- Finding your perfect beginner camera: Think of it as picking your first car – it’s all about finding what suits your style and needs.
- Budget matters: Start with what you can afford. Just like with car insurance, higher costs don’t always mean better for beginners.
- Understand the types: DSLRs, mirrorless, and compact cameras are like different car models – each has its own perks. Mirrorless is sleek and modern, while DSLRs are sturdy and reliable.
- Key features to look for: Look for user-friendly controls, decent zoom, and good battery life – because, let’s be honest, no one likes running out of juice mid-photo session.
- Consider future growth: Like upgrading your car, consider a camera that can grow with you as your skills improve. Interchangeable lenses and manual settings can be game-changers.
- Test before you buy: Always take a test drive – or in this case, a few test shots. It’s about comfort and ease of use.
Buying A Beginner Camera - Top Tip Tuesdays
So you love taking pics 🖼️ and want to upgrade from your phone to a camera 🌈📷✨? Well, you’ve come to the right place - welcome back to another instalment of Top Tip Tuesdays. Today we’re talking about choosing the best camera for a beginner😉. Oh, and of course, we’ll talk about everything camera insurance too.
Beginner Camera Prices 💰
Let’s be honest - not many of us have unlimited budgets, so the price is an important consideration when choosing a camera 💸.
The “cheaper” the camera, the more restrictions you’re likely to face. Often super affordable cameras have minimal potential, and your phone can probably capture better quality images. More expensive cameras may take better quality photos, but you may have more cameras than you need😵💫.
As a noob, you need to compromise between spending an amount that will allow you to have enough features and quality to learn from without becoming overwhelmed💥.
Camera technology moves so fast, so it is recommended that you invest in the latest model of the camera you like. However, if your budget doesn’t allow you, there are often excellent bargains to be found there - just try to avoid anything older than the previous model 👵.
Now… What Do You Wanna Snap? 🌇 🏃🏽♀️🐝
Do you know what to photograph? This section is relatively easy - it’s all about the lens. The standard lens you’d get with a camera is a zoom lens - this is great for taking pics of nature as well as sports 🏄♂️🥅⛹️. If you’re more interested in portrait photography, a prime lens is what you need. We suggest a 50mm 1.8 lens, often cheaper than a standard zoom lens you’d get with your camera.
Image Quality: It’s Got To Be Better Than Your Phone 🤳
It’s important to remember that an expert photographer can capture better photos with a lousy camera than a noob photographer with a great one 🌄! But, as a noob, a few things can help you get better quality pics - and we know that’s what you’re after 🏅.
The quality of the lens plays a huge role in the quality of the final image. Being able to choose your exposure settings makes a real difference 🔍. Stock lenses (the ones that come with your camera when you buy them) are usually a good training ground. They often zoom lenses and generally have very high apertures (f/3.5-5 range), which affects how much light you can introduce into your composition. Once you’ve learned how to master taking pictures with it, get yourself a prime lens (a lens with a fixed focal length). There are some affordable ones for beginners. The most common among popular brands like Canon, Nikon, and Sony is the 50mm f/1.8.
Image stabilisation is a huge help in a variety of situations! A shaky pic could ruin an otherwise awesome photo - that’s where image stabilisation comes in. This allows you to have slower shutter speeds and lower ISO settings to reduce image noise 🔊. What also assists here is keeping your shutter speed high, but this is only possible when you have good light. Otherwise, your subject remains quite dark. A generally acceptable shutter speed for photography is 1/100. You don’t want to go below that as it will introduce motion blur, making your image look blurry and lacking the sharpness that gives them that professional look.
By reading camera reviews, you’ll be able to see lens quality, and this can aid in your decision-making - if a camera pic doesn't look better than a pic you take on your phone, maybe reconsider the camera you want to buy 🤷🏿♂️. But it’s not always about the camera! Many people on the internet like saying they are held back by the camera they are using when they have not mastered the skill of using one! Learn to perfect your pics with your entry-level camera so that when you do move up to use a monster like a Canon 1DX Mark III, your work will merely speak for itself 😎.
Ease Of Use 📚
Photography, like most things, is a learning process 👩🏽🎓. If your camera intimidates you, you’re not as likely to put in the effort. Get a camera that you enjoy using and doesn’t make taking pics harder.
