Buying Your First Camera? Beware these hidden costs!

[@DanFox]

Which item in this list do you think you would have missed initially? Also, bet you didn't expect to see Skurge make an appearance, eh? ;)

[@xXUnrulyXx]

i pretty much got hit on all these fronts lol. if i could make a suggestion to a newcomer, (im a cannon guy) get a rebel T series and a 50mm prime, dont worry about a zoom lens, shuffle around your yard and house snapping pics and playing with angles and composition with the prime lens. later on grab a zoom lens when you're used to the camera and the basics. as for generic vs OEM batteries, this topic has set forums ablaze since i can remember (and i'm in my 50's lol). i shoot a 5d mark II and a 7d Mark I.. if i bought batteries for both the cameras to have back ups with.. well.. i could probably buy a nice lens lol. the points you brought up are VERY valid (though i've never seen them pop, swell or leak it can happen) i have about a dozen generic batteries (my cameras share the same battery type), so i bought the battery grip for each of my camera bodies, and i can share batteries between them easier, and i dont have to worry about them leaking, or swelling in my camera body... that is not to say i dont use the generics in my camera periodically without the grip.. i do. and yes, it adds some heft to the camera with the grip (you can use one battery at a time to lighten the burden) but its not bad, and my hands arent what i would consider overly large, but i feel the grip really helps me steady the camera a bit more as well, and the additional portrait controls are nice to have too. i have a Manfrotto 3021BPRO, and my old velbon from the 80's lol. as long as you dont go near the "real" travel tripods (you'll know what i mean when you start researching them) you'll be just fine lol. So many great camera bodies on the used market that do so many wonderful things, im considering a 1D X as my next body purchase myself.. and the used market on lenses are through the roof too. cheers

[@shanewilson7994]

One thing I would throw in is with SSDs, there are a ton of scams out there on them on Amazon and even Wal-Mart, where they will advertise 4 or even 6TB SSDs for ridiculously low prices like 50 - 100 bucks. If you get one, they'll even show that file size when connected to your computer, but as soon as you start writing to them, you lose pretty much everything because they are really just 500GB drives. And also, never, ever, ever, under any circumstance, buy off of Facebook or Instagram Ads because Meta does pretty much no checking on who's running advertisements and there are a ton of scams.

[@BGTuyau]

Essential viewing for all first-time camera buyers. Solid, accurate information well-presented with zero nonsense or extraneous prattle. Basically the real deal -though I agree that the addition of comments on flash and filters would round out the presentation.

[@SummitSmile]

Although this video is not for me as I have years and years of experience I watched the video and can tell that besides the great content, you have an exceptional skill to deliver it and teach the important stuff. I wish you all the best. Subscribed!

[@Bladeclaw00100]

The one item most photographers and videographers forget to mention for beginners is a computer fast enough for editing photos / videos. I have seen so many new photographers and video graphics get a camera but are not able to edit their photos, or are struggling with low renders and slow work methods because their machines are too slow for their files sizes and processing requirements. They also need to be comparable with the correct codec and architecture to take advantage of fast rendering speeds. I have seen that problem too. And finally, editing software also can come with a price depending on what you are using So for example, I'm going to be buying a new computer soon for my new camera which is anticipated. This is because with my current computer I can only render 1080p footage, I can't use modern video editing software, and Photo editing is very laggy. But this is another expense in addition to take full advantage of my new camera specs.

[@DanFox]

Good point! 👊

[@TheESLDoctor]

One more question, would you recommend that a beginner shoot video with the kit lens until they know what type of focal lengths they prefer before buying their first “real” lens?

[@DanFox]

If you buy a bundle with a kit lens, then yes, I'd personally recommend just starting with that. There are a lot of technical things to learn about using cameras and throwing multiple lenses into the mix could make things more challenging initially, not to mention expensive (especially if you don't use them all!). As you start to learn what limitations you are and aren't willing to accept, it'll help inform your future purchases and the things you want to prioritize.

[@EhsanShabahang]

Please make a video on light meters 🙌 just got the Sekonic L-858D-U SPEEDMASTER and I am so confused 🫤 with it 🙌

[@DanFox]

Check out Gerald Undone. I'm pretty sure he did a video on it. I know he uses a Sekonic to test CoB accuracy. I remember him doing a whole video on CRI vs TLCI, etc. I don't actually own a Sekonic. Maybe some day, though!

[@clementf.8525]

I've just made the jump to a "real" camera for photography before seeing this video and I am relieved. I took a Nikon d750 and a 24-70 mm from Tamron and I quite nailed the basics needed ! Thank you so much for the advices, I will look in particular for a cleaning kit and a bag (I discovered the joy of 1.5 kg lenses). I would just add a polarizing filter in the last category as, even if you didn't touch one before, it is a game changer to your quality. Improve contrast and reduces reflections but more importantly learn you to use light. Definitely looking for your other videos !

