#studentsandlattes

a bit on cameras: you can honestly take great pictures on a phone (technology is kinda amazing), but if you want to upgrade a little...

1. mirrorless cameras (or CSC): these include models like sony, panasonic etc. maybe not the super big names when you think of cameras. unlike more traditional DSLRs, these don't have mirrors that reflect the light coming in. the light goes straight onto the camera sensor, which produces the image. Most mirrorless cameras have electronic view finders (EVFs), which basically simulate what you would see on your LCD screen (on the back of the camera), but in the view finder. This shows you exactly what you will get (ex: when you change the ISO, the view in the EVF changes accordingly). Mirrorless cameras are also a fair bit smaller than DSLRs, though they usually tend to have less