The NUMERO UNO question that i receive from individuals who are interested in the CRASHcourses I teach or just want to start exploring photography…

Well- I have to say first that I shoot Canon- I always have.  I am not NOT a Nikon fan- students in every single one of my classes shoot Nikon- and i have a lot photographer friends that swear they are the greatest… so… with that said, if i find a Nikon post like this, I’ll share it… but here at Shauna Maness Photography we should canon… and loooove it.

1. what you will be shooting (family, weddings, fast moving kids, architecture, sports, food, flowers, concerts, whatever floats your boat)
2. what is the purpose of the images you are shooting (personal archiving, professional, just for fun)
3. what type of shooter are you? (do you know that you will keep it simple &  shoot with one lens? (i think that would be sooo sad) do you know that you aren’t going to carry around a big gear bag with tons of gadgets? or do you want every bell and whistle you can find?)
4. how much do you want to invest (your initial investment can limit you down the road, so keep in mind you don’t have to do everything NOW, so do what you can excellently)

1. full frame vs. crop (you have to remember you won’t get the full effect of your lenses with a cropped sensor… so wide angles won’t be as wide and longer lenses will be longer)
2. lenses  out-last your camera body (not that your camera body won’t last a long time… but as technology advances your hotshot-blow-you-away camera might seem like a dinosaur in a couple of years) so buy the best you can afford- if you stay with the same maker they will work for any body upgrade to!
3. there are  three levels of bodies and lenses (that canon manufactures)- you will see clearly the difference in the three when it comes to price- what you can’t see by the price is how they feel in your hands and the results they produce.  to see actual galleries of specific lenses and compare head over to dpreview.com they review every camera and lens that you could google- give side by side comparisons and have forums with featured images and specs that you can compare.  LOVE THAT SITE.
4. other lens makers offer premium products that will fit your canon body- be sure you compare those- you may prefer (for example)  sigma’s lens flare over canon’s ( i shoot with a sigma macro lens instead of canon because i like the image ratio better)
5. the faster the better when it comes to lenses the larger the aperture (smaller in number) the lens has, the better… so, when you are shopping you will find that PRIME lenses (lenses that don’t zoom in and out) have the smallest apertures (so you get to become the zoom in and out)
6. you don’t have to do it all at once- i suggest quality over quantity every time.  save monthly and once a year buy a really nice lens, or fun gadget- it will last you longer than a cheap bag of tricks
7. be careful when buying used- make sure you know who you are buying from.  if you are buying from a professional photographer, make sure you ask if the shutter has been replaced- you don’t want a camera who’s shutter has cycled 145,000 times only to break on your 5,000th shot!
8. buy a warranty- this might sound silly- but your camera needs to be cleaned and checked out about once a year- it cost a couple hundred dollars to send it off every time.  your warranty should include an annual cleaning not to mention repairs that add up quickly!
9. cover your lens!- be sure you add a polarizing or uv filter to the front of your lens so that IF you drop it, dirt flies in it, or it bangs up against something the filter takes the brunt of the force and not your lens glass… you will be glad you did!!
10. BAG IT- it’s really important to properly protect your gear once you have it.  it’s really easy to throw  your camera in your purse (GUILTY) or in your back pack surrounded by “protective” things… but take it from me- your lenses can be damaged with the slightest shift- they are fragile, treat them as such!

*you will notice that i am just suggesting the camera body here without the “kit” lens (the lens that they bundle with the camera as they are selling it) most of the time if you use the difference in the cost you can invest in a much nicer lens.

EOS 5D Mark II (Body)

EOS 7D (Body)

EOS 50D (Body)

EOS Rebel T2i (Body)