Stuff Beginner Photographers ACTUALLY Need...
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 พ.ค. 2024
- The first 1000 people to use the link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership: skl.sh/jamespopsys12201
This video was sponsored by Skillshare.
There's lots of talk about the gear that new photographers need. Multiple cameras, dozens of lenses and hundreds of accessories all stuffed into the most expensive camera bag you've ever bought! I don't think you need anything like that amount of photography gear, and in this video I talk through the essentials for a beginner photographer, to turn it from a hobby into an obsession!
0:00 Intro
1:53 Camera Type
6:32 Lens Choices
10:05 Carrying your kit
12:09 Quick Access options
13:46 The key to success
17:27 Sponsor message
Presets: www.jamespopsys.com/store?cat...
The Book: www.jamespopsys.com/store/201...
Prints: www.jamespopsys.com/store
Newsletter sign up: www.jamespopsys.com/newsletter
---
If you would like a print of any photo that appears in one of my videos, please email hello@jamespopsys.com with a screenshot of the image you would like, and the size you would like (A4 = £30 or A3 = £50). These prints are signed but not numbered. Thanks for your support :)
Thank you :)
---
My Gear: www.jamespopsys.com/gear
MUSIC:
I get all my music for the videos from Epidemic Sound. Try it out here: share.epidemicsound.com/v9VD7
![จีเหลี่ยมโคตรตึง!! - Skibidi Toilet 73 (part 2) [FANMADE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MBvD7tKeyPY/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks for the support everyone! You can find me and my stuff here:
👉 Instagram: instagram.com/jamespopsys
👉 Twitter: twitter.com/jamespopsys
👉 Presets, Prints & Books: www.jamespopsys.com/store
👉 Newsletter: www.jamespopsys.com/newsletter
I do not need it and won’t use the link but felt compelled to say thank you.
Which copyright course are you doing on skillshare?
@@Jonathankuchera I'd want James to check me on this, but I think he meant copywriting, not copyrighting.
ooh great! it worked, thank you!
Hi James, Nice video. Can you please share the link to the small storage pouch/sack?.
The most useful tools for outdoors photography are good shoes and a car ! A cheap camera and a good landscape are better than the best camera in a living room !
Yes, for some reasons my $6 000 camera gear hasn't created any good photos (not even a bad one) for the last couple of years just stuck in the camera bag.
Me i wanna go take photos. Jeeps gas tank. No!
@@jenstf I'm always happy to take it off your hands for free 🥺
@@giannimura8870 😂
I've told people who look at expensive cameras that they can nab an old Ricoh GR2 or X100T/F and take a trip to Europe with the money they've saved not getting something bleeding edge and come back with better pictures and experiences they'd have dreamed of.
As someone who is a bit further into my photography I will say that these tips would've been *really* useful for me when I started out!
I completely bought the most expensive camera bag the same week I got my first camera... but I have to say I really use it a lot so it wasn't a bad purchase.
Agree. I luckily did some things he covered, just jumped in to getting g somethings I should've waited on. Still liked the advice.
This is a great video for sure. I was really lucky when I started out to have a good mentor. He advised me to get a Sony a6000 with the 16-55 kit lens which was a great move. I used the kit lens long enough to work out that it was limiting me in low light and that variable aperture was very annoying for shooting in manual. I then bought the 18-105 F4 and a 35mm F1.8 (basically a nifty fifty because of the crop sensor) on a credit card just before my first paid photography gigs and I never looked back! Very much recommend the a6000 or a6100 to anybody starting out
The one tip I can share is to buy used or refurbished from a reputable company. What a cost savings and gives you more bang for your buck. 🥂
And if you don’t like it, you can usually recoup most of your money 🤙
I usually buy refurb I did all of my Nikon gear like that, then when I got my Canon 7Dmkii I did that too.
Now I'm shooting Sony with a a6600 I was going to get the A7iii but a deal on a open box a6600 came up for sale at $300.00 dollars off and I bought it, it was supposed to have minor scratches on it, I didn't see any, wear doesn't bother me, since they end up getting scratches and wear on them anyway.
@@bikecommuter24 I’ve yet to experience a refurbished or used that I opened the box and returned it because of poor quality. Again I buy through reputable dealers only. Merry Christmas.
