So i'm thinking of getting a good camera for my exploration because of shit like this
1.

This picture was taken around dusk over the summer and you see nothing. If we had a decent camera i feel like the shot could have turned out much better than what you see above. The problem i have is that i know nothing about cameras so i have a few questions to ask.

1.Do you absolutely need a tripod.

2.What lenses are the most useful

3.Do some cameras pick up more light than others (for night time shots)

4.Camera or GoPro

5.How cheap can you go with the quality still being decent

6.What camera do you prefer

I know there's a lot of questions but at the moment i'm useless with cameras and i'm just hoping to get the most bang for my buck if I buy one as I don't have too much cash at the moment.

Really, you just needed some light...
I shoot with my stupid S4 Active all the time. Low light abilities are limited plus one lense... wide angle ain't happening. Point, you don't need to spend much to get usable images especially today. A little point and shoot might be the ticket.
-if not-
Decide your price range.
Used or new. 24-70mm on a full frame is a nice starter.


If you brace and/or have steady hands (practice)/good shooting technique a tripod is rarely needed except for really low light.
To spite what many say.

This shot is hand held, no bracing, the stupid S4 Active at 1/30th second, Iso 64.
OK it could be a little better squared/crisper but it was a quick shot.
Meh, good enough for a website photo.

You can get very decent night photos with just about anything that has manual focus and settings that reads something like P-S-A-M.
You just have to let it expose for many seconds with the camera set on something sturdy.

Find a working one that takes SD card and AA batteries from a thrift store for $30 or so. A pocket tripod is nice to have so you can get a nice straight composition rather than compromising for whatever stable thing available to set the camera down on.

If you get a nice mirrorless with fancy image stabilizer, you can often point & shoot at zillion ISO and get a decent quality.

I used my phone camera for years with no issues. I just recently upgraded to a DSLR and that was mainly because I do a lot of other photography as a hobby and wanted something a little better. Really theres nothing wrong with using your phone like Blackhawk said and showed, he's always used one. Phone cameras these days rival most actual cameras anyway so theres no real need to get one just for exploring.

I'm not sure what kind of phone you have, but there is an app called camera+ for iphone which allows you to play with the manual settings you might use on a camera. You can even buy a holder for a tripod for your phone. This might be an option for you to help you decide whether or not you want to take the leap

Posted by NellA_NiveD Blackhawk said and showed, he's always used one.

Ummm, not always. I still have 20D,lol.
I had a 5D, a MK3 pro body, and lots of L glass at one time.
For low light flash I'll drag the 20D along but after shooting with a pro body/lens it truly pains me to use the 20D

You can't do this with a smart phone...




Pro body/16-35L/flash, Globe of Death

Posted by blackhawk Ummm, not always. I still have 20D,lol. I had a 5D, a MK3 pro body, and lots of L glass at one time. For low light flash I'll drag the 20D along but after shooting with a pro body/lens it truly pains me to use the 20D:P You can't do this with a smart phone... click to view Pro body/16-35L/flash, Globe of Death

I should clarify that I meant most basic point-and-shoot cameras and meant more with the megapixels and clarity. Of course there are always going to be things you can't do with a phone camera that you can with a regular camera. I use a D3300 now everytime I go out but like I said earlier I only bought it because of the photography that I do on the side. I just bought it about 6 months ago so for the other 8 or so years I've been exploring I've always used my phone with no issues.

Posted by NellA_NiveD I should clarify that I meant most basic point-and-shoot cameras and meant more with the megapixels and clarity. Of course there are always going to be things you can't do with a phone camera that you can with a regular camera. I use a D3300 now everytime I go out but like I said earlier I only bought it because of the photography that I do on the side. I just bought it about 6 months ago so for the other 8 or so years I've been exploring I've always used my phone with no issues.

It's lightning fast/accurate AF lock up/tracking, metering, shot rate, and viewfinder especially makes a huge difference in shooting with a pro body. A dedicated cam is a whole other animal. The heavier the cam/lense, the more stable the shooting platform. The pro cam have better grips too and it's does make a difference.

The other huge difference is the glass. Different focal lengthes and the ability to manual focus. An L lense like the 70-200 f/2.8 with its superb flare control can grab shots a smartphone couldn't touch.
Like shooting into the setting sun...




Downsides are expense, and more gear to carry.
That said if I had the money there be a pro body with L glass on in my hand with no second thoughts.

Thanks for the help everyone, I might end up waiting till the spring to look for one then because it's a bit harder to explore in the winter and the phone camera should work for now. For the camera ill look at some thrift shops and work my way up quality of stores if I can't find anything.

Posted by mulletcat Thanks for the help everyone, I might end up waiting till the spring to look for one then because it's a bit harder to explore in the winter and the phone camera should work for now. For the camera ill look at some thrift shops and work my way up quality of stores if I can't find anything.

