking back and sending out the 100's of photos you've been able to take from your phone to family members and friends, I doubt any of them will be sitting around circle jerking about picture quality and mega pixels. Heck I doubt many would even be looking at them on a computer screen to be able to comment on the quality.
The best camera, hands down, would be the one you have with you 😊
Personally, I'm a massive fan of the Fujifilm X100f can pick it up for less than 1000 on the second hand market. It looks awesome, takes amazing photos and is really quite compact.
Downside for some is the fixed lens which is actually one of the features i like most. I just carry the camera everywhere with me :)