@@DavidSenteno
Same here I usually use B&H or Adorama.
@@bikecommuter24 Yep. Two good ones.
As a professional photographer for 20 years, it’s great to see some well considered advice for those new to this world. I agree with everything that’s been said here!
Photography is something I’ve always had a passing interest in, my family always said I picked the more interesting photos ok holidays and the like. The sheer volume of “things” you can get for a camera is pretty intimidating tbh, never mind learning the various pros and cons of different lens types. It’s a real rabbit hole! My issue is I love my gadgets and fear once I fall into the rabbit hole it’ll be a financially painful experience lmao.
Don't make my mistake and fall into Astrophotography too, the rabbit hole yawns even wider when you start factoring in telescopes, mounts, and all the accessories for them ontop of the cameras XD
@Quiet Wanderer haha yeah I’ve already looked into stuff like that and decided my pockets weren’t deep enough for a lot of it! Some seriously cool tech there though.
@@timmy3822 a "Star Adventurer Mini", a decent tripod, and a intervolometer can go a long way towards making heaps of nice astro photos.
Admittedly Telescopes only really start to matter when you want to see smaller objects in the sky, moon close ups, or our local Planets, which is deffinitly the rabbit hole that ramps up cost the fastest
@@UNSCPILOT When it comes to hobbies you can be assured that I'll want to do something, that is without prior knowledge the most costly thing to get into. My parents both told me I needed to find a rich lass when I grew up lol. I wanted to be a pilot, I ride a motorcycle... I enjoy building high end PC's and have a "cockpit" set up of sorts for flying in DCS.
Honestly I think I'd be quite happy to start with just getting some decent imagery of the Moon and local planets. In terms of nebula etc I image that's where the massive money is, given how distant they are.
Just buy an old fuji xv100 and see how you like it before actually investing into photography. Also, think about what it is you really want to shoot. If you just want to be like every single photographer on youtube than go for landscapes and the occasional street shot. That style of photography is suppppperr over saturated with bigots and know it alls, but its hands down the easiest medium to shoot since you barely have to think about composition or anything really. Just go out on your backyard during blue or golden hour and snap away. People will suck you dry for basic photos like that. If you get into a unique shooting style (i.e. i shoot skateboarding and derby girls in b&w and if i do a traditional "shoot" i make my composition as abstract as and essentialy go against the grain of what a lot people have to say which in turn creates these photos that have so much depth and character and story) you will be 100x more satisfied from what you learn and produce. Id say instead of looking into cameras, look into the people behind them since that will help guide you towards what youd actually like to shoot. Also, dont let post editing intimidate you. Start simple with just lightroom and some presets and work your through the program. Learn it like the back of your hand and you will have so much fun with it. I keep reading all these cliche wishy-washy stories and makes me cringe so bad. The only tip you need as a beginner is dont be scared. Thats it. You will natrually learn the ins and outs and no matter how many videos like this are made no one can truly tell you what YOU would need. These kind of videos are cancerous honestly.
I would recommend - related to point 5, goals - to pick themes. Some subject that you enjoy shooting and can create a collection of, and that you keep adding to, over time.
This takes some pressure off of you of "having to" get photos with perfect composition, or lighting. As long as you've captured your theme, you feel like you've achieved something. After a while you can create screensavers, calendars, books, around them, which again makes you feel better.
Some themes really helped me remain motivated through the years and in bad photo conditions.
Not gonna lie, this makes me feel better about taking pictures of a lot of the same things on my photo walks.
@@alexandermuncey5409 A few assorted ones are "doors and windows" "reflected self portraits" "my flat in high contrast black & white" "regular patterns in modern architecture".
All (almost) completely independent of weather and lens!
I've collected a series of photos of wildlife, specifically birds!!!
Excellent advice. I love photographing tree trunks, I think they're all beautiful and there is so much texture to capture. I rarely come back from a photo walk without a tree trunk photo to add to my collection :)
For me, it’s lunar and evening/night photography. I’m a trucker and always seeing things in those guilt places recently left forgotten by people.
The tip you gave at the end about liking components of a photo even when you don't like the photo as a whole is great. We need to have a good balance between knowing what we are doing right and knowing that we still have so much to learn.