After Christmas is a good time.
B&H Photo is the best. They provide excellent customer support as does Canon.
A point and shoot with manual controls maybe all you need or want. Smaller, cheaper but still able to capture good images.

Depending on your budget and the type of camera you want, Amazon has really good deals for entry level kits as well with all brands

I had been shooting with an Argus Rangefinder and a Nikon N55 up until this last year. I decided to brave the world of digital and bought a Fuji X100T and it's been an amazing camera, even with a fixed lens.
I realize it's not for everyone, but what i love about it is that it's fairly discrete and appears to look like a film camera.
There are so many great prosumer camera's out there in the mid-range. I always recommend going to a local camera store and seeing if they do rentals. This way you can try out several digital cameras and see what fits you.

1. If you plan on shooting after sunset or in dark places and want high quality photos, then yes you definitely need a tripod.

2. I use an ultrawide zoom and a 50mm 95% of the time. I'll bring along the 135mm if there is a specific shot I want.

3. Newer and more expensive cameras will have better ISO sensitivity and are therefore able to capture higher quality photos in poor lighting situations. If you plan on using a tripod, high ISO capabilities don't matter so much since you will almost always want to use the lowest ISO setting available. The maximum aperture a lens is capable of will also affect how much light can reach the sensor. Generally, good lenses will have an fstop of f2.8 or lower.

4. I value having the quality and controls of my dslr over a gopro. Gopros excel when you are in a situation where you need something more rugged, compact, or want FPV footage. I'd think twice about paddling my dslr equipment into a flooded mine, hiking it in several miles to a high security site, or try to film while climbing something I need my full attention for (although I have done all three with my dslr ).

5. Crop sensor DSLR's are about the best quality you can get for your money. I used to use a Nikon D7000. The D3000 and D5000 series are pretty good choices too depending on your budget.

6. I use a Nikon D600 most of the time, but also have a Sony RX100 for when I need to be lightweight.

Posted by NotQuiteHuman 1. If you plan on shooting after sunset or in dark places and want high quality photos, then yes you definitely need a tripod. 2. I use an ultrawide zoom and a 50mm 95% of the time. I'll bring along the 135mm if there is a specific shot I want. 3. Newer and more expensive cameras will have better ISO sensitivity and are therefore able to capture higher quality photos in poor lighting situations. If you plan on using a tripod, high ISO capabilities don't matter so much since you will almost always want to use the lowest ISO setting available. The maximum aperture a lens is capable of will also affect how much light can reach the sensor. Generally, good lenses will have an fstop of f2.8 or lower. 4. I value having the quality and controls of my dslr over a gopro. Gopros excel when you are in a situation where you need something more rugged, compact, or want FPV footage. I'd think twice about paddling my dslr equipment into a flooded mine, hiking it in several miles to a high security site, or try to film while climbing something I need my full attention for (although I have done all three with my dslr ). 5. Crop sensor DSLR's are about the best quality you can get for your money. I used to use a Nikon D7000. The D3000 and D5000 series are pretty good choices too depending on your budget. 6. I use a Nikon D600 most of the time, but also have a Sony RX100 for when I need to be lightweight.

This is really helpful. Thanks for sharing, sadly i do not know all the terms at the moment and will have to do a quick google search on them.

I use a 14-24mm wide angle, a 18-140mm zoom lens (the "kit" lens that came with the camera), a longer zoom for stuff really far away (75-300mm), and a newly acquired favorite, a fixed focal range 35mm, also known as a "portrait lens". Portrait lenses are usually anywhere from 24 to 85mm and fixed focal range.

But this is all after several years of experimentation, seeing what works best for me.

Your best bet is to just get a DSLR body with zoomable kit lens included (those are usually around 18-130mm) and then consider your next move. The zoomable kit lenses are designed to give you the most bang for your buck and give you lots of flexibility.

1.Do you absolutely need a tripod.
No, unless you are planning on photographing from long distance with long lens or doing long exposure.

2.What lenses are the most useful
If only one lens, 16-85 or 18-300, prime lens around 20 is cool too.
Get weather-seal lens if you worry about dust and water.

3.Do some cameras pick up more light than others (for night time shots)
Higher ISO or slower shutter speed or larger aperture will do the trick.

4.Camera or GoPro
Depend on your pace and place you plan to explore, many point and shoot also very powerful.

5.How cheap can you go with the quality still being decent
Depend on what condition you want your gear...Used, new, refurbished...etc...
My camera and lenses are bought in used condition, works fine, plus I am not planning to babysit it when exploring.

6.What camera do you prefer
I am using a Pentax K-5IIs, because it is cheap(used), weather-seal, and solid as a rock.