First off, I have to get this out of the way. I am in no way a DSLR expert, nor do I claim to be. However, I’ve had my DSLR for quite some time and people always seem to ask me my advice, enough to make me want to finally create a blog about it. Usually, their question is somewhat along the lines of, “What should I buy,” or “What lenses should I get,” or “what do I need to start making money back?” There really is no definitive answer as to what you should buy, because each person has their own specific needs, but there are some important things that you should know first, and some advice that I can offer for a few situations, before spending that nice chunk of change.
Camera
Let’s start with the camera. Canon and Nikon, the main players in the DSLR world, have different grades of cameras, all meeting various price points, and containing various features, meant to target consumers and their respective budgets. Typically, the more money you spend on the camera, the more features it is packed with and it is usually built better. However, if this is your first DSLR, I’d consider not spending more than $3000 on the camera body…unless money is no object, however, chances are, you are on a budget, like the rest of us. The first question that you have to answer, is “what is your primary use of this camera, Photo or Video?” I bought my Canon 7D with one purpose in mind, video. Therefore, whatever camera I chose had to be able to film in Hi-Def, 1920×1080, which at the time, the 7D was the only one that fit my budget. There are other Hi-Def cameras out there that only film in 1280×720, which is still Hi-Def, but if you are looking for something to last, it would be best to stick with the 1920×1080. Since I bought my 7D, several cameras have been released by both companies that film natively in 1920×1080. If photography is your primary, it’s really a toss-up. I’m not here to start a Nikon vs. Canon war, and really, a tool is a tool, as a friend of mine says, and these two are the best for the money. The best advice I can give is to pick the cameras made by each competitor within your budget, and match them up, feature by feature, but read on first, as I will mention other factors to take into consideration.
As I brought up before, your camera is a tool. Without these tools, we wouldn’t be able to capture such beautiful images, be it photo or video. However, these are only a part of the equation. The lenses, or “glass” are another part of the equation, and in the long run, you will probably spend much more money on glass compared to your camera bodies, depending on how serious of a DSLR user you plan to be. One nice thing about glass, is usually, as long as you stick with the same manufacturer, when it comes time to upgrade your camera body, your glass will be compatible. There are exceptions to this though, which I will touch on later.
Sensor
One of the most important things to understand about cameras is the sensor size, which is usually overlooked. The Canon 7D, for instance, has a cropped sensor. There are lenses specifically made for cropped sensors and ones that are made for full frame sensors. WARNING – The Canon cropped frame lenses (EF-S) cannot be used on a full frame sensor camera without seeing a horrible vignetting, that pretty much renders them useless, unless you feel like cropping every image and video. I highly recommend getting lenses made for full frame cameras, which can be used on cropped sensor cameras. Meaning that if you use a 50mm lens on a full frame sensor camera like the Canon 5D, you will see exactly what a 50mm lens sees. Now if you use a 50mm lens on the 7D, you will only see a percentage of the lens. I know, it sounds confusing, but take a look at this picture. It should help clear it up a little bit.
So the big box is the 5D, and the small box is the 7D.The easiest way to think about it is if you were to use a 50mm on the 5D, you see 50mm. Now, the 50mm on the 7D, it’s almost like you are using a 80mm lens. The mathematical formula is to multiply your lens millimeter by 1.6, which is equivalent to the 7D’s cropped sensor. So if it’s a 30mm lens on the 7D, take 30 X 1.6 = 48. So you are in essence using a 48mm lens. Now, back to the EF-S lenses made for cropped sensor cameras…they do not suffer this penalty. But again, if you eventually upgrade to a full frame sensor camera in the future, your EF-S lenses are pretty much useless. I’d stick with EF lenses, which are Canon’s line of full frame sensor lenses.