The need for a goal was a genius addition. And a completely essential thing that many tend to forget/neglect. It's so easy to become lost in one's creative journey if we don't have any milestones or measurable progress. Really good point there, Mr. Popsys.
I really like the calm atmosphere that you convey with your videos.. no music, just clear voice and a good vibe!
I can fully attest to the Creativity boost you get from limitations. When starting out in photography, i was using a borrowed 35mm film camera. and the only lens i had access to was a telephoto zoom lens. i HAD to get super far from my subject to take shots. it made my early portfolio very unique. most of my classmates had a 50mm, but i was stuck at like a minimum of 135. i don't exactly remember. but the limits forced me to be creative. Thanks for this solid info James.
What got me into photography was making prints from negatives in the darkroom. Truly an amazing process
Love how down to earth you are at times keep up the good work James
One thing that I have found out with photography that new photographers have to hear is just being in the right place at the right time! Most of it is honestly just luck! So don’t be discouraged if you haven’t been able to get any good shots. Once you get that ONE really good shot, you’ll be chasing that high again next time you go out!
I would add, move. Just move thru city thru random streets and go to random places, you will find a lot of interesting things
Couldn't agree more. I used to feel sorry for photographers with 'all the gear and no idea' being dropped off at roadside locations in beauty spots near where I used to live. They would invariably be shooting in poor light or nasty grey conditions and I would envisage them spending hours post visit trying to add drama in the editing process. At these same spots and those away from the roadside I have been fortunate to be driving by and having time to capture the most dramatic light or natural weather phenomena by being there at daybreak or just by chance through frequency of travel in the area. So luck, being in the right place at the right time far away from the cities is a tremendous advantage.
Definitely, although obviously there are ways to make your own luck and be able to capitalise on those "perfect shot situations" - like being better at composition to take full advantage of a scene, or not making a stupid mistake (such as messing up the crop, exposure, focus etc).
Ive been into photography for about 4 months now, shooting on my Dad's Fujifilm XT3 with two kit lenses. I've taken some shots I love - yet my best ever photo is still one I took on my phone of an absolutely crazy sunrise a few years ago😂. Yes, I made the effort to get up at about 4am and walk 4km to reach my shoot location - but at the end of the day most of the shot is down to luck
Thanks for this one! Your vid on what not to buy was hugely helpful! I love gear and it would have been so easy to fall into the trap of stuff that would have been beyond my skill level to make any meaningful use of. Plus waiting to figure out what I enjoy most has saved me a bunch too. I think the biggest thing I've learnt from you James is you try to take pictures about something, rather than just off. Not always possible, but really helps with the frame of mind and to think about my compositions! Cheers mate!
Boredom is one of the reasons I tell people starting guitar to buy an electric. When you’re not able to play much, strumming the same few chords can get boring quickly. Keeping people interested when they’re still crap is the goal.
Kit lenses with good ranges are an amazing thing, especially if you take pictures of the homies just being homies.
Always a refreshing way to start my Saturdays. Stay warm, James. Rock on!
A lot of my early photography was connected with walking so my preferred camera carrying method was a holster carried over the shoulder. It was instantly accessible, protected the camera and had room for the basic accesories like lens cloth, battery & memory card. They don't seem fashionable any more but I still use one in combination with a dedicated bag for extra lenses, tripod (sorry I swore) and filter system. I do believe that always having the camera accessible is really important.
Lots of great ideas in this video not only for a new photographer, but for someone who has been doing photography for a while.
I still love my 50mm. It's cheap, sharp and the images look fantastic.
Nifty 50's are great if you want to try astrophotography too, step it down a stop or two and you can get amazing pictures of space with some trial error, and lots of TH-cam tutorials
@@UNSCPILOT Really 🤔? What about f-stop? What would you recommend for astrophotography?
@@Xgil2Play lower F-stop is better obviously, ie F/1.8, but you may need to stop it down as much as F/4 to get proper sharpness across the image.
I'm just a noobie myself though so looking up some "DSLR Astrophotography" videos is probably good be a good bet
Thanks James. For my camera bag in a camera bag I started using either a soft sided lunch bag with a zipper lid and I am also using an old shaving kit bag both of which I found laying around the house. Nobody guesses you are carrying around some expensive equipment and fits easily in my back pack.
Enjoy being a new dad.
