You Are a Beginner Photographer and You Need a Lens - My Recommendations for All Brands 

I'm not a beginner but I keep coming back to Leigh, she's a very good tutor with a pleasant an calm presence

We're glad to hear you spreading the word on the lens that comes after the kit lens. There are so many options!

Great video, Leigh. After watching and then rewatching your Jaunuary video, "I Channel Ansel Adams...", I bought a new copy of "The Grand Canyon and the Southwest." What a treasure. My favorite "gear" purchase of the summer This wonderful book covers Ansel Adams' transition from a professional musician to a professional photography and shares his glee at his own recognition that he's the first professional photographer to focus on New Mexico Spanish and First Nations photography. I read every word, studied every photograph, and loved the book. Thank you again.

After watching your review on the Nikon P1000 I bought one and completely happy with it. There is only one downside : to many options and the urge to zoom to close on on objects. The problem of having too many possibilities blocks learning in depth how the camera reacts. Still very happy with it … So thanks !!!

If you are new to photography and camera gear acquisition syndrome then the following idea will save you heaps of cash. Get a Nikon D7500 or the D5600 if the first is too expensive. I mention the D5600 because you can get it in a kit with the 18-55 AND the 70-300 AFP VR. If you have these two lenses then there is only one other that you need and that is the Nikon 10-20mm DX. Having this you have focal lengths of 10 - 300 that in full frame equivalents are 15 - 450mm because of the X 1.5 crop. Now with those four items you can pretty much shoot anything. If light is getting dull, up your ISO to 400. If light is more dull use a tripod. New, depending on which camera you get costs you about $1100 to $1400 USD. On special at your camera store or amazon even less, or, from KEH as second hand even less. Photography enables you to get more out of your visual environment because as a photographer you study light and enjoy your scenes just so much more. Happy photographing.

Great advice. I have shot with Pentax (yes, Pentax!) since the 1980s and their vintage K, M and A series lenses from the 1960s through the 80s are manual but overall terrific and very reasonably priced for both APSC or full frame. For APSC cameras, I recommend the more recent Pentax 55-300mm f/4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR. Yep, it’s weather sealed and runs around $400 new. My favorite vintage zoom is the Pentax A series SMC 35-105mm F3.5. It is referred to in the Pentax community as “the stack of primes.” I have had this lens for almost 40 years and it’s still going strong. It’s sharp, has a 3D pop and also has a macro feature which is excellent for flowers. It’s a bit heavy but built like a tank. You can pick one up used for $50-150 depending on the condition.

@ 9:05 : Tamron has the 17-70mm f2.8 for Sony E Mount and Fujifilm X Mount (apsc). It has a similar look and range as the Sony 24-105 f4 full frame lens. Great video by the way.

Good stuff for the beginner! My fav BIF shooter is the D500 and the 300mm F4D AIS lens. All on eBay, and no problems. But one must do homework on eBay sellers! Cheers!

One of my lenses is an early 80s Nikkor 135mm f2.8 manual focus lens. I bought it online and the glass is darn near perfect. It's one of my favorites and l look forward to other manual lenses, as well as the new stuff too.

I’m a designer; constraints are important and part of every project. It helps focus creative energies on a few sensible solutions. As a person who started shooting just a few years ago, I find the few primes I own help me do that. For my low budget, I think I’ve gotten excellent photo quality considering the cost. My Nikon kit: 20mm 1.8, 50mm 1.8, 85mm 1.8, and 105mm macro. I use the FTZ mount on my Z5 with these older lenses.

The one thing I see quite a bit is that people buy lenses because someone told them they should (like the "Everyone should have a nifty 50..."). I still struggle with this myself, and went for years without one, and frankly, never missed it. But at the same time, it has started to grow on me, but maybe that's because I'm a bit more experienced and can appreciate what a 50mm CAN do. But people shouldn't go out and buy lenses because someone recommends it. And I look back on all the stuff I've bought (lenses, lighting equipment, etc) and half of it, I probably didn't need to buy, because it didn't stay around, and now have worked towards a core of about 6 lenses I use regularlly (that fit the type of photography I do) and frankly, I don't look at other lenses. Recently, Nikon put the 35mm on sale for $150 off, and one of my friends was like "You should get the 35mm. It's $150 off. I'm getting one." And I thought about it, but then I asked myself "am I really going to use a 35mm" (my 24-70 lives on my camera most of the time) and in the end, didn't bother. I mean I'm sure I could find an excuse to get one, but I've learned that I no longer want to buy things, realize I don't use them or don't find they fit my style and then end up selling them at a loss. Too much work, and lost money over the years doing that. (With more recent purcahses, I rented first for a week, shot the heck out of the lens -- waited a few more weeks -- and then if I was still interested and I had legit reasons to ahve that lens in my kit, I'd buy it if it was on sale -- if not I'd wait for it to go on sale). Part of the reason I didn't get a 50mm up front when starting out was that I wanted to learn the basics of photography (which I knew I had not mastered and it would take me time) so I dealt with the kit lens that came with my camera. Once I got the basic exposure principles down and started to understand a bit about composition, and narrow down the genres I liked to shoot, THEN I started looking at other lenses (this was years ago). But in the end, My point though is don't buy gear because someone told you you should and don't buy something with the thought that it will make you a better photographer. It can help you achieve your vision perhaps (meaning buying say a 85mm or a 135 if you like to do portraits and like the creamy bokeh, and all you have is an 16-50 or 18-55 kit lens for example), but just because you buy a piece of gear does NOT automatically make you a better photographer.

