3 Different Camera Budgets For Starting Your Photography Journey
The dirt cheap, the mid-range and the high-end options.
Table of Contents
I have made several videos about gear, camera reviews, and my photography philosophy as well. Out of those videos and subjects, I think there are 3 clear categories or tiers of camera budgets to get started.
Regardless of which one fits you best, or which one you end up choosing, the important thing is to just start, and keep doing what you want to do, it's the only way to "Get Good".
1. Really Low Budget - Entry level
First is the really low budget entry level for casual users, people that just want to try it once, have fun during summer or graduation or an event. Or people who maybe are not comfortable spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a piece of equipment that will sit on a shelf after a month of use. That's fair.
For that I recommend disposable cameras, these are fun and easy to use and a great way to get your feet wet with photography. I've reviewed disposable cameras, as well as made videos about reloading them and reusing them as well. Links in the description are down below.
2. Medium Budget - Used/Older Cameras
Next on the list are the medium-range cameras, good quality, and affordable cameras, this is the category that I strongly recommend to everyone out there. The best bang for the buck.
Cameras like the older Fujifilm X100 series, & the Fujifilm X-Pro series, have a good balance of great image quality with the decent build quality and affordable price. Links to the camera reviews here:
This route also could potentially help you upgrade setups later on, like this X-Pro1 for example, yes the camera is old but this 23mm f2 lens will work on the brand new X-Pro3 or X-T4, so your lens investment is not going to waste.
3. Large Budget - New/Current Cameras
The last range or camera budget bracket is the high-end cameras, normally called the flagships because these can do most of it pretty well. But pretty expensive as well.
Cameras like the new X100V which I bought new and reviewed here as well. Or the X-T3 or X-T4 or X-Pro3, high image quality, build quality, durable, weather-sealed and overall pricier cameras.
These cameras are worth it, but only after you've tested gear and worked with what you had, learned the process and developed or curated your own style. Only then I can honestly say that buying one brand new is worth it. So keep that in mind.
YouTube Video
This is a summary of my YouTube Video, you can watch the whole piece here:
