Best Beginner DSLR Cameras

*Some of these are affiliate links that mean I’ll be compensated if you purchase the, so thanks for the support!The following are my choices for the best beginner DSLR cameras. Because this article is written for the beginner / amateur photographer/filmmaker, these choices are mainly budget-friendly. I also choose to omit cameras from Fuji and Panasonic because those manufacturers mainly stick to specialized camera bodies. Although Panasonic is now creating full-frame cameras I will probably update this list in the future.

Canon EOS t7i

The Canon EOS t7i is Canon's entry level DSLR released in 2017. Some of the t7i's features are:

• Digital video stabilization
• Focus Points 45
• WiFi/NFC Connectivity
• Shooting up to 6.0fps

Current prices of the t7i can be viewed here on amazon.

Alternatives: EOS REBEL SL3

Another choice to consider is the SL3 which is newer and smaller than the t7i. The SL3 also has 4k but has a crop factor that might make it difficult to use. It's also missing 24fps in the 1080P mode which is a big deal for a lot of videographers.

Nikon D5600

• Selfie Friendly LCD
• WiFi/NFC Connectivity

Current prices of the D5600 can be viewed here on amazon.

Alternatives: Nikon D7500

Alternatively, the Nikon D7500 makes a good choice. It features 4k video recording which the D5600 doesn't have. It also has a longer battery life and has a higher iso. However, it is missing a fully-articulated screen that the D5600 has.

Sony a6100

Compared to Canon and Nikon, most Sony camera bodies are slightly more expensive. However, these cameras usually feature the latest technology such as 4k recording with no image crop. Here are some of the features of the a6100:

• Built-in Flash
• 396 grams
• 11.0 fps continuous shooting
• 4k Shooting

The drawbacks to choosing the a6100 are the low battery life.Current prices of the a6100 can be viewed here on amazon.

Alternatives: Sony A6600

I choose the A6600 it has a longer battery life which I think is always a plus. Also, if you decided to pursue photography or videography long term, the a6600 would make a great backup if you choose to buy a full-frame Sony camera. In addition to better battery life, the camera also features Built-in Image Stabilization. However, for a beginner camera it is more expensive than many of the cameras on this list.

Lenses:

I think the best lenses for a beginner are a versatile zoom lens and a small prime lens. Below are my choices for each brand:

Lenses for Canon

• Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens
• Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens

Lenses for Nikon

• Nikon AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
• AF-S DX 35mm f/1.8G

Lenses for Sony

• Sony 18-105mm F4
• 35mm f/1.8

Summary: Best Beginner DSLR Cameras

In conclusion, these are just a few picks for beginner-friendly DSLRs cameras.I decided to stick to mainly apsc/crop frame cameras because most beginner DSLRs use that format. I will do another blog post in the future about full-frame cameras. [tg_divider style="normal"]

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Canon t7i Review

Sony A7iii Long Term Review

I have owned the Sony A7iii for over a year now. The A7iii is the replacement for Sony's entry-level full-frame camera the A7ii. As I have been using the camera for a year now, below is my Sony A7iii Long Term Review.

Price & Length

When the A7iii was released in 2018, it was priced at $1,998.00. Because of the camera's popularity, the price for the A7iii has held steady. You can probably expect that price to hold for the A7iii until Sony releases another Full Frame camera.

Things that I Really Liked:

• Button Customibility

• Long Battery Life

• Fast Shutter Speed

What I didn't Like:

After owning the A7iii for a year I discovered a few issues that I did not like with the camera. The most noteworthy issues I had with the A7iii were:

• Weather Sealing

• Updating Firmware on a Mac is a long process

• Overheating with 4K long usage (Must set the Auto Pwr Temp to High)

Weather Sealing

There is no weather sealing on the A7iii body. This would often lead to dust often getting onto the sensor of the camera if I was shooting in less than ideal environments.

Image Stabilization

Overall, I thought the Image Stabilization in the A7iii was poor. The image stabilization appears to be great for taking photos, which is nice if you primarily take photographs. I thought it was great to have. However, for video, I found the image stabilization to behave very poorly. The reason why I'm very critical on the image stabilization is I feel it is often used as a selling point for this camera.

