Besides learning how to hold a camera the right way up, I’ve learned a thing or two about photography over the years while shooting both film and digital. I would really love the opportunity to share with you the mistakes I’ve made and all the things I’ve done wrong, so you can get a big advantage, a head start in photography, so to speak! Join me on this memory lane, and I hope I can teach you a thing or two.

But first, let’s get serious: you need a camera, right? Keep reading, and let me guide you through the process of choosing the right camera for you! If you already have a camera, head over to this section.

First of all, who are you? No, really, what kind of person are you? This is crucial in determining how much fiddling and technical jargon you’re willing to tolerate when starting this beautiful new hobby. Let me explain: if you prefer convenience and like to focus on what you see your so-called “subjects” or compositions without thinking too much about the technical aspects of taking pictures, then chances are a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) with all its controls, settings, and menus might be a bit too intimidating at first. You could end up abandoning this wonderful hobby, and the saddest part in that would be that the world might miss out on your photographic story!

On the other hand, if you’re a control freak and want complete mastery over your equipment, even if it takes you days of reading the manual before you can take your first shot the way you intended, then you’ll likely be underwhelmed by the simplicity of a point-and-shoot camera. You’d probably be happier shooting and developing black-and-white (or even color) film, for example.

To help you decide on the best first camera for you, I’ve created a simple and not very scientific, tool based on different everyday eating habits and preferences, and of course, budgets. Please take my comparisons with a pinch of salt: If you want to skip my "tool" press here.

Let’s say you’re someone who never eats out, doesn’t really like to cook because it takes too much time, and prefers to use the microwave or simply eat fast food. Well, let's assume that in your life, you generally prefer practicality and speed over complexity and detail. You’d rather focus on the result, in this case, “eating” than on the process of preparing, cooking, dish washing and cleaning up.

Therefore, I’d recommend you get yourself a plain and simple digital point-and-shoot, preferably one with a good “Auto” function. You might even stick with your smartphone unless you feel the need for a zoom or advanced macro function.

But... if you’re willing to spend a bit more on this hobby, I strongly recommend getting an entry-level point-and-shoot with a zoom and macro function, for me that just feels more like photography and definitely comes with less distractions. Just please, don’t go over-budget! Your camera doesn’t improve the quality of your pictures unless you’re planning on making A2 or A3-sized prints. A relatively inexpensive camera will do the job just fine! Also, consider buying used gear, which could save you a couple hundred dollars or more!

The convenient shooter

Let’s assume you’re someone who almost never cooks, doesn’t eat fast food, rarely orders regular food, and mostly eats out at exotic sit-down restaurants. This means you spend a lot of money on food and prefer to eat well.

It would sound reasonable for you to get yourself a Leica brand camera, you don't enjoy the "normal" after all and would definitely opt for something more refined, more classy. Unfortunately, the Leica brand name on a camera does not make your pictures any better, sad but true. On the other hand, however, very authentic and expressive work was created with humble, cheaper gear.

So my advice is to save the money you’d spend on a Leica and instead get a Nikon, Canon, or Sony zoom point-and-shoot. You can always upgrade to a Leica later once you understand the basics of photography—color, light, composition, subject, background, etc. That way, you’ll be less frustrated and more able to extract everything a Leica has to offer.

The gourmet snapper

If you’re a real connoisseur who only eats at star restaurants and never cooks, my advice again, cheaper camera first!

Go get yourself a Sony, Nikon or Canon, and save the money you’d spend on a Leica. You can always spend your money later buying a camera that you really need, knowing now exactly what you need, and changes are, that camera might be a Leica or a Hasselblad, but until you don't know, go figure it out!

The clicking connoisseur

You like to cook and are always trying new recipes, reading them from books or watching videos, and cooking yourself. You almost never eat out because you know your food tastes better. Even though you don’t really have time to cook, you enjoy it so much that you find the time.

Someone like you will likely be happy with a DSLR, but I warn you, you’ll have less time for cooking and eating once you grab that camera and start going OUT and shooting pictures!

My advice again is not to go over-budget. Buy a camera you’re willing to use and abuse, one you can take with you anywhere, throw in the dirt, or bring to the middle of the desert, not a showroom piece. Get a camera you’re not afraid to use.

The cookarazzi

A person that loves to cook, but copying recipes from other people is not enough for you? You need the extra-kick, you like to fail and learn from your mistakes (even if it means ending up without dinner!). You like that great feel of successes and satisfactions when you perfectly manage to compose cook and design that 6 course meal?

Then, DSLR or DSLM will probably not be enough for you!

You need to shoot film!

The chefographer

Again, if none of these scenarios fits your eating habits, or if you don’t feel confident about my non-scientific reasoning, the takeaway is this: it all depends on the level of “pain” you’re willing to endure!

Photography can be convenient, as we all know from using our smartphones to take pictures, or it can be a real pain if you need to ensure every step of the process, from exposure to development is done within the tightest margins possible. But generally, as in life, more “pain” brings more “gain.” The harder the task, the more satisfying the reward when you achieve it with perfection.