This is a great video for relieving gear anxiety. The fact that sticking to specific focal length within a compact zoom is still a good option when starting out (I got a lx100ii second hand but have been giving side eyes at a second hand gx9, and I think I should leave that well alone for a good year).
I have to say, I truly enjoy your videos, very clever and funny. No matter the content, I have appreciated the craftsmanship of every one I’ve seen since discovering the channel a few weeks ago. Thanks!
As a newbie in photography this is the best video I have seen
Thank you so much for not putting down beginners! Ive been watching a lot of beginer videos, and all of them have been putting their beginner photography down so hard, and i know its just cause theyve learned, but as a beginner seeing these beautiful photos their ridiculing while i compare them to my own. it just makes me feel so unmotivated. So thank you for not being like that, and focusing more on the fun of the hobby! Youve for sure helped me 💚
I've really enjoyed watching your videos! You're delivery method and confidence in sharing "outtakes" throughout your videos just make them feel more authentic and genuine. I feel like we could have a great conversation over a pint.
Y’know, sometimes (often) I find myself skipping through the beginning banter of videos like this, But man, you’re just a charming dude, idk how else to put it. Very natural on camera presence, I could watch it all day. First camera/photography channel I’ve subscribed to. Great stuff man :)
There is a bunch of things I find that are super helpful. Particularly starting out.
- Prime lens cause they are usually smaller so it is not as awkward to quickly pull out your camera when you don't have a massive zoom lens on it.
- a messenger bag reduces the number steps to pull camera. It is surprising how much taking a backpack off your back discourages people from taking photos.
Started 8months ago with D50 kit lens and a 50mm nifty fifty all for around £120. Had great results. Getting a D7000 and a wide angle next for around £300. The main thing that helped 1 TH-cam 2 your channel 3 always in my thoughts taking a photo about something not of something. Thanks james
Cheers Richard! So great to hear 👍🏻😃
Enjoy that d7000, tough little camera.
D7000 is a really great choice.. good luck
The prime lens is definitely a good lens to get. Before I got my camera, I thought that there was no way I was gonna spend money on a focal length I already have on the kit lens, but then I was asked to shoot photos at Christmas, inside, with kids running around. Obviously shooting fast moving objects in low light without getting blur is not an easy equation to solve. I ended up raising the ISO higher than anyone should feel comfortable and I got usable photos, but not ones you should look too closely. A week later, I got the prime lens.
i have only watched the first couple of minutes of the video so far and im going to go out on a limb and say "No tripods were mentioned in the making of this video"
Brilliant content, not enough people talk about how to start out and how to make sure you keep taking photos
Great recommendations!! These are definitely MUST HAVES for photographers!
I was a new photographer forty five years ago. I pretty much followed your five steps. I’m stuck on step five, setting goals as my goalposts seem to keep shifting. Super content as always. I haven’t got my print framed yet as the frame I wanted is out of stock until the new year. Best to you and Emily.
Thanks so much Mate! Much appreciated!
Thanks, James. I think you might be able to expand “creamy bokeh” into its own video.
Great advice for beginners. I upgraded my bag and got a peak design clip and it has really made a world of difference for my photo-taking experience because it typically involves hiking.
Now choosing candles that remind us of our favorite movies is an innovative thing. Now I’m going to be browsing the candle section of stores smelling candles and thinking: “Does this smell like Luke’s X-wing?” Or “It says ‘leather’, but I’m thinking it’s Indiana Jones’ briefcase”.
Another good tip for a beginner is not to ignore buying second hand gear. When looking for what James would consider the T swear word (tripod), I went for what would have been an expensive option if not for second hand. In all the camera (bodies, lenses, tripods and stuff) I have only bought one body new. All the second hand gear I bought them from reputable camera shops, both my local - an excellent and invaluable source of advice - and online would have been out of my price range.
Great video. One thing that I think is absolutely critical when considering a camera is comfort. Does it fit well in your hand? Is it too heavy? Are the buttons easy to get to? There have been a few cameras that I did NOT purchase because they failed in one or more of the above criteria.
Absolutely. You need to hold the camera before you buy it. People's hands aren't all the same size and some people are much more sensitive to camera weight than others. Caveat: less of an issue if you're mainly interested in tripod work.
