07.07.2025
6 Tips for Beginner Photography Gear
by Leon A. Ivkovic
Shoot Smart, Not Expensive.
A lot of people think you need expensive equipment to take great photos.
While high-end gear can help, it’s far less important than most beginners assume.
Good photography is about light, timing, and your eye—not your bank account.
If you’re a beginner looking for your first real camera, here’s 6 tips I'd follow:
Buy Used or Refurbished
Look for a camera that’s just been phased out of production and pick it up used or refurbished. This is where the best deals live.
For example, look out for cameras like these:
- Panasonic Lumix S5 (Link to the product)
- Sony A7 III (Link to the product)
- Sony a6700 (Link to the product)
- Panasonic GH6 (Link to the product)
All of these offer professional-level image quality and features, and you can often find them for under $1,000. Sure, they’re not perfect, but you’re not trying to be Christopher Nolan in year one.
Think in Ecosystems
Before you buy, consider the system you’re buying into—because lenses will lock you in. For instance:
- Nikon Z or Canon’s RF mount is excellent but pricey and has limited third-party lens options.
- Sony and Lumix support third-party lenses (Sigma, Tamron), which means more affordable and creative flexibility.
Sensor Size
There is no absolute need to buy a Full Frame Sensor Camera, but it has its benefits compared to APS-C or even MFT. Full Frame has stronger bokeh and focus separation, which is great for portraits, but the cameras and lenses are heavier, bigger and way more expensive.
If you like Landscape or Car photography I would not care about full frame, unless you want to go with LUMIX. Their FullFrame Cameras and Lenses are way cheaper than the competitors and you can get into a FullFrame System fairly cheap with the Lumix S5.
Don’t Stress the Brand
Whether it’s Canon, Sony, Lumix, or Fujifilm, almost any camera from 2016 onward can shoot amazing photos. What matters more is how it feels in your hand. And if you’re comfortable using it (even blindly).
Try Before You Buy
Borrow a friend’s camera or visit a store.
Scroll through the menu.
Swap lenses.
See how intuitive it feels.
Usability is personal - some people love Sony menus, others find them confusing. The best camera is the one you’ll want to use regularly.
Editing
Most shots are made with editing in mind. The Raw shot is rarely as stunning as the edit. Learning how to edit is frustrating but the result is often worth it.
Don’t just buy presets, expecting a great result. The best presets still need you to know how to push your image correctly.
You can’t just copy paste some other creators look.
The only harsh reality:
If you want to create professional looking pictures, you will probably need the costly Adobe Subscription. Unfortunately, applications like Adobe Lightroom still offer functionality that can’t be neglected by any photographer.
But there are still ways to find a deal for the subscription. Especially if you are a student, you can apply for the student subscription, which is way cheaper than the normal one.
Lets talk Recommendations
In the following paragraph, you can find a summary of my recommendations for Cameras and Lenses. This may help you find your starter kit:
My Checklist:
Buy a camera that has:
- At least 18MP (even 12MP looks better than most 48MP phones)
- a Sensor size: Micro Four Thirds or APS-C minimum; Full Frame is great if budget allows
- an Interchangeable lens system (avoid fixed-lens models)
- RAW Photo capability
My Beginner Gear Picks:
- Sony a6700 (APS-C) (Link to the product)
- Best Budget all-rounder lens: 17-70mm f2.8 equivalent to 24-105 for Fullframe (Link to the product)
- Best 2nd lens (Wide angle): 10-18mm f2.8 (Link to the product)
- Lumix S5 (FullFrame) (My Personal Pick because of low prices for the ecosystem)
- Best Budget all-rounder lens: 28–70mm f/2.8 equivalent (Link to the product)
- Prime lenses (better sharpness and low light performance)
Don’t buy anything else (Lenses)
You realistically won’t need other focal lengths except for highly professional Sports and Wildlife photography, but those lenses are in the $5-10k region. No Beginner Stuff.
Final Word: Avoid G.A.S.
G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) is real. It’s the trap of always thinking you need one more lens, one more accessory. Don’t fall into it. Start simple, shoot often, and grow naturally. The best gear is the gear you know how to use.
