Hi everyone! Welcome to the first official post for “Tips & Tutorials Tuesday”!

This is probably the most popular question I have been asked since turning my hobby into a profession: “I’m thinking of buying a DSLR camera. What should I get?”

Being strictly a Canon user myself, I cannot speak for other brands. But my first piece of advice is to pick a camera brand and stick to it! I know a lot of professional photographers that constantly think about switching from Nikon to Canon or vice versa ALL THE TIME. In my personal opinion, I don’t see the point in this. Just pick one brand and stick to it. That being said, Canon and Nikon are probably your two best options. I say this because Canon and Nikon come with the most interchangeable lenses and once you get into photography more, you’ll appreciate this characteristic so much!

When I decided to purchase my first DSLR three years ago, I went on Amazon and bought the most affordable one: Canon Rebel xti. It was just under $300 at the time. It was a great starter camera and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a very basic DSLR, where you can practice shooting in Manual mode! Since I didn’t have any lenses at the time, I purchased the camera with the kit lens included (18-55mm), which was fine, but definitely not the best lens out there. If you’re looking to shoot mostly portraits, look into purchasing the 50mm 1.8. This is such a great starter portrait lens! If you’re looking to shoot mostly scenery, the 18-55 will work fine to start out, since the focal length is pretty versatile.

If you’re looking to spend a little more money, any of the Canon Rebel series are fantastic. However, after using the Rebel xti for two years, I decided to upgrade to the Canon 60D. This camera body has so much more to offer than the Rebel series and is very affordable!

Happy Tuesday! Until next week. 🙂

Shea

This post was written by Shea McGrath Photography, Des Moines Wedding Photographer, West Des Moines Wedding Photographer.