felicia the Photographer
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Felicia’s Camera Buying Guide
Nov 24, 2017
Holiday Camera Buying Guide
Each year, I’m flattered by the amount of people who reach out to me asking for recommendations regarding which cameras to buy. This year I decided to put together a list of (in my humble opinion) the best cameras. Below you’ll find my favorites and a little blurb explaining each camera’s best application and how it pertains to your needs! Happy reading, and as always if you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Instax Mini 8
These cameras are so much fun and make for amazing and affordable gifts! They print mini-polaroid style pictures immediately after you take the photo, providing instant gratification and nostalgic, film, one-shot pictures. The cameras come in all different colors and you can purchase different films as well! Be sure to snag some film to include with your gift!
To Purchase:
Instax Mini 8 Fujifilm Ice Blue Camera
^^Click the above links to purchase
GoPro Hero6
If you’re a stranger to a GoPro you clearly haven’t lived, and obviously need to snag one and get the heck out there! These tiny durable cams are an adventurer’s dream! They can be mounted to just about anything (including the human body), upload straight to your phone, and are super easy to use. There are like 2 buttons. These guys are built for documenting adventure. You turn it on, and live your life. This is one instance when I suggest purchasing the latest model because as you’re not controlling your own settings, depending on durability, and are subject to their innate image quality, you’ll want every update they roll out.
To Purchase:
^^Click that link to purchase
Sony Alpha a5000
This is the camera that perfectly fits the ‘I just need quality pictures of my kids’ statement. It’s a great camera for families because it’s super affordable, is easy to use, and produces quality images. Like any camera, it can be used fully automatically (read: point and shoot) but also has some fun features including: convenient wifi transfer to your phone, built in on-camera flash, self-timer, and a very user friendly interface. (There are newer models of this same camera available, but if the above describes what you need, this is plenty. Save your money)
To Purchase:
Sony Alpha a5000 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 16-50mm OSS Lens (White) – international version
^^Click that link to purchase
Mirrorless Fujifilm X-T2
This is the cream of the crop when it comes to mirrorless digital cameras. It’s what I carry on a daily basis as my personal camera, but it is so powerful I also shoot wedding videos on it. It shoots 4k, is light as a feather, features retro styling and a ton of amazing features like wireless trigger and photo transfer, panoramas, built in film effects, double exposures, the list goes on. I recommend this camera to someone who isn’t a novice, understands more than basic camera functions, and is looking for high quality images in a tiny package. This little guy packs a punch and is ideal for a hobbyist, intermediate photographer, blogger, or traveler.
To Purchase:
Fujifilm X-T2 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 18-55mm F2.8-4.0 R LM OIS Lens
^^Click that link to purchase
Canon Rebel T6i
This is an ideal beginner camera for someone interested in advancing their skills in photography. It’s a camera that should be used in manual mode rather than ‘P’ which is also known as Auto. Gone are the days that require a DSLR to glean quality images. It’s silly to carry around such a heavy camera and not capitalize on its manual abilities. Manual mode means that all three elements of the exposure triangle (shutter speed, aperture, and ISO) are all controlled by the user to create the resulting image. In ‘Auto’ you’re just pressing the shutter and allowing the camera to make the technical decisions. The Rebel cameras are a great introductory to advanced/professional manual photography.
To Purchase:
Canon EOS Rebel T6i Digital SLR with EF-S 18-55mm IS STM Lens – Wi-Fi Enabled
^^Click that link to purchase
Canon 5d Mark IV
This is the camera I use for my professional work! Well, two of its little sisters (the Mark III) to be exact. If you’re entertaining this level of professional camera, I don’t need to convince you that it’s worth every penny. Professional cameras all have the same features (for the most part) but as you advance, they perform better in low light, have touch screen point focusing, write larger higher quality files, and have obscurely amazing features, speed and quality.
To Purchase:
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Full Frame Digital SLR Camera Body
^^Click that link to purchase
Memory Cards
If you’re buying a camera, I recommend a second battery or two and a couple of memory cards. Below are the cards I use:
SanDisk Extreme SD Card
These cards will be able to read and write video without lag. The size is totally up to how often you want to have to upload to your computer. I think if you’re purchasing any of the cameras above the DSLRs (the Canons) 32GB is plenty!
To Purchase:
SanDisk Extreme 32GB 90 Mb/s SDHC UHS-I Card (SDSDXVE-032G-GNCIN) [Newest Version]
^^Click that link to purchase
SanDisk ExtremePRO CF Card
If you’re using a camera for professional purposes, the last thing you want is to miss a shot because your card couldn’t keep pace with the events you’re photographing. The SanDisk ExtremePros are my favorite! Knock on wood, they’ve never done me dirty.
To Purchase:
^^Click that link to purchase
If you liked this post, you may also like:
Lo & Sons Claremont Camera Bag Review
*** Please note: Some of the above links are affiliate links, meaning that at no cost to you, I earn a small commission off of any purchases made using them. Of course, the opinions expressed above are my own and are not sponsored or reflective of the views of any of the companies whose products I have praised.
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