Photography equipment is an essential part of making great photos.
While some of us spend more time obsessing over gear than others…there are certain pieces of photography equipment you’re going to need to get started.
Whether you’re a beginner looking to start this great hobby or an experienced photographer that is looking to upgrade their kit, this breakdown of essential equipment for photographers will help you out.
I’ve categorized it into these categories for you:
Let’s start with the most basic (and obvious) piece of gear you’ll need…
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1. Camera
If you’re reading this, you might already have a camera. If you do…awesome. Skip to #2 because you can make great photos with any camera. But if you’re just getting started or currently shooting with your smartphone, here are some tips that will help.
If you plan on making photography a regular hobby, then getting a camera that can change lenses is extremely helpful. That doesn’t mean that fixed lens cameras are bad, but it is worth the added investment for an interchangeable lens camera if you can afford it.
I’ll get more into lens selection in the next section.
As far as camera type…mirrorless cameras are the way to go now. Manufacturers are moving away from DSLRs and putting all their best new technology into the mirrorless lineups. Nikon announced in 2022 that they would not be making any more new DSLRs.
But if you already have one, they are still great cameras. You don’t have to upgrade right away. Just be aware of this if you’re thinking about investing in any new lenses.
When you buy a camera, you are buying more than just the camera itself, you are buying into a camera system that includes a whole lot of lenses and compatible accessories. So it is important to select a good system.
We usually refer to camera systems by the camera mount that the lenses fit on because you can interchange the cameras and lenses so long as they all have the same mount. So you can have a few
In my opinion, the best system out there is the Nikon Z Mount lineup. Here are my two favorites, depending on whether you want a less expensive model or a more “pro” quality camera.
Beginner Pick | Nikon Z50
The Nikon Z50 is a medium-sized crop sensor mirrorless SLR camera that is part of the Nikon Z mount system. It is my top pick as the best Nikon camera for beginners.
Nikon Z50
The Nikon Z50 is an excellent entry point into the Nikon Z Mount system. It has professional-level image quality with a 20.9 MP crop sensor as well as full manual control and excellent video capabilities up to 4k. This camera works with all Z mount lenses.
I am often asked why beginners should not get a more advanced camera right away if they have the budget for it. The main reason is that with higher end cameras comes more complexity. I’ve found that my studen