This website is a simple and straight forward guide written for my photography students as they prepare to take one of the classes that I teach at Made in Murfreesboro. © Titus Bartos / Updated 1-14-2012 / Questions? Email or ask me a question on FormSpring.
Quick Links
Adorama and/or B&H Photo
These are the two stores that I recommend for all your photography equipment.Nikon 50mm f/1.8 | Canon 50mm f/1.8
Best all around lens for portraits and indoor photos of your kids.This is the lens that we talked about in class.AdoramaPix
This is where I print all my regular prints and photo books. My preferences are: luster finish, white border, and color corrections on. Their ordering software is really cool, allowing you to adjust the crop on any image before you check out.Canvas on Demand
This is where I print all the canvas prints you see at the studio.
Where to Buy?
There are two huge stores in New York where most pros buy their gear: Adorama and B&H Photo. These two stores have the best prices along with the best customer service in the industry. Most of the links on this website will point you to Adorama, and in a few cases to B&H Photo or Amazon. You can get cheaper deals elsewhere, but it will cost you more in the long run. Avoid Sam's Club, Best Buy, Wolf Camera, and other chain stores, they are a rip-off.
Best Cameras
Nikon vs. Canon debate / There is no definite answer, this is a model-specific question. In terms of lenses, the differences are so subtle that even most pros aren't able to tell the difference.
Nikon Current entry models are D3100, D5100, and D7000. They are all new cameras, which means that they have significantly better picture quality than older models, particularly in low light (high ISO) situations.
D3100 - great beginner camera, priced around $600 as a kit with the 18-55mm lens, and around $750 with two kit lenses (18-55mm and 55-200mm, both VR). If you are on a low budget and this is you first dSLR, this is the best camera for you.
D5100 - more importantly than the marketing improvements over the D3100 (tiltable screen, more megapixels, etc.), the D5100 has the same sensor as the D7000, which alone is a great reason to buy it over the D3100. The superior sensor gives you richer colors with smoother gradients and significantly improved high ISO performance in low light situations. D5100 kits start around $775: D5100 standard kit with the 18-55mm lens, D5100 two-lens kit with the 18-55mm and 55-200mm lenses, or just the body alone.
D7000 - the best camera for serious beginner/intermediate/amateur photographers. Aside from its excellent sensor performance and many other pro features, the D7000 also allows you to control off-camera Nikon flashes without any other accessory. If $1,200 and up is your budget, this is the camera for you. It comes as the body alone, as a kit with 18-105mm lens (not worth the extra $300 in my opinion), as a kit with the versatile 18-200mm lens. My ideal intro setup would be the D7000 body with the 35mm f/1.8 lens.
If you have questions about any of these or the more professional Nikon models (D300s, D700, D3 series), email me with your budget and a short description of what type of photography you do.
Canon The current entry models are XS, XSi, T3, T3i, and the 60D. They are all outdated except for the T3i and the 60D. Until Canon comes up with a better alternative to the XS series, there is no true beginner dSLR from Canon to match Nikon. Which means there are only two cameras from Canon to consider:
T3i - great beginner camera priced around $850 as a kit with the 18-55mm kit lens. Aside from many features very similar to the Nikon D5100, the Canon T3i adds very good HD video capabilities, similar to the more professional Canon digital SLRs. If video is your thing, then this is the perfect entry camera for you.
60D - priced around $1,200, the Canon 60D is a nice intro camera for the serious amateur. The Nikon D7000 is still a better/newer camera in terms of sensor performance. However, the 60D rules when it comes to video.
If you have questions about these or the more professional Canon models (5D Mark II, 7D, 1D series), email me or send me a question on FormSpring with your budget and a short description of what type of photography you do.
USED / Canon XSi and refurbished Nikon D5000 are decent alternatives if you don't have the patience to save for the newer models.
Best Lenses
Assuming that you have the kit lens (18-55mm), there are a few other lenses that you can buy to compliment it.
Lens Buying Tips / Avoid refurbished and gray market lenses - they only have 3 to 12 months warranty instead of 5 years. Avoid off brand lenses. If you don't know anything about lenses, avoid the forums and ask a pro before you get ripped-off. You always get what you pay for.
Best All Around Lens / This is the lens (two for Nikon) that I recommend to all of my students - $120-$220:
Canon 50mm f/1.8 for all Canon models. Very versatile and sharp lens.
Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AF-S - for D3100 & D5000. For the D7000 and the more expensive models, the old Nikon 50mm f/1.8 works too. On DX bodies the latter lens feels like a 75mm lens due to the crop factor. I use this one.
Nikon 35mm f/1.8 - Wider coverage than the 50mm, slower to focus, but just as sharp as the 50mm. Works on all Nikons except for the full frame bodies ($2K and up - D700, D3s and D3X, etc.). I keep this lens on my camera 90% of the time when I shoot candid photos of my kids.
Telephoto / Lenses for sports and wildlife
Nikon 55-200mm VR (often a kit lens) or Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 (no VR) - so-so quality, slow to focus, cheap.
Nikon 70-300mm VR - around $500, sharper, faster to focus. The VR (vibration reduction) removes some of the camera shake, which means you can take sharper photos in low light.
