Good cameras are easy to find.

But which camera is best for which genre or type of photography? If you’re a beginner, it can be daunting, overwhelming, and confusing, but I’m here to help! I’m gonna split this advice up into 3 sections: Landscape Cameras, Walk Around Cameras, and Portrait Cameras. I’m also gonna try and keep these all around $1000, which I know is a lot, but with the chip shortage, cameras have gotten spendy! Also, just for your reference, the links below are NOT affiliate links, so I’m endorsing using B&H Photo just because I love ordering gear from there.

These are just one persons opinions, and I certainly don’t claim to be an expert, but this is based off my experiences as a professional photographer. These recommendations are mostly for those completely new to photography, so if you’re a seasoned vet and don’t see your preferred camera up here, I’m not saying yours is bad or wrong or invalid. 

Landscape:

1. Your Phone. (This is gonna be a theme) Modern smartphone cameras are amazing. If you have a phone made in the last half decade, it’s more than capable of taking amazing photos. I recommend most people start thinking like a photographer with their phone. You can practice composition, working with a subject, and the basics of the exposure triangle with your phone and an app like Lightroom Mobile!

2. Sony a6100. This 24 megapixel camera has about double the resolution of most smartphones and does an amazing job at autofocus, has decent control dials that you can grow into as you learn manual mode, and if you pair it with some of the amazing lenses available for the Sony APS-C lineup, like the amazing Sigma 16mm, it can capture amazing photos.

3. Canon M50 Mark II. The M50 Mark II has Canon’s “Dual Pixel Autofocus” which is top notch. Good Autofocus isn’t always as important in Landscapes, but it sure makes it nicer to shoot with! It’s a mirrorless camera as well as the a6100, meaning that instead of a prism that looks through the lens of the camera, the viewfinder is a screen, so you can see exactly what your image is gonna look like when you take it.

Walk-Around:

1. Your Phone. Same reasons as above. You can capture basically anything with your phone, and it’s always with you!

2. Ricoh GR III. This is a super cool camera. It’s styled like a classic 90’s point and shoot film camera, but has one of the best image sensors its class. It looks cool, it’s small, it’s simple, but also advanced enough to take some stellar shots!

3. Sony ZV-1. This little camera is simply cool. It shoots amazing photos, stellar video, and has the same wonderful autofocus as it’s bigger brothers in Sonys full frame lineup!

Portraits:

1. Portrait Mode on your Phone. Even on the most advanced smartphones, Portrait Mode isn’t perfect, but it does let you experiment with what different settings and depths of field look like with different compositions! So it’s definitely worth using and learning on!

2. Sony a6100. I definitely think the a6100 is a great option too. Especially if you pair it with the Sigma 56mm lens, it’d be great for portraits. If you felt like an upgrade however, the a6600 features Sony’s amazing in-body sensor stabilization, which can make things quite a bit easier!

3. Canon EOS RP. This 26 megapixel camera is also the lightest “full frame” camera on the market and it’s also one of the least expensive full frame models. Full Frame means the image sensor is the same size as a piece of 35mm film, so it can gather much more light and have much less noise in your images! Pair it with the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8, and you have a super compact, super high quality setup that is light and amazing! You can also get that really blurry background look like you get in portrait mode on your phone!

What I use:

I shoot on a Canon EOS R, which is the big brother of the RP. I only use 2 lenses, the RF 35mm f/1.8 and the Samyang RF 85mm f/1.4. I really like my setup and don’t see myself upgrading for at least another year or two!

So those are my thoughts on what beginner photographers should check out when they’re looking for a new camera! Of course, no one said you needed to buy brand new, and you can find a lot of these cameras and lenses or similar on places like your local Craigslist, or also KEH.com which re-sells older traded in gear. 

Whatever gear you choose, try not to get gassy. Yeah, you read that right, gassy. Gear Acquisition Syndrome. Odds are, any camera made within the last decade will produce amazing images and be completely user friendly. Let me know if this helps at all! Be sure to follow me on Instagram, TikTok, and join our community on Patreon!

Check out my website here: https://calebtakesphotos.com

Also join me on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/calebthomasmedia

On TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@caleb.takes.photos

On Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/calebtakesphotos/

Caleb Thomas | Boudoir photographer based in Bend Oregon.