Good tips, especially the part about the bag, you wouldn't believe the number of shots I have missed due to not having the camera easily accessible, next stage, get a flash, unless you decide on landscape, learning lighting is also fun, off camera flash, backlighting, HSS and so on.
For a strap I recommend peak design as per the video with the quick release pegs, they have become somewhat iconic.
You seem very genuine, it comes across in your videos. Thank you for making this!
Also I think it's a great to get vintage lenses from back when cameras used film. Especially when owning a mirrorless camera adapters are abundant and cheap, and so are the lenses. You can get a Helios 44-4 50mm with amazing and unique bokeh for around 50 bucks depending on where you live.
It lacks auto focus, however this could also be considered a challenge to make you better at photography in general.
I looked up prime lenses for the Sony E mount and they are quite expensive, very few options below $200 when used however all 3 of my vintage lenses combined cost about $200 and I got a 50mm f2 prime, 135mm f3,5 prime and a 35-70mm f3,5, which lets me try out a lot of different lenses without spending significant amounts. On top of that, since these lenses are old, they really don't loose any value unless damaged, so if you don't like one, chance are you can just sell it to someone else without loosing money. Give vintage lenses a try, they're insanely good for how little you have to spend
This is the first video I've seen of yours, and while you didn't seem keen to make it, I'm glad you did. You're funny and informative. Subscribed!
I love the light setup and the set itself. Thanks for you video mate
Love watching your videos, always great fun! 👍
Really useful tips, real world, practical ones. They were truly appreciated, so, thank you so much for sharing. Be watching that video on camera bags later today. Again, thank you for this. Take care out there.
first video ive seen from this guy, i love him. his humor is great
Great video!
As to goals, I think the first thing would be, "Did I have an enjoyable time or at least a moment?" Much like your fishing example, if you have a bad time at it, not much of a hobby. Second thing, did I do something new or learn or apply something with a modicum of success? Along that last line, did I achieve what I was attempting? Hitting any of those can make the time spent worthwhile, the more the better. The goal is always to please yourself with the results of your efforts.
My suggestion, at least in my experience is to buy lenses for what you're trying to shoot most.
Macro primes - for shooting close up
Portrait primes - 35mm and 50mm
Other primes - higher than 50mm
Telephoto 55 - 200mm or higher
All in one lens 18 - 105mm or higher
Super wide angle primes - anything below 18mm and wide 18-28mm
I'm a Nikon guy, so I listed lenses with common focal lengths for this brand.
Also consider getting lens hoods, helps a lot with light distortions in highly lit up environments and a polarizer filter. You don't need all kinds of crazy filters, they're a waste of money. Most filters will slightly ruin your image, so get a good quality one to reduce it to a bare minimum.
I thought wide angle was anything below 35mm? Im new and a little confused by whats wide angle because everyone seems to use a different mm as what wide angle starts at
@@resevil2396 Sorry I was meant to say "super wide". 18 to let's say 28mm is pretty wide, and below that you're in super wide territory.
It's incredible how toxic social media can be for the people that actually love to create and share. Photography and the tips you shared can help you learn how to be enough for yourself.
Learning how to receive feedback and grow from it takes a lot of time: don't rush it.
I'd also like to share that getting the 50mm prime as my first non-kit lens helped me really enjoy photography. The kit lens on the A7II is slow and soft, and seeing that I could achieve that depth of field with the 1.8 aperture really woke something in me. I'd almost recommend to buy the body only, a used 50mm lens, then get a used zoom lens as soon as you feel that your feet can't zoom in or out enough in the situations where you take the most pictures.
Thanks for the video.
The moment when you started looking around and didn’t know why had me in tears, that was hilarious 😂
Good vibes 🤙
I have to say that this video was exceptionally nice to watch. The sound, the look, the atmosphere and the down to earth feeling youre giving me. Its just not like youre trying to force your knowledge onto me and instead somehow feels like you are telling a Story. Incredibly catchy and calming :)
My beginners camera was the Panasonic Fz2500 bridge - fixed zoom lens - Leica f 2.8~4.5, 24~480mm, flip out touch monitor that's fully integrated with the menu & camera. Just like a DSLR in many technical ways but it's most endearing feature being . . . FUN factor ! & ease of use in one package - grab and go ! By the time I was ready to move on to the G9, I had a pretty good understanding of the new camera's operation.
