Absolute Newb.

[Inaba]

Hi, so as the title suggests I don't know too much about cameras as a whole.

Curious to try my hands on some photography, with a rough budget of $800 and under.

Point and Shoots and DLSRs/Mirrorless(Can it fit in the budget?) are all up for recommendations.

(Not sure if I can say this but)If anyone has their own cameras up for offer, feel free to let me know too.

Thanks

 

[thoongeng]

Welcome to clubsnap!

That sounds like a reasonable budget, but throwing the options so open a bit hard to recommend anything, a bit like going to the supermarket and saying 'I have $100, what is nice to eat?'... Why not try what you have at hand first? If your handphone has a camera you can learn a lot of basics of photography already.

Happy shooting

 

[Octarine]

Welcome to ClubSNAP.
You will have to do some basic homework about the various models and technologies to get some orientation.
Buy & Sell has a huge variety of offers, many within your budget. So you have to narrow down your search.
Start small, learn the basics, get only what you understand. Technology advances and the next camera is always better and more expensive.

 

[Inaba]

Welcome to ClubSNAP.
You will have to do some basic homework about the various models and technologies to get some orientation.
Buy & Sell has a huge variety of offers, many within your budget. So you have to narrow down your search.
Start small, learn the basics, get only what you understand. Technology advances and the next camera is always better and more expensive.

Yes,I've done a little work on the models and camera things(e.g Exposure Value) but I still do not have a very clear understanding on such things.
The Buy/Sell place has lots of cameras that fit my budget(looking at Sony and Canon atm)...but I'm not too sure what would work well for me.
And thanks for the welcome.

Welcome to clubsnap!

That sounds like a reasonable budget, but throwing the options so open a bit hard to recommend anything, a bit like going to the supermarket and saying 'I have $100, what is nice to eat?'... Why not try what you have at hand first? If your handphone has a camera you can learn a lot of basics of photography already.

Happy shooting

Thanks for the welcome!
Using my phone's camera has been a decent place to start, managed to learn some stuff from it. However, the settings on my phone are quite limited,so there isn't much control to it at all.

 

[Nikonzen]

Take a class or two and spend rest of budget on used dslr or rent from photography school. You'll get further faster this way. Welcome to the Club!

 

[Octarine]

Yes,I've done a little work on the models and camera things(e.g Exposure Value) but I still do not have a very clear understanding on such things.

Exposure is not camera or model related, it applies to all cameras.
I think your question is whether to get a pocket camera or the big DSLR? Beside the budget you have named, the usage and your expectations matter. What do you want to use the camera for? A travel companion to replace the handphone? Something to take better selfies that get quickly uploaded to social media? Are you planning to go into visual arts and media? How willing are you to learn how to take pictures, instead of just pressing a shutter button?
These are just a few points to consider, please add more from your own mind. Cameras are consumer electronics, the money you spend is gone and resale value is low. So it pays off to spend some time before spending some money.
And yes, do not underestimate the power of knowledge. A good book about the basics will teach you more than the latest camera with all bells and whistles. A good entry point can be Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" or Joe McNally's "The Moment it Clicks".
(I am not related to any of the two authors and I don't get any money for mentioning / linking to their books.)

 

[wonglp]

DSLR vs Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Systems (MILC) vs Compact Camera (mostly large sensor compacts). Each category has it's pros and cons.

Image quality of MILCs and DSLR are very similar these days, with portability and weight a plus point to MILCs than DSLR, but battery life and for <$800 it would be tough to get a new MILCs with electronic viewfinder, used is possible, Autofocusing DSLR are still faster for the realm of sport photography but for beginners it's possibly not a deciding factor now. Ergonomics, lens range, availability of accessories, menu, picture output etc all this are decisions that only you can decide for yourself.

Once you have decided which category, then comes the brand, which you can do some research or ask some questions in the specific brands sub forum.

 

[Inaba]

Exposure is not camera or model related, it applies to all cameras.
I think your question is whether to get a pocket camera or the big DSLR? Beside the budget you have named, the usage and your expectations matter. What do you want to use the camera for? A travel companion to replace the handphone? Something to take better selfies that get quickly uploaded to social media? Are you planning to go into visual arts and media? How willing are you to learn how to take pictures, instead of just pressing a shutter button?
These are just a few points to consider, please add more from your own mind. Cameras are consumer electronics, the money you spend is gone and resale value is low. So it pays off to spend some time before spending some money.
And yes, do not underestimate the power of knowledge. A good book about the basics will teach you more than the latest camera with all bells and whistles.

My main intention for getting a camera was for traveling-something to replace my phone if I'm out and about. I don't plan to get into visual arts and media, just as a hobby and am fine with taking some time to learn how to take pictures.

DSLR vs Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Systems (MILC) vs Compact Camera (mostly large sensor compacts). Each category has it's pros and cons.

Image quality of MILCs and DSLR are very similar these days, with portability and weight a plus point to MILCs than DSLR, but battery life and for <$800 it would be tough to get a new MILCs with electronic viewfinder, used is possible, Autofocusing DSLR are still faster for the realm of sport photography but for beginners it's possibly not a deciding factor now. Ergonomics, lens range, availability of accessories, menu, picture output etc all this are decisions that only you can decide for yourself.

Once you have decided which category, then comes the brand, which you can do some research or ask some questions in the specific brands sub forum.

Somehow I found a digital camera(Nikon Coolpix s6500) I had and spent some time to play around with it. Guess I could save the money for a while and learn how to use a camera with one I currently have.

 

[ziggy]

Why not try a used micro four-third (m43? They are small, compact and picture quality is much better than the point-n-shoot, and phones. Used Panasonic or Olympus with standard lenses can be as $200+.

Use it for a while, and if you like taking photos, then upgrade to more current ones.

 

[dennisc]

My el cheapo Olympus OMG 1 II with Pana 20 f1.4 II beats my 5D mk3 with 50 f1.2l and 35 f1.4L hands down... imho, when taking portraits... sadly. Would throw Canon into the trash