[@ericboylan1269]

This is such an AMAZING concept for a video. I wish I had this info a few years ago!

[@DanFox]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@jamie3976]

Thank you for offering to do a few Beginner videos. I have watched the equipment to avoid when starting out and the hidden costs video and enjoyed both and found a lot of useful info. I look forward to watching more of your content.

[@TheESLDoctor]

Thanks for the video! Super handy. What’s the difference between a hot shoe and a cold shoe? Also, would love a deep dive into lenses and camera settings. As a beginner, these videos are so helpful. Now, I have a shopping list for when I make my first purchase.

[@DanFox]

Noted! Added to the topics list! Thanks for letting me know!

[@DanFox]

And thanks for catching that I forgot to define those. A hot shoe is the receptacle on top of your camera that allows you to connect and control electronic devices with your camera. Examples would be things like flashes or special digital mics. A cold shoe is the same bracket, just without any electronics in it. Typically found on things like mounts, camera cages, etc.

[@hoverboverer]

Nice vid. I imagine a lot of (very good) smart phone photographers being rather underwelmed on getting their first 'proper' camera and perhaps deciding it's not for them after all. My advice for a first camera would be to go cheap - 2nd hand body (say, a nex 6 or an A7), a few vintage primes and see how you get on. Then, if it doesn't rock your boat, you haven't spent too much and you can get back more or less what you paid for it. BTW I bought plenty of cheap knock off batteries (for the Sonys) and they work just fine!

[@DanFox]

Yeah, I typically recommend starting out cheap with an earlier model body, too, but I don't tend to recommend anything that was released prior to 2015 because the jump in camera ability was stratospheric that year over prior models. Can still get really good deals on the used market for those, too.

[@hoverboverer]

@@DanFox I guess you mean improvements in AF performance? I suppose my argument would be (for a SP user): You are already a great photographer and so it's more a matter of learning how to use a trad camera to get more of what you want. So go manual all the way!

[@azntactical4884]

I mainly want to ue my gear for video. I have a field monitor with it. My first mistake was not having a large enough power supply. Having the monitor and camera running on it's own power source isn't good for long term continuous recording. I ended up buying a secondary power and a dummy battery for the camera. Now, I have both the camera plugged into the field monitor. Once that battery is about to be depleted, i can hook the field monitor into the secondary source and not skip a beat. I can quickly change out the field monitor battery and run off that battery if needed. I have already put in close to 1k into my system. Planning on buying either a 512gb or 1tb sd card and a 12-35mm/f2.8 lens.

[@chahtah100]

Excellent info. I wish you were around when I started my Sony journey, from aps-c to a74m. Wow😂 Paul Anderson

[@DanFox]

Better late than never, eh? 🤣

[@pow9606]

@@DanFox Never late 🤣

[@southernexposure123]

I made and posted youtube videos about 10 years. The videos a're all marked "Private" now. From the start I mainly wanted to do videos, but also wanted a really good camera for still photography. As a rank beginner I labored over which camera to buy and decided on a mirrorless (which I love for stills and it also works good for videos. It cost about $800.00. However, I soon discovered I really enjoyed making close up wildlife video shots. It would take a 1200 mm lens (there's a comma in the price tag for that focal length lens) on my mirrorless camera to get the same close up shots I get using a consumer grade $250.00 camera with the camcorder lens built in. And the quality of the videos is about the same for the camcorder and the mirrorless camera (1080p.) The camcorder is much easier to handle, is lighter weight so it doesn't need a heavy duty tripod and gives me highly satisfactory videos. I'm not sorry I bought the mirrorless camera because I like so many types (macro to astro and everything in between) still photography. Eventually I bought a DSLR to try in addition to the DSLM (mirrorless) camera. For astrophotography I find that the mirrorless camera suits me better because the mirrorless camera live view screen shows night stars MUCH better than the DSLR live view screen. The mirrorless camera makes focusing a lot quicker and much easier than the DSLR camera. For daylight shooting the DSLR and the DSLM are about equally satisfactory. The external mike consideration for video is that for my kind of shooting instead of using an external mike I just spoke loud enough and I found that putting a bandaid to decrease over the mike input of the camera works as well as a dead cat and the bandaid over the camera's mike input is much less intrusive and fumbly than a dead cat and the bandaid is almost free. Edited to say the bandaid and or dead cat are used to decrease wind noise on breezy days.

[@DanFox]

Never heard of the band aid trick! That doesn't muffle your highs and mid frequencies too much?

