5 Tips For When You’re Buying Your First DSLR
Are you interested in photography or videography? Have you ever considered buying a DSLR? If it’s your first time searching for a DSLR and you have no clue what to do, don’t worry. I was once in your position.
I honestly had no clue what I was doing when I bought my first camera but I’ve learned a lot since my purchase. Why not share my tips and hopefully help other people?
Disclaimer: I will be using the word camera interchangeably with DSLR to make it easier to understand. Essentially, a DSLR is a digital camera. Also, there are different ways to go about buying a camera. These are just my tips.
1) Know why you want a camera.
Unless you have a bunch of money, don’t just go blindly buying a camera. Cameras are expensive and an investment. It’s important you know what you will be using your camera for.
This is helpful to know because it helps you find the best camera for what you plan to shoot (I learned this from a video). But it’s also important to evaluate if you will be using your camera constantly. Cameras aren’t cheap. Make sure if you are buying it that you will use it.
2) Seek a wise experienced buyer.
I honestly wouldn’t have been able to buy a camera without the help of my photographer friend. I reached out to her to teach me about photography. She was a great help because she told me how she bought her first camera and gave a me a ton of tips and suggestions. She was actually the person who convinced me to buy a camera bundle instead of just a camera body and lens. Having someone who has a little bit more experience guiding you along the way makes the process less intimidating.
3) Do your research.
I didn’t know the amount of research that went into buying a camera. I thought you just looked up cameras on Google, picked the one you liked, and then bought it. Please don’t do that! I’m glad that I did all the research that I did. I found it beneficial when it came time to decide which camera I wanted. Read as many articles as possible. Watch videos that break down the specific camera you are interested in. Research where to buy your camera. It’s all helpful information.
4) Create a budget for yourself.
This is probably one of the most important tips I can give. It’s easy to think that you have to go buy the most expensive camera to have the best quality photos but that’s not the case. You need to have a realistic budget to know how much you can actually afford. If you only have $400 as your budget, don’t go looking for cameras that cost $1,000. I had a max budget of $800 but I really wanted to stay under that as much as possible. I would say having a max budget and what you ideally can afford is a good start to financing your camera.
5) Don’t rush your decision.
This decision takes time. Buying a camera is an investment. It’s not a decision you can make in a few minutes. You really need to take the time to do the research. I wanted a camera for three years, but when I started to do the actual research it took me 3-4 months to come to my final decision. So don’t feel pressured to buy your camera right this second.