My first visit to your videos, very good presentations and easy to understand. Kind regards

I've had the Canon 35 - 350 f 3.5 - 5.6 originally with the Elan film camera and now with the 70D body and I still love it after over 30 years. It is a bit big and wasn't cheap but is very versatile and sharp.

And if you can live without the shallow depth of field thing Olympus have a 12-100mm f/4 pro that is like a 24-70 and 70-200mm in one with crazy good image stabilisation and pretty darn good IQ. If you don’t do wildlife, portraits or sport it could be the only lens you ever need.

Leigh and Raymond excellent advice. I currently own the Nikon Z50 with it kit lenses. And recently purchase the Voltrox 23mm 1.4 lens. Just got it, so working on use it for low light photography. Hey I love Raymond turtle float, my granddaughter would love that float, where did you get it?

To start really like your videos, please keep on going. Not new to photography, but also not an expert. Planning to change my gear for the new Nikon Z series. Looking for the Z6ii or the coming Z6iii. Most of my photography will be for traveling, street photography and family pictures. I'm contemplating for the z50mmF1.8 or the Z24-70mmF2.8. Still debating which one to pick. Need some guidance. Can you help me in my decision making? Serge

This applies with full frame only. But it is great advice if you shoot full frame and learning. But good zooms for APSC and m43 are very good because they do not include the poor outer edge of full fram lenes.

Good video. I'm a beginner trying to first by my first camera. Goal is to photograph my kids and wife and various activities while traveling with family on road trips or birthdays etc. I'm interested in your advice on a good beginner budget camera with an all in one camera lense. Aby suggestions are welcome. Thanks

The first prime I recommend is a 34mm on a Crop sensor or a 50mm on a full frame. What are your thoughts on the difference in sensor size to lens?

The first video I ever saw of Snapchick was you in the pool with a ball knocking a camera into the pool. The first time you answered a question I posted you were in the pool. Raymond in the pool - just doesn't do it for me. :)

Love your body of work and videos; very entertaining and informative. As a newbie, the internet offers a lot of conflicting information/advise. With the Nikon D300s using the Nikkor 17-55mm f2.8 lens (or 50mm f 1.8), on a bracket, with flash mounted approx. 13 inches above the lens, diffused, direct, or bounced, using iTTL, in your professional opinion, what is the largest size formal Bridal Portrait (Bride and Groom or Bride alone) is possible to produce? Some say 8 x 10, maybe an 11 x 14, and then there is fotofonz who claims engagement and bridal portraits as large as 24 x 36... What do you think?

Need Recommendation: I have Z9 and 2 lens at the moment 70/200 and a 50m 1.2. Is getting a 38mm 1.8 overkill because i own already a 50m 1.2 ?

Leigh is pleasing on one’s eye lens😍😍😍

Hi you 2, What would you recommend IYO a good manual very fast 50m for my A7RIV? Cheerz 🙃AU

what's your view on the olympus 40-150 f2.8 pro lens ...i am using the olympus m5 mark ii body

Thanks for your insights on the topic. How about lens adaptors, and how it works? Specially for Fuji, it's 15-45 kit has serious limitations, and in India Even 3rd party ones are not always available and expensive too.

Is it suitable for my Sony a6400 APS-C mirrorless Camera ? Please advise.

I'm a pro butt photograper, for me the 35mm is more than enough for my work

Can you purchase cameras/lenses at KEH from Canada and getting delivered to Canada?

FIIIIIIRST! 🥳

As a beginner....I am still confused.

You are gorgeous

They must really dislike Canon. Mentioned every other brand except Canon. Strange.

For beginners, Nikon users can start with D3500 with kit lens 18-55mm f:3.5-5.6.