LOL, I literally was writing a script for "5 Things to Not Worry About If You Are Just Starting Out". OK, this is a much better video you have sir. My backup idea now is a 'How to string together and hang Godox lights with old lav mic cords".
OMG! 2:36 THIS ! This is so true! Almost three years ago I decided that I wanted to buy a full frame mirrorless camera and started researching what the options were for me. It was between the Canon EOS R, Nikon Z6 and Sony A7 III. If I had "fallen" into the trap of hearing what people say on youtube and the internet in general, it would surely have been a Sony a7III. I got the impression that neither Nikon nor Canon can take pictures at all, that you do NOTHING with them. That Sony is the only one that can be used. Fortunately, I did not "fall" for it. It also helped me a lot that I visited a store and held a Sony a7III in my hands, it was like holding an "uncomfortable electronic box", it did not sit in my hand at all. Even though the Sony camera was technically the best of the three, I still chose the Nikon Z6. And perhaps the main reason was that it sat very comfortably in my hand. Then the Z-mount and its potential for the future, the Nikon colors, the S-line lenses. My principle was that I need to be one with the camera I choose to buy. By that I mean, if I buy a camera that is technically the best (Sony a7III) but I dont feel that this is the one for me then it doesn't matter that it is the best camera. It doesn't matter that the Sony a7III is the best in test if I do not feel I want to go out and take pictures. When I took the Nikon Z6 in my hand and took some pictures with it, I immediately felt that this is it! This is my camera! It was not technically the best camera, but since I liked it, I knew that I want to go out and take pictures with it. Nowadays I have a Z6II. The only thing I miss from my Z6II camera is being able to raise the rear screen upwards when I hold the camera in vertical position. I do not want to lie down on the ground, which can be wet sometimes to take a picture of a flower at ground level in a vertical position.
There are so many camera traps to fall into. 10 years ago my ex husband decided my first DSLR camera. He listened to the fanboys that Canon was crap in comparison to Nikon. He refused to get a basic camera to learn on and we couldn't afford a full frame so he went with D7000 for both of us with a 35mm lens. I always enjoyed macro and landscape with point and shoot cameras so I found the 35mm mostly useless. I hated the Nikon camera menus and its body was way too heavy and bulky for my small hands. I finally got a macro lens and a tripod so I warmed up to it a little. He rarely used his and I only used it for macro. I sold it recently for a mirrorless setup but fell into the trap of full frame vs aps-c. I went with Sony so I could buy great lenses for my aps-c for when I was ready I could upgrade and still use them. I ended up with a A6400 with a 18-105mm Sony crop lens. I now regret that setup and should have gone straight to the base full frame with a landscape zoom full frame lens especially since my macro choice is the full frame Sony 90mm macro. My A6400 is already being retired to a fun setup using old manual lenses and for travel only. The 18-105mm Sony crop lens is too bulky for travel but wont give me the best results on a full frame so I'm stuck with it for idk... vloging? Its been a costly mistake for sure. Personally I feel if someone wants to stay casual with their photos or travel a lot without a bulky setup then aps-c all the way. If there are plans to put out print quality or head towards more professional settings in future then an entry level full frame would be the best starting point as it will take you way further into amateur territory with a nicer transition to pro than an aps-c will.
Thank you for this insight! I have been “paralyzed” by all the research and comments and invested in NOTHING. Your video just freed me from all that! Thanks Omar!
I’ve been shooting digital interchangeable lens cameras for nearly 10 years. My first was a used Olympus E-P2 with the original M.Zuiko 14-42mm collapsing zoom. My first prime lens was a 14mm f/2.5 from Panasonic. I shot aperture priority and auto ISO for at least 2 years before I started caring about manually controlling everything. I’ve used all the camera brands and sensor formats since then, both personally and professionally. They’re all great, and, simultaneously, they’re all quirky in some way. I’ve only purchased one brand new camera ever. What’s progressed my photography more than gear: Taking fine arts courses, looking at other’s artwork, learning directly from professionals, listening to peer criticism, and trial and error.
I just found your channel today. I am a beginning photographer that is trying to start my own business. Your videos are really helpful. I will definitely be watching your videos for more tip and tricks. I will also suggest others to watch your videos. You do amazing work. Thank you.
You are so right! Its a jungle to navigate through. But buying used i probably the best advice of all! Your videos are great - the energy is always positive and honest!
I know that fan boy madness from experience, my first cam was d750 and i was bullied into the canon mark iii and finally caved because i wanted to "fit in". I sold my d750 and all my lenses ...got the mark iii and ABSOLUTELY HATED IT. I ended up selling the mark iii and re-bought all my OG lenses and the d750...quit my group and went solo with my favorite camera! That was 6 years ago; i took some amazing photos since then including my mom's last birthday before her passing. It will always mean the world to me and will remain my best friend!