Pro lenses, lowest priced first: Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 ($1,200) and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II ($2,200). Buy the one you can afford, optically they are both superb. I use the first one, but the 70-200 is more practical for weddings and studio work. Both are very heavy.
Canon 55-250mm IS and Canon 75-300mm III IS - both kit lenses, decent quality, fast to focus.
Pro lenses, lowest priced first: Canon 70-200mm f/4, Canon 70-200mm f/4 IS, Canon 70-200 f/2.8, and Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II. They are all equally sharp - my favorite is the Canon 70-200mm f/4 IS, since it has image stabilization and it's ultra light compared to the f/2.8 lenses, which are as heavy as bricks.
Other / For specific types of photography
MACRO / Nikon 105mm f/2.8 VR or Canon 100mm IS - the IS is really worth it, but if you are on a budget and desperate to take photos of bugs, the Canon 100mm non IS has the exact same optics.
ULTRA-WIDE / The Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 is one of the only off brand lenses that I recommend. It is sharper than either Nikon or Canon versions. Keep in mind that it doesn't work on full frame bodies (Nikon D3 series, Canon 5D and 1D series). This is the link for the Nikon version, and this for the Canon version, both of them out of stock frequently.
There are many other lenses that have fantastic optics, but the ones above are the most common among beginners. If you want to know my opinion on any other lenses, feel free to email me or send me a question on FormSpring .
Camera ACCESSORIES
Memory Cards / the biggest mistake people make is that they spend $1,000 on a camera and then buy the cheapest memory card. They forget that that's where ALL of your photos go after you press the shutter button.
SD Cards - buy a couple of 8GB SanDisk or Lexar Class 10 cards. Avoid all other brands.
Compact Flash - buy either the 8GB SanDisk or Lexar cards. Buy a couple of 16GB Lexar cards if you shoot weddings. Avoid all other brands.
Camera Bags / Most people spend too much money on camera bags. Unless you shoot weddings, sports, or professional nature photos in extreme weather, buy the cheapest bag you can find that fits all of your equipment.
FILTERS / There are three types of filters most photographers use with digital cameras. Tips / If you stack more than one filter (sometimes two) on a wide angle lens, the filters will be visible in the corners of your photos. Bad/cheap filters = cheap glass = soft photos. Make sure to check the filter thread size on your lens before buying a filter (for the 18-55mm kit lens is either 52mm or 58mm).
UV Filters - for most of us, UV filters don't do anything except protect the lens, in which case your lens cap is not needed anymore. I would buy a Tiffen, Hoya, or B+W UV filter. I prefer Hoya.
Polarizers - at a certain angle between you and the sun (90°), polarizers remove the ugly haze/reflection you see on the sky, leaves, etc. When used properly, polarizers also remove reflection from water, so you can see the bottom of ponds, lakes, etc. I like the Hoya polarizers, although Tiffen and B+W make good ones as well.
Graduated ND filters are half dark half translucent, which is great for landscapes where the top (skies usually) is brighter than the bottom of the photo (ground usually). I use the Tiffen Graduated ND .6 (x4)
External Flash / I used to recommend one of these to everyone who shoots photos indoors, but if you buy the 50mm f/1.8 lens and a new camera, you really don't need the external flash anymore. However, if most of your photos are indoors and your house doesn't have a lot of natural light, then a Nikon SB-700 or Canon 480 EX II is what you need. They are pricey, but well worth the $$. If you want to get into studio photography, stick with Nikon. The Nikon SB-700 and Nikon SB-900 are compatible with any of the $1,000 and above camera modes, and they can be controlled/adjusted via wireless directly from your camera.
Photo Editing/Organizing SOFTWARE
TIP / If you are a student you can get Adobe products for 80% off.
Apple. Macs are great for photography because of their display. You always get accurate, natural, and bright colors.
For organizing photos, buy Aperture or Lightroom. I prefer Lightroom.
For professional editing, buy Photoshop Elements or Photoshop CS series. Hint: when people talk about Photoshop, they always mean Photoshop CS, not Elements
PC Laptops & Desktops. PC laptops are the worst for photography. Not only are they slow, but even the best PC laptops have dark, muted, and inconsistent color rendition. Get a Mac or a powerful desktop paired with a 27" Apple Display monitor.
For organizing photos, buy ACDSee Pro 4 or Lightroom. ACDSee is more for people who handle JPG files, while Lightroom is great for RAW files. I use both.
For professional editing, buy Photoshop Elements or Photoshop CS series. Hint: when people talk about Photoshop, they always mean Photoshop CS, not Elements.
PRINTING Prints & Canvas
I use AdoramaPix for all my regular prints and photo books. There are a lot of "professional" color labs that brag on superior products, but I have yet to see any visible differences between what I get from AdoramaPix and places like Miller's Lab, or White House Custom Color (WHCC). Not only is the price lower with AdoramaPix, but the ordering process is significantly easier. I use Lustre finish for color, and Black & White for BW prints. The turnaround time is around 3-5 business days, which is perfectly fine with me.
For canvas prints, I use Canvas on Demand and I've never been disappointed with their quality.
That's it. Although this website is all about equipment, photography is only 1% equipment and 99% art. Go out and shoot - the more you shoot, the better you get, the better you get, the more people will pay you so that you can buy expensive toys. And at all costs... avoid the forums! If you have a question, just ask a pro ;).