[@southernexposure123]

@@DanFox Although I'm not an audiophile I have a pretty good ear and appreciate the highs and lows. The only thing I noticed is it greatly diminished wind noise. On a gusty day there's still a few puffs of wind that get through. I think that's due to the small holes in the plastic. I most often made videos outdoors and the sounds of birds punched through sometimes too loudly for comfort.

[@thecuriousulsterman6502]

Thanks very much for sharing this. Great video

[@DanFox]

You're very welcome! 🤘

[@kaleid1990]

Ahahaha, I haven't seen that Thor movie so the little clip caught me by surprise, subbed!

[@Harkescreative]

A note on the cheap third party batteries: You can get sets that come with two batteries and a charger that has two slots. I've purchased those sets before because of the charger itself. Two slots is useful to have, they usually have a mini-USB cable which are more versatile than the Canon chargers that hug the wall and the batteries can exist simply as emergency backups or not be used at all. I find the chargers are worth it in this case.

[@J-Dawg-1]

Excellent content brother!

[@patrickdonegan9559]

oh, and those SanDisk Extreme SSD cards .... there is the slower ones ... at costco ... and then the faster ones.

[@EhsanShabahang]

You are the first video KZbinr that just goes to the point ↖️ no up no down ❤ fast and right on the point 🔼 love your videos 📼 thank 🙇 you

[@DanFox]

Thanks for the Super Thanks!

[@EhsanShabahang]

@@DanFox you rock 👑

[@TheUbeIceCream]

am I the only one who buys stuff and then watches reviews for it, I just placed my order for a Canon R50 as a beginner and this is the first video that pops up.

[@johnhill5184]

Thank u .. new follower !!

[@KyupalNgYoutube]

😂 i planned to buy a used camera to save money, ending triple the amount for accessories, batteries, charger, bag, lens, filters, memory card, sd to cf adapter, tripod and battery grip 😂😂😂,

[@xiondFirst]

I'm not a beginner but I haven't had a camera for a while so I forgot what it's like to be a beginner and get the correct camera lol.

[@seaned8]

The only other things I can think of is filters and external flash. And maybe a power bank. I also found a good torch is important. If you want to take good morning golden hour shots, you get there when it's still dark.

[@alexandermiasoiedov6637]

Only 10k subs on this channel? Damn!

[@jtap484]

I started with a Nikon D3300 and a couple of kit lenses! It was a great experience! I put grow that camera after about 2 years! Then I got a Nikon D750!

[@Dmitriy.0]

I'd add a proper flash to the list.

[@Lesterandsons]

👍

[@lukasmucus9214]

First 👍👍👍👍

[@wolcek]

In 10 years of taking photos, the 3rd party battery failed on me *twice* . Sorry, for the third of the price of the original one, I am going to use 3rd party. I have noticed that brands offering chargers also have reliable batteries. As to the cards - I have my favourite brand; I know that if their card fail, they will take care of recovering the data off it. This is also one thing to look for - how good support you are going to get when something fails. You don't want badly trained baboons in the tech support hotline after losing a day of shooting on your trip to NZ. As to HDD/SSD - taking HDD with you on a long trip is a pain - HDD is power-hungry, heavy *and* fragile. Still, I usually take an SSD and a portable 2.5" HDD; I clean the cards to the SSD and once a couple of days - I sync it to the HDD. It *might* be a good idea to use the cloud, but one day of shooting can be 30-60GB, so you'd need a fast connection.

[@game2572]

When you mention Tripods you must know what is your prmary interest because video and photo tripods are different.

[@DanFox]

You can often use photo tripods for video, it's just that video tripods often provide additional conveniences. The most important thing is the head. Video usually works best with fluid heads, unless you just need locked off shots.

[@patrickdonegan9559]

"remainder of system"

[@SchardtCinematic]

I did so much research at the end of 2011 when I learned that DSLRS could shoot high quality HD video. I studied up and learned that Canon was one of the best. I searched DSLR films on you tube. I got that from a magazine to search that. I saw quality comparisons and in January 2012 I bought my Canon T3i. I felt like I had a pro camera body compared to using my Sony mini DV camcorders. I finally had a 1080P video camera with interchangeable lenses. I now use a Canon 90D and my first mirrorless a Canon R7. They make a nice filmmaking camera set.

[@Raymond23rdOBC]

camera bag in a diaper bag. nobody steals a diaper bag

[@DanFox]

lol - this made me chuckle. On that note - why are diaper bags so freakishly expensive?

[@fairfieldgoodearthworks-da6181]

Nope, when I was looking for a new camera. I spoke to you

[@DanFox]

Glad you did! Glad to see you're finally getting use out of it! Let me know if there are any related topics you want me to cover 🤘