Those clips are GREAT! I shoot so much more now that I have one. It lets me comfortably carry camera at the ready in all sorts of circumstances from urban street to action on skis or hikes. I keep the strap so when camera in my hands it is still safe from drops. The clip just keeps camera stowed and ready to draw in a way that doesn't flop around when I'm moving. HIGHLY endorse the clip.
I got the G85 with the 12-60 kit lens and very happy. Great video and commentary.
Gott the cuff and slide strap, the cuff definitely helped me use my camera more and also getting a good prime helped
I started out with a camera and 2 kit lenses, 18-55 and 75-300, they were actually pretty good lenses considering. I then pretty quickly got a 50 and I’ve since sold my kit lenses for upgrades, 12-24 and 70-200. Still got my original camera body. And I just use a backpack, the bottom of it is designed for cameras etc and the top is just a normal backpack, would definitely recommend
My first dslr was a 6 megapixel, 17 year-old D70 and I don’t regret it since it was easy too use and develop my skill. I paired it with a 18-55.
The first lens I'm buying is a fisheye 🤙 skate photography is going to be my jam. Camera is coming today, finally!
"zoom with your feet" lol, I love that
Great presentation and scene. Made it easy to watch and we'll delivered. Cheers
Hi, i just wanted to say that i really love your channel! useful videos presented in a warm, relaxed tone! helo from Eastern Europe!
Why not paint your wall chroma-key green and project a nice Wales landscape behind you when weather is preventing you from filming outside? ;-D
I like your thinking 😂
Or get a green screen to roll up on those bad weather days when you wanted to be out. Keep the present wall as is, like it as an alternative "moody ina good way" color
Always inspiring no matter what the subject, thanks James!
Thanks Miles :)
Great video! I went into viewing this video with the mindset of being a beginner who just bought their first camera and it is greatly accurate. Also, i go by the same goal, each time I am out I wont come home until I have atleast 1 keeper. Have to set goals
I gotta say I really love the light you have behind your head
Thanks for the positive energy this morning. -Elaine J.
Another great and inspirational video James! For a moment I thought that was a G80 until I saw those three buttons lined up haha! I had my G80 now for 7 months and love it more and more every day :)
Your lighting is amazing!!
May I also suggest vintage lenses? They’re super cheap and helps understand different lenses.
Having a micro 4/3 sensor changes the focal lengths a lot in older lenses. I wish I had chosen the dslr version of my cannon instead of the mirrorless to keep more of my vintage lenses useable.
@@b1991romaz91 I'm sure there are adapters available for the mirrorless camera
@@Faizan_Shaikh there are speedbooster adapters that convert the lenses down to a very similar focal length equivalent. However the extra glass can cause more glare spots from light source, amongst other issues. They also tend to be double or triple the price of a full frame adapter. Its not all bad, but just an extra thing to consider when you're buying a camera to use with vintage glass.
@@b1991romaz91 Most old lenses are 35mm, even on APS-C sensors they are perfectly usable. A 50mm full frame ends up being 30mm.
The last tip is the MOST useful tip i heard
It really did step up my photography game w it
I bought one of those Crumpler inserts from B&H (an experience in itself!) years ago on a trip to NY. It's an incredibly useful little bag for turning any bag into a camera bag. Nice and stealthy way to carry a camera.
I also tried them but went for Tenba wraps because the inserts takes too much place in a bag while the wrap is flat
On M4/3 I started out with vintage lenses, to better learn about depth of field with fast lenses from the past. Of course, I paired this with a decent focal reducer...not the best in the business...but a decent one for about $70-100 bucks. In is important to start with a focal reducer with a conversion mount that manages a broad vintage choice. To start, I went with the M42 mount to M4/3. With this mount, I was able to use lenses from Pentax (Super Takumar), Industar, Helios, Jupiter. A decent 28mm/f2.8 will run about $50. For M4/3, this will have a full frame equivalent focal length of (2x28mm)x.72 = 40mm (for street shooting, landscapes). The full frame nifty-50 vintage on M4/3: (2x50mm)x.72 = 72mm (decent for portraits). 50/1.8's stopped down to 2 or 2.8 tend to get pretty sharp from the greats (Canon, Pentax Tak, Konica Hexanon, Nikon Nikkor, etc.). The Helios 58/2 produces incredible bokeh, with a swirly effect.