Eventually you might want more control over your subjects and settings, or you might want to experiment with new things, and someday you will feel the need to upgrade your gear.

My advice is to only upgrade when you know you’ve exhausted all the resources your current set-up has to offer. For example, don’t like the colors from your old 2MP Olympus C-2000z camera or your floppy disk Sony Mavica? Try post-processing your pictures first before spending a lot of money upgrading your camera.

You could also save a lot of money by not paying the horrendous Lightroom prices and simply downloading RawTherapee (image editor) totally for free. Just make sure to donate to the creators if you appreciate their software like I do.

Summary of choosing your first camera

Original

Post-Processed

Note how the Post-Processed shows a bit more saturation in the leaves and orange background colors. The chromatic aberration in the tree also becomes more visible, but an early consumer digital camera without chromatic aberrations wasn't actually a thing! Well, beware of your gear limitations, do not expect anything other than "retro" looking 10x15 (cm); 4x6 (in) prints with a digital camera from 1999. But hey, I still like to take these cameras out as there is nothing else that can give you that authentic 2000s look. Some more examples:

Would you have taken your DSLR on a canoe to watch the sunrise at sea? But you second-hand, used Nikon AW100 for sure! Funny is that after some dives in saltwater the camera stopped working, I had to take it apart and wash it in an ultra-sonic bath, yes submerge it in demineralized water and dry it in the sun. After putting it together with automotive grade silicone that little camera still works!

No slow shutter speed on your camera? Try setting the ISO to a fixed range in the menu and you should get motion blur when the light is just enough.

These are just a few examples of what cheap old cameras can be “convinced” to do. The bottom line is that most photographers aren’t limited by their tools; they’re limited by their lack of knowledge and proficiency in using their tools. So don’t waste money on a brand-new Nikon Z7II or Canon EOS R8 like most “pro” holiday shooters do. Instead, invest time in learning how to exceed your tools’ limitations. And some of the money you save by not buying that Z7II or Sony A7R mk5 you could donate or support my work.

The key takeaway is that photography isn’t about your gear. Your gear might account for that extra 1-2%, or the “cherry on top,” but your skills and experience in seeing the finished product in your head before pressing the shutter or even looking through the viewfinder will make any camera or smartphone pictures stand out from the crowd! So enjoy the process of taking and refining your pictures, not just carrying around heavy and expensive gear.

And please remember to contact me if you have any questions or need tips!

C-2000z

Mavica

C-2000z

The wrong way!

And that’s why I say, by reading this and avoiding my mistakes, you’ll have a head start maybe a ten year or more head start! To accomplish that, all you need to do, besides reading my story and tips, is to go OUT and shoot pictures. Release yourself from other tasks, and combine your brain, your eye, and your camera to create pictures that speak, pictures that tell stories, evoke feelings of joy, calm, warmth, despair, or even fear. Pictures that send a message.

But going out doesn’t mean you need to board a plane or drive somewhere. The opportunity to create great pictures is everywhere: in your apartment, your home, your kitchen, and even your bathroom. Of course, going to a beautiful place will result in pictures of a beautiful place, although many photos manage to make beautiful places look dull... But photographing everyday locations like a university garden or a junkyard will push your creativity, you will try to find that one shot where everything comes together, and when you do you will feel like an alchemist! That’s why I recommend investing in a camera with a macro feature, the world of macro opens up endless possibilities and can sometimes reveal something unknown or unseen. Or something bewildering:

But how did I start?

But before I start telling you my story, there are a few things I’d like to address first.

By now, you might be thinking, “Thiago is just a cheap guy who only buys cheap gear, and he wants me to buy cheap gear too”. My local photography store has a ton of different cameras, and the salesmen is always showing me the latest and greatest models, trying to convince me why I need certain features and how they’ll improve my photography. Don’t be confused!

Most stores (not just photography) make their living by selling you the idea that you need something, and in the case of photography gear, 80% of their clients are people who think they need something and so spend a lot of money on a new camera or fancy gear. I want you to know what you need and why you need it before you fall into the trap of photography stores. Before you walk in and spend a lot of money to do something you could have done with a fraction of that investment.

So, I want you to consider buying used gear, because guess what? One of those 80% who bought a brand-new Nikon Z6 a year ago, the same camera you’re looking to buy, has just realized that it’s not the right camera for them (there’s nothing wrong with Nikon or with the Z6). They’ll walk into the store and let the salesperson convince them to try Fuji or Canon because of better menus, different color renditions, ergonomics, or whatever. They’ll walk out of that store with a brand-new camera in hand and either trade their year-old Z6 (with fewer than 1,000 or 3,000 shots on it) or sell it online on eBay or another marketplace for 20-30% less than the price of a new one. And chances are, since photography is such a popular hobby today, that someone like this lives near you, so you can go check the camera in person (to see if it’s ever been dropped or water-damaged). You’ll end up with an almost brand-new camera that will be your workhorse for years to come. And you want to know a secret? Most of the pictures you see on this website were taken with a camera that came out in 2008!

Enjoyed reading this Article? Go check out my personal story!