Lens Basics
As far as a purchasing a whole kit on B&H, Amazon, or anywhere else, I’d suggest not doing so. Put that money towards a lens you actually have a use for, or want. Yeah, the camera bundle comes with the lens, but the kit lenses that Canon and Nikon offer, are really not that great. I actually sold mine. If I knew it was that bad, especially for video, there’s no way in hell that I would have bought it. Here’s why the kit lenses suck…My kit lens was the Canon 28-135mm f/3.5 – 5.6. If I’m zoomed all the way out on a subject, at 28mm, that’s when the lens is closest to the sensor, letting in the most light. When I’m zoomed all the way in on a subject, at 135mm, the lens is furthest away from the sensor, letting in the least amount of light. So, when I start to zoom in on the subject, the lens will automatically adjust for the light loss by automatically adjusting the aperture. These type of lenses are called Variable Aperture lenses. The lenses that don’t have this issue are called Constant Aperture lenses. So again, instead of buying a kit, I’d recommend just buying the body and use the extra money to get a lens that fits your needs. Please note, there are other companies that manufacture lenses as well, that are specifically made to work with either Nikon, Canon, and others. Some names that come to mind is Zeiss, Tamron, Tokina, and Sigma. Some are cheaper options, while others are expensive alternatives, such as the sought after Zeiss lenses.
Video Lenses
If video is your primary focus, you really should stick with “Prime” lenses. Prime lenses are lenses that do not zoom at all. The reason why primes are ideal for video, is because they are very fast lenses, meaning they let in a lot of light, which in turn means they are great in low light. Also, since these lenses are faster, you can open the iris (f-stop) more, to reduce the depth of field. Depth of field refers to the range of distance that appears acceptably sharp. Primes are typically cheaper than zoom lenses because there is less parts to them. Though they are fast, the obvious drawback is the lack of zoom, so you need to either move your body to get the shot you want, or change lenses to another prime lens that will better suit the shot. In my opinion, there are three prime lenses that should find their way into your bag, again if video is your main focus. They are the 30mm, the 50mm, and the 85mm, or the closest equivalent. That gives you a good all around range of lenses for coverage. I’d recommend starting off with something like the Sigma 30mm f/1.4, which is around $489.00. It’s a good all around lens that’s fast. If there is one drawback to that lens, it’s that you have to get closer to your subject, which can be obtrusive. So filming things like weddings with this lens, might not be the best choice for close-ups. Again, a 30mm lens on a 7D is really a 48mm lens. After the 30, I’d consider the 50mm. On the Canon side, they make a really affordable one, that is f/1.8 and is only $134.00. Finally, the 85mm, Canon makes one that is f/1.8, and is around $419.00. So, if $3000 is your budget, you could theoretically get the whole set when you get your camera, but if not, stick to the order I mentioned above. Note, these lenses are not top of the line, but get the job done for the budget filmmaker. One thing to factor in on your budget is that you will need a CF or an SD card, which ever your camera takes, make sure it’s at least a 16gb, and I’d recommend purchasing an extra battery as well. This way, you can usually have one charging while you are shooting.
Photography Lenses
If photography is your focus, then stick with the zooms. Typically, zooms are more expensive because there are more parts inside. Just because zooms are slower than primes, does not mean that prime lenses do not have their place in photography, and vice versa. If shallow depth of field is your thing, primes are the way to go, even in photography. Both, Canon and Nikon make a professional grade of prime and zoom lenses. Canon calls their line the “L” series. “L” standing for Luxury. Nikon on the other hand, doesn’t really have a name for their professional line, a move that I think has hurt the company in the marketing department, but they are out there. Obviously, with a title like Luxury or Professional, one has to assume the cost is high, and you would be correct. One tell tale sign of a Professional grade zoom, is the fact that it has a constant aperture, meaning the aperture stays the same, no matter how far zoomed out or in you are, unlike the kit lenses I mentioned above. There are a bunch…boatloads of mid-level zooms, and most are variable aperture, which for photography, can be somewhat tolerable, but since I now focus on both, I found it best to just stick with the constant aperture lenses. The lenses that you should strive for for photography, though insanely expensive, is the Canon 16-35mm, then the Canon 24-70mm, then finally, the Canoin 70mm-200mm, or of course, the Nikon equivalent. Some have referred to these three lenses as the “Trinity” of photography lenses.
All of this obviously is my opinion, and I’m sure there was some info that I left out, but I hope it helps at least one more person to make the choice that best works for them. A lot of people already take them for granted, but since the inception of DSLR’s, we now have the luxury to focus on both, video and photography, which is really a big deal, and since the early 90′s, no one ever thought it would happen. For the price, to be able to have two tools in one, to use it to make money in photography and video, or even just to have fun with both as a hobby, DSLR’s have staying power in industry. You are making a smart choice. Welcome to the club.