Overheating while recording in 4K

Another issue I found with the Sony A7iii was how it tends to overheat when recording in 4k video. In my testing, I found that the A7iii tends to overheat around half an hour of 4k recording.

Summary: Sony A7iii Long Term Review

In conclusion, if you're primarily a photographer I think the Sony A7iii is a great investment for you. The combination of a flip-up screen and long battery life make it perfect for long photo shoots days. If you're planning on shooting more video I think you would be happier with another type of camera like something from Panasonic or Fuji.[tg_divider style="normal"]

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Sony A7 iii Review

How to Choose Your First Camera

Review of the Aputure A.lav

As I started to do more vlogging, I decided to pick up the Aputure A.lav. I first learned about this lav mic through D4Darious video on 5 Budget Lavalier Mics. Slowly, I began to incorporate the lav into a few vlogs on my Youtube channel. Below is my review of the Aputure A.lav

Price:

At the time I purchased the Aputure A.lav, it cost under $35. The lav comes with the following:

• Aputure A.Lav Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
• USB Charger Adapter Cable
• Recording Adapter Cable for Mobile
• Recording Adapter Cable for Recorder
• Cable Winder
• Windshield
• Microphone Control Module
• Duct Tape
• Carrying Case

Additional Costs

To my surprise, the Aputure A.lav doesn't need a lot of additional accessories to get going. You could plug it into your smartphone and start recording from there. You could also plug the Aputure A.lav into an external recorder. As I was doing vlogging I decided to purchase a Microphone Adapter Cable for Cameras and hook it into my DSLR.

What You Get

One of the things I noticed when I used the Aputure A.lav was my audio was significantly better. I normally film in a room that tends to have some heavy echo, and with the lav mic I didn't notice it as much. I realize that audio might be subjective for some, but I truly like the audio that comes from this lav mic.

What You Won’t Get

The only thing I don't like about the Aputure A.lav is all of the cables that I need to manage to use it. As with most things, the more steps needed to operate it, the less likely you are to use it. There have been instances where I've lost audio because I connected the wrong cord to the wrong output.

Summary: Review of the Aputure A.lav

In conclusion, I would highly recommend the Aputure A.lav for anyone looking to get clean audio. I know the trend in video creation these days is on-camera microphones, but for the budget and ease of use, I found this lav to be amazing. I also think it makes a great investment as a backup audio recorder for interviews.

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Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 II ReviewSony FE 24-105mm F4 Review

Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 II Review

Recently I have been doing more video work and looking into wide angle lenses. One lens that I came across was the popular Canon EF 16-35mm F2.8 II. The Canon EF 16-35mm F2.8 II was released in 2007 as a replacement for version one of this lens. I decided to rent the Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 from Borrowlenses.com. The following is my Canon EF 16-35MM F2.8 II Review.

Who this Product is For:

The 16-35mm f2.8 II is an EF mount lens designed for full frame cameras. It's a wide angle zoom lens making great for architecture, landscape, and interior photography.[gallery type="square" ids="4065,4002,4069,4067,4066,4068"]

Price:

At the time of writing this article, the 16-35mm f2.8 lens is priced at $1599. However, as this is an older lens, used prices can be found for $800-$1299.

What You Get

• 16-35mm Focal Length

• Maximum f2.8 Aperture

• Weather Sealing

What You Won’t Get

One feature that is missing from this lens is image stabilization. However, many wide angle lenses that have a maximum aperture of f2.8 usually don't have image stabilization.If you shoot video, this lens combined with the camera you choose maybe too heavy if you use a gimbal for stabilization. I combined this lens with an a7iii and it was able to balance well on my gimbal. However, a heavier camera like a Canon 5D will most likely be too heavy for the gimbal.

Summary: Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 II Review

In conclusion, I would highly recommend the Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 II lens. The f2.8 aperture makes it great for low light areas. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of both images and video produced from this lens.

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