Looking for your first camera? Look no further. I'll guide you through all the best cameras for beginners so you can make an informed first choice, without all the hassle. After some lengthy research I've narrowed it down to 3 choices for you, from the 3 leading brands (Sony, Nikon and Canon). First thing to talk about is what you should be looking for.
A camera that can shoot in manual
Shooting in manual simply means being able to control the camera settings yourself. While this might sound quite intimidating now. This is definitely something you will want to start doing later down the line. Don't limit your creativity!
Interchangeable lenses
Same thing as before, if your camera doesn't have interchangeable lenses you will be limiting yourself! As you get more into your photography, you are bound to want a different lens for different kinds of shots. Personally I bring 4 out every shoot and own 5! If you want to jump the gun a bit and get some with your camera I have wrote about some lenses (and why you would want them) you can check out here.
Something that's easy to use
You don't want to go all out and burst your bank account buying all the top gear. That would be like learning to drive in an f1 car! Get something reasonable, cameras aren't particularly cheap anyway so bare that in mind. You are likely to get completely overwhelmed if you get something top of the range, much better to get something smaller and easier to understand.
Good Image Quality
With what I said before, keep in mind you still want something with a great image quality. There's not much point getting something a bit better than your phone. Get a high megapixel count (mp) and a nice sized sensor. Don't worry too much about looking into all of that though. I've done all the hard work for you- just check out these recommendations!
Canon 4000D
Canon are renowned for the colours their cameras can capture. No other brand can match this. Every canon on this list will have that in common, and as an edge over other brands. The 4000D is a great starter camera for beginners. Lets take a look why...
I've cut out all the jargon and explained everything!
18 megapixels - Good megapixel count get some high res!
ISO: 100-6400, expandable to 12800- Good ISO range, this will help you take photos in low light conditions.
Lens mount: Canon EF/EF-S- You can change lenses and later down the line put the more top end canon lenses in if you want to (and the lower end too). This is something that the 4000D has over the other two cameras in this list.
LCD size: 2.7″- Good sized screen on the back for viewing your photos.
Max shutter speed: 1/4000 sec- This will help you capture fast moving subject eg birds. 1/4000 is fast!
Weight (inc. batteries): 436 g - Not heavy at all, in fact a really light camera.
All in all the 4000d has really got a lot going for it. It ticks all the boxes from above, in terms of what you should be looking for. The weight and size is amazing too, I mean to fit all of that into something that weighs less than half a kilogram, crazy! So, if you want to grab yourself an all in all fantastic piece of kit with canons awesome colours then click here!
Nikon D3500
Nikon are famed for their performance in low light. After using Nikons for event photography, like weddings and even in nightclubs I can confirm this. It's always going to get dark and if you want something to help you capture those special moments in dim lit areas, go for a Nikon. Not only are they great with low light, they are highly competitive with all the other leading brands in every area. There are good reasons they have been at the top for so long!
Anyway, heres the jargon free explanation...
24.2 Megapixels - Impressive megapixel count for an entry level camera, you'll get some really high quality photos
ISO range: 100 to 25,600 - Amazing ISO range so you can take photos in low light conditions
Lens mount: Nikon F - Ability to change lenses and get some new ones in the future, although you won't be able to fit Nikons top lenses in
LCD: 3.0-inch fixed - Great sized screen for viewing your photos
Max shutter speed: 1/4000 sec- This will help you capture fast moving subject eg birds. 1/4000 is fast!
Weight: 415g (inc batteries) - Slightly lighter than the very light Canon 4000d. A very easy camera to carry around!
The Nikon D3500 is a little more pricey than the 4000D but has some really cool features. The high megapixel count means you are going to have exceptional image quality, along with the great performance in low light. This is a fantastic starter camera for someone who wants to get into wedding/ event photography. Get yours here!
Sony A6000
Sony are relatively new to camera manufacturing, but when they came to the market they definitely stirred it up and took it by storm. Sony cameras have incredible performance in comparison to their competitors. They have all the "twirls and whistles" attached to them. The A6000 is one of the older cameras in their range, however the price and the capabilities are exceptional.
24.3 Megapixels - Another awesome high megapixel camera, giving you some real quality!
ISO range : 100-25600 - Amazing ISO range, Sony claim that ISO 100-800 is noise free! That means no noise (grain in the photos) in low light conditions!
Lens mount: Sony E - Ability to change lenses not to Sony's top range though.
LCD: 3.0-inch, 3 way tilt - Great screen size, the 3 way tilt is very useful and makes shooting a lot easier.
Max shutter speed: 1/4000 sec- This will help you capture fast moving subject eg birds. 1/4000 is fast!
Weight: 468g (inc batteries) - All of these cameras are lightweight with a difference of a few grams
The Sony A6000 has some awesome features on it, this camera is the only mirrorless one of the three. Mirrorless is a very nice feature, however you should consider mirrored cameras too as they are far from redundant. The ISO range on this camera is awesome, I think its a really good all round camera. The only issue with this and the Nikon really is the fact you can't use top end lenses. So if you did want to upgrade in the future you'd have to change your whole camera kit. Don't let that put you off though, this is a really good starter camera for a brilliant price! Get yours here!
Summary
Overall, any of these 3 cameras would be an awesome choice for your first camera. I know most people have an attachment to a certain brand, so if thats the dealbreaker for you then so be it. The Canon 4000D is the cheapest in the range which is a big advantage, however the other two cameras have some awesome features worth taking into consideration.
I hope this helps you and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me on my facebook group here!