Over the last 10 years I moved to even faster vintage lenses (28/2, 50/1.2, loads of 50/1.4, 85/2, etc.). Unfortunately, these deals are getting rarer and the prices have crept upwards over the last 4 years. Nevertheless, finding local deals (estate sales, garage sales, flea markets) is a fun way to discover hidden gems on the cheap. Sometimes, they are paired with an old SLR or rangefinder...where the gem of a lens is hidden within an old camera deal.
Always take care to look at the lens quality. Is there excessive oil on the diaphragm blades; do they operate across their specified range. Does the focusing mechanism work or need to be cleaned/greased? Is the glass clean, uncloudy, and clear of fungus (shine a flashlight through the rear of the lens to expose fungus, which can impact photo quality). Take care to inspect the lens for scratches, especially deep scratches. Scratches on the rear of the lens element are the most problematic. A damaged lens on the cheap is still a damaged lens. Some fungus cannot be corrected with a full breakdown/cleaning, if the coatings have been permanently etched by the fugus itself.
Just my two-cents as an amateur shooter.
Good advice. Especially the streamlining process and convenience factors. Thanks.
I bought my first camera today. I'm super excited, but also apprehensive about maybe not being very good. Your video was really helpful & calming. I like your personality >,
Thank you so very much for this video. I never thought about #5 Goals in such a way. I am going to put this into practice because I think it will help me figure out if I am seeing improvement.
This is a useful video with a clear explanation of what I am looking for! I have used different brands, from Canon to Olympus Mark 5 II, as I went further into photography, I started to get 'bored' and unsatisfied with the images that a kit lens can produce. This video clearly states the next upgrade of the route you should choose focal length vs Telephoto lens and drive deep into it.
Personally, I will be choosing the telephoto lens, as I mainly use it for travelling.
An intelligent primer for the photography beginner, concisely presented with a touch of humor. And nice lighting on the video.
Great advice! I started enthusiast photo taking supposedly like10 years ago but I really only got heavily into it this year. Here are my tips for what helped:
- Like you said a goal is useful. For me, the best kind of goal is a very simple: I will try to post a photograph every day on instagram. It is a private instagram so it is purely for like me and the few family members who follow it, but it usually makes me take the camera out every day (though I have gotten a bit lazy as of late .... but overall almost everyday since like March I have taken and uploaded a photo!)
- I find having primes really helps. That way I can just slap one on the camera, go out and then use a different one (tbh it helps in my case that I started a vintage lens collection so I have more incentive to just keep rotating lenses and mucking about with them).
- Have a bag with easy access like a Messenger style bag, even an inexpensive ~$30-$40 one should suffice. The main reason is that a lot of camera bags like my older "more professional" shoulder bag bury the camera pretty deep so it can be a touch annoying to get it out. The faster you get the camera out of bag, the more likely you are to use it in my experience. (For longer, heavier trips, definitely use a backpack though, your shoulders will die otherwise).
- Could not agree more about the strap. Upgrading away from the Nikon strap to some third party one was the best, most comfort inspiring, decision I made (very late) into my dslr career. Nowadays on my mirrorless camera I just use a hand strap (the peak design one) and put the camera away in the bag when I am doing shooting.
- If you are indoors a lot, a macro lens or at least extension tubes really help keep the interest in taking photos
- When it comes to cellphones I think the most useful thing to learn first is how to change the exposure of the camera on the go (with that compensation slider), just that small thing I find gives me a lot more control over how I want the photo to look
Thank you for the tips!
I am not new to photography, have been doing it all my life...general nature, landscape, some wildlife. This older video popped up and TH-cam so I watched. I think you gave great advice regarding kit lens and primes. I have been watching your other videos and really enjoy your combining mans structure in the environment. Love your simplicity of not letting a ton of gear burden you down and the simplicity of one lens. How in the hell you don't go bankrupt buying all those cameras has me perplexed, but please keep doing those great videos with your flare for wit. That is missing from TH-camrs here in the states.
When you start out with the kit lens, you have an excellent lens for social occations. Which should keep the interest going.