I actually fell into the brand loyalty trap when I initially bought into Sony's ecosystem. I was all Sony until I found an X100v used on a trip to NYC now I'm a Fujifilm fanboy but really I've realized that all the camera makers make good stuff for different purposes. For me right now the x100v is perfect since I mostly focus on street and documentary photography. I'd mostly recommend avoiding GAS and just focusing on getting better and practicing.
Great tips Omar. Although I have a lot of newer gear, I still reach for my older cameras like XPro1, XT1 and X100s and have captured some great memories.
I can agree with the fanboy part, when I started, I was sold on to the canon fanboy system, now after 6 years after trying all the major brands, I'm now shooting with fuji camera 😂 because I love the small form factor. Canon DSLRs are heavy and big.
Modern photography is like an iceberg, most of it is not apparent. The camera and lens are above the water, your computer hardware, storage and software are below the water.
And taxes. Don't forget taxes. Website and domain expenses. Marketing expenses. Working hours spent doing social media (and other types of marketing if you do them yourself). Gosh, the list is endless
Another superb vid Omar..love the dont listen to, 'you're not a real photographer unless you shoot manual' crap.i see it so often online and it does my head in ! I probably use AP for 90% of my photography,and I often think those who tell beginners they MUST learn in manual,are giving terrible advice.thanks for sharing
Great video ! I think you nailed it when you stated that Take photographs that make you happy. A lot ofttimes , my delete button gets a good workout along with the save button. The beauty of todays cameras..............
My photography journey started with a used X-T2 I got in 2019 for $600, and I still use it as my main camera today. I even started a channel dedicated to helping new photographers learn photography using video game photo modes. I use my X-T2 as a webcam and overlay the footage over gameplay capture. No shame in going used, especially when you’re starting out!
@@yongkysiaw6597 Oh I should mention that I'm a car photographer normally, so my gear gets used quite a bit. I decided to make a RU-vid channel and my $600 used X-T2 is still going strong for both applications
I have been a Nikon shooter for almost 25 years now and have no intention of switching brands. Nikon has gone from top to bottom to middle to almost going out of business but I’ve stuck with them only because of lens investments and how the cameras feel in my hand. I’ve always told friends who want the newest or best to either one; stick with your brand (Canon, Sony, Fuji or what ever) or two, go out and see which camera feels the most comfortable in your hands. I’ve told them their iPhone may just be the best camera to own for them. If you don’t like how it feels or it’s too big or complicated to use, you probably are going to be wasting your money. All of the top brands are fantastic, it just comes down to will you use it.
#1 key. Find “influencers” with artistic integrity. Like this one. And dont buy a drone. Also buy 2 cameras. One for photo, one for video. Way easier than spending HOURS looking for the PERFECT hybrid. Also, dont forget to actually study photography😂. *Final thought, the exposure triangle is everything*.
>Also buy two cameras. One for photo, one for video. Way easier than spending HOURS looking for the PERFECT hybrid. Agree 100%. I’ve wasted tons of time on that endless, futile quest. Even if you do find a hybrid camera that has all or most of the features you want, it’s probably too expensive. I’ve settled on an old full-frame DSLR for photos. And will probably get a used crop-sensor mirrorless camera for talking head videos, vlogging, live-streaming, etc. Looking for two separate cameras makes it easier to pick the right camera for each purpose. As a bonus, if you buy used, those two cameras together might still be cheaper than buying a new hybrid full-frame camera.
Omar great information and you continue to amaze me with your knowledge, common sense, style and comedic timing. All of your points for new photographers is great no bias or bs and the “Angry” part was great, I finally had enough and moved on from him. The main thing is to go out and shoot and just have fun with it and who knows, you just might want to make a career of it some day. Keep up the outstanding content.
On tip 1: used all the way, even if not a beginner anymore. I saved about 25% on my a6600, got it for the price of the a6400 new, and it was in pristine condition.
Keeping us (Fuji fanboys) grounded ... thanks to you & Chris (below) for the outstanding vlogs you produce...my top 2 go-to guys for all things photography!