Lucky for you, any good beginner camera has a variety of automatic and semi-automatic modes to simplify the process 🪄. But learn to move into using Manual mode, as this will give you the most control over the output of the image and often prevents the camera’s own suggested help, which - often - can go very wrong!
If you cannot go into a camera store and physically hold the camera, you need to make an educated guess about how it will fit in your hands - this is waaay more important than you realise! Read, read and READ reviews. Beginner cameras are usually relatively small, which is good for you 🔖!
Our Beginner Camera Recommendations
Here's a list of our top beginner camera recommendations. Oh, and... we've included starting from camera insurance premium prices per month (just in case you decide to cop one 😉) because we suggest getting camera insurance and camera equipment insurance!
Nikon D3500 DSLR 24.1MP with 18-55mm DX VR Lens
Nikon’s entry-level DSLR is basic but effective and has an excellent sensor!
- Buy this camera with 18-55mm DX VR lens from R9 489.
- Camera insurance from R86.16 P/M.
Fujifilm X-T200 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 15-45mm Lens
Excellent for novices and Instagrammers!
- Buy this camera with 15-45mm lens from R15 899.
- Camera insurance from R174.30 P/M.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV with 14-42mm + 40-150mm Lens
A pocket-sized powerhouse, and it looks cute!
- Buy this camera with a 14-42mm + 40-150mm lens from R17 695.
- Camera insurance from R129.88 P/M.
Sony ZV-E10 with 16-50MM Lens & Sony Wireless Grip
The best APS-C camera for a newbie vlogger!
- Buy this camera with 16-50MM lens & Sony wireless grip from R14 895.
- Camera insurance from R138.16 P/M.
Nikon Z fc
Basically, the Nikon Z50 - but with a retro look!
- Buy this camera from R16 895.
- Camera insurance from R232.20 P/M.
Camera Insurance Quote📄
Get a camera insurance quote for the camera you’re considering buying while still looking at cameras. This way, you’ll know the “all-in cost” of buying and insuring your new camera and your camera equipment!
What does camera insurance cover with Pineapple?
Our short-term insurance covers the following:
- 👮♂️ Theft - this includes muggings and pick-pocketing, but we hope you’re never mugged while taking epic pics (this happened to our CTO 😔)
- 🔨 Impact Damage - drops and falls. Use that camera strap, please
- 🔥 Fire - we’re talking about literal fire and not the fire pics you’re taking
- 🌏 Global Cover - your camera insurance will be covered for loss or damage anywhere in the world!
- A quick note on the above, a claim settlement will only be payable in Rands and to a bank account in South Africa.
Please see our Policy Wording and Terms & Conditions for more information when getting a camera insurance quote🍍.
But we’ve highlighted some essential notes below:
- We do not compensate for the cost of reproducing sounds, data and images lost from tapes, records, films, magnetic media or any other electronic media.
- We do not compensate for loss or damage to any item used for professional or commercial purposes. Examples of such things would include the photographic equipment used by a professional photographer, the tools used by a professional handyman, drones used for aerial photography for video production or agriculture, and inspections or surveillance to make money from it.
We hope you’ve found these tips helpful, but before you go, we just want to let you know... We’re Pineapple 🍍🍍🍍. Yes, you know, but did you know that we insure anything AND everything? From jewellery insurance to couch insurance, bicycle insurance, car insurance, camera insurance, and camera equipment insurance, we’ve got you covered. Get a short-term insurance quote and BUY insurance in under 90 seconds now!
GET A SHORT-TERM INSURANCE QUOTE TODAY
You won’t regret it 🤕⛈️💔!
Pineapple (FSP 48650) is underwritten by Old Mutual Alternative Risk Transfer Insure Limited, a licensed Non-Life Insurer and authorised FSP. T&Cs apply. Premium is risk profile dependent.
Please Note: The information provided above is for informational purposes only; you should not construe any such information as legal or financial advice.
Team Pineapple
Team Pineapple comprises our company’s top talents, who are dedicated to creating clear, high-quality content on essential vehicle insurance topics. This diverse group, including actuaries, accountants, data scientists, and insurance professionals across South Africa, collaborates to produce enlightening and empowering articles.
Each piece is thoroughly researched, factually accurate, and rigorously reviewed to ensure quality.
*We say they’re the finest because we want them to keep writing for us!