I'm watching this at 11 pm and your voice is lowkey soothing with headphones on
What a good video. I shared it with a friend that is interested in getting an interchangeable. Also, I got tired of carrying a mobile suitcase with all my gear. I have since gone back to my smaller carry that holds my W/A, my zoom and my camera with my 50mm prime attached. It all fits perfectly. and carries smaller items also.
Great video, lots of sense and good advice. The three lenses you show are in the Lumix GX9 kit I got and they really make great sense.
He was so excited and happy about that candle at first 😂😂
I think you also forgot to mention the price of the 50mm being another reason for that to be your first lens to buy!
Also - extra batteries and memory cards!
Love my nifty 50 to bits, so much more fun than the basic 18-55 kitlens, looking to get the EF-S 24mm f2.8 to partner with it for wider angle shots, especially for Astrophotography which is what lured me into getting a camera to begin with
I subscribed because of your personality. The first minute, you sold me your unique personality haha not even the content yet. Cheers man. Keep up with the good content. Thanks!
Lovely video! Simple and easy to digest!
I love my kit lens that came with my Canon Dslr. I only use two lenses, Canon EFS 18 to 55mm kit zoom and used Tamron EF 70 to 200mm Zoom. I enjoy my photography, because my expectations aren't thru the roof, what I photograph and how I do it isn't based on some one else's opinion or judgements or so called expertise. You don't have to spend a ton of money to enjoy photography on stuff you don't need, enjoy photography your own way, no matter what gear you have (or paid fot it).
This was helpful. Thank you.
my first purchase for my camera was a 50 prime and it was the best thing I could have gotten for it. It is by far the cheapest lens I own and one of my favorites to use. I found that the options it provided over the kit lens were well worth the trade off of not having more options for focal length.
Your personality is freaking hilarious. I just went and watched all the videos you recommended that you did in the past related to this subject and I can't stop laughing. Great content, very entertaining, you are the man.
My favorite lens for my D7200 is the 35mm 1.8 APS-C lens. I got an 18-140mm VR lens with the camera, which I also enjoy. I occasionally use the 70-300mm VR and 10-20mm VR. I love my Lowepro ProTactic 350 AW (first version), but the USA Gear S17 is a quality photography bag that is cheaper. I enjoy the Blackrapid straps, but I mainly use their backpack strap as it works well for when I take photos. I've been doing almost no photo taking this year though, but I have decided to start learning some post processing through Luminar (and I will try other options with no subscription).
I did got my first camera Panasonic LUMIX G DMC-G81 + 12-60mm + 75-300 + 2 Prime, i am happy with it
Overall, some very nice advices for beginners. :)
On the camera part, it could be enhanced a bit - mainly, that there are always compromises and that someone should choose the camera that feels confortable with (viewfinder, accessible controls, touch screen or lack thereof, menu system). There is no perfect camera, but there are many individual good fits.
On the storage part, I thought that an external drive was going to be recommended (instead, it was a bag...). I feel that a backup disk is also important (and there are some small and affordable drives out there), so that the photos can be stored somewhere besides the computer. My photos may be rubbish, but I am scared of the though of loosing them because my PC suddenly looks at me funny and needs to be formated! Besides that, RAW files take a lot of space and it really is better to take RAW+Jpeg whenever possible, so that there are more possibilities to retouch the photos (either to compensate the middle grey view of the camera or to do something artistic with it).
My first camera was a Canon PowerShot SX60 HS. It isn't a dlsr but the amount of zoom it's got is unbelievable. It's got a really good wide angle too. I still use the camera actually
Nice video, James! My number of photos (and therefore the number of good photos) significantly increased when I bought me the Cosyspeed Camslinger Outdoor, a hip bag for the camera! You can even wear it with a backpack. It was the best investment (besides the camera 😁).
In regard to lenses, that sort of trio does make a great starting place. I use m43 and got the super budget Olympus 40-150 f4 for under 100. And the truth is that the image quality is amazing; despite the modest aperture, it has a pretty large front element and really captures lovely lighting and micro-contrast. I really don't use the kit lens because it's just not that interesting to shoot with. But, having a telephoto that works great for birds, portraits, etc along with a nifty 50 covers a lot of nice basics.
love the tips about staying interested as the last time i spent $2k on a camera i had no goals etc and just didnt feel the need to keep using the big camera and went back to my phone!
Smashed the like button as soon as you moved the candle 2 inches into the frame 🤣
😂😂