Loved the video, wish that I would had find you earlier. One main question, where do I find good used camera these days, back in the day was eBay and Craigslist the two main outlets, but today those two are a thing of the past, anyone hardly uses them, and so what is the main outlet of choice today for used gear ? By the way, it is so true, if you get two involved in all the details the fun will go out the window, best to enjoy shootout with what you got, but having said that, I am a Nikon guy, the skin colors of Nikon are more pleasing to my eyes and my brain, so you do have to discover which brand is more pleasing to you and stick with that even if it is not the main stream choice, it is not fun to own a canon that you have to color correct every image because they always too soft, a tad too green or yellow cast. It is much more pleasing when you pop in that memory card and everything that shows up on your display is almost perfect with very little adjustments need for colors and sharpness. Fuji Sony Pentax Panasonic those are niche brands that are very expensive rare and hard to find good deals on them. Am just sad that Nikon has kind of given up these days, not much coming out from Nikon.
Excelente video Omar, en tus videos encuentro mas motivación y consejos útiles que en la mayoría de videos en redes. Y tu sentido del humor es muy bueno 😂
Just found your channel recently and so glad I did. You are such a breath fresh air with common sense advice, great humor, and really fun informative videos! Keep up the great work.
Fired up the PC to take a look at some Nikon Z6 II videos, especially to see what Omar had to say. Feeling a bit chastised by 1:35 "Hi... :-)".. Thanks Omar! Probably good advice.
All of my three Fujifilm cameras and five lenses were purchased used - best time when a replacement model comes out and people demanding the latest and greatest sell their “old” camera. Two of the three actually had less than 2,000 shutter releases!
I was just perusing used X100V cameras on eBay this morning because I want to hand off my X100F (purchased used 3 years ago, had only a few thousand clicks on it) to a friend on an indefinite loan, and the newer model has enough quality of life improvements that I find the upgrade worthwhile. I noticed that some of those on offer had only a few *hundred* shutter releases! That is just bonkers to me.
Still using my used XT2. I'll use til it breaks down which probably would take another 5-10 years since I only shoot for hobby. Even then I'll probably upgrade to XT4.
So true, Omar ... Coming from a 72 yo press photog and pro videocamera operator. The story a picture tells the viewer is the ONLY thing that gives it value - not all the fanboy/techguruism mumbo-jumbo. That's only of bottom-line interest for the cam manufacture-industry investors..., getting you to constantly feed the income lìnes. THE PICTURE is the story - not the overwhelming techtalk 😊
Ignore BUYING Lightroom presets. If you want to get good at photography, don't take shortcut and let mofo on RU-vid decide how to post-process your photo.
I love Black and White photography, there really is something liberating about it. Cool to see that you photograph Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. How is the experience?
This is such a great and informative video. Been shooting street photos with my phone and recently started on a Fujifilm camera. I'm still adjusting to shooting to full manual mode. But then I realized that there's no harm in trying to shoot in Aperture priority. Especially since I'm using a manual lens. It helps me bring back the focus into the composition rather than just constantly tweaking the camera to find the right exposure.
I personally started out with a used two digit Canon DSLR (60D, but 70D is pretty cheap now as well) and those are amazing value. Pair that with the 18-135 and you can have a great range of focal lengths and that lens is very sharp for such a low price. Not the best aperture, but decent enough for a beginner. And Canon has some super cheap primes like ne 50/1.8 and the 24/2.8. The 24/2.8 actually made me get the X100T ;-)
Also the downsides for a lot of kit lenses are less in the Fuji than any other system. OIS, Aperture priority ring.... Sharpness? It's one of my best lenses.
Great video and advice. I started shooting with an Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II and some cheap, manual primes. Just upgraded to an E-M5 Mark II and dove into Fuji with a used X-T2 (a little more for that sweet Graphite Edition) and an 18mm f/2. Great colors with both systems and loving the Fuji Film Simulations and Recipes. I have friends who have constantly tried to push me toward Full Frame, but I don't get the feeling of wanting to go out and shoot with those cameras like I do with my Fuji and Olympus.
lighting and composition would have been good to learn, for sure. Personally, I would have liked to know that RAW images are flat in general, and that the best landscape photographers in the world start off with a flat raw image and make it come to life in post. For a while there I figured it was my kit lens that was the problem, and everything would change with an expensive lens! I guess you're recommendation is get a higher quality lens, which of course is reasonable, but I think investing time/money in post-processing may be more important initially. Some of these newer kit lenses are pretty sharp (at least at smaller apertures) despite being cheaply built. Love the idea of an older DSLR- the reality is the sensors are basically the same and even an 8-10 year old pro camera body is fine. I also wonder if mirrorless cameras would make beginners not really understand the histogram.
Definitely go used, when I switched from my DinosaurSLR to Fuji I bought a used XT-2 and 18-55, I’ve just sold them after 4 years for not far off what I paid for them, there’s good savings to be made and like good quality products Fuji stuff holds it’s value well if you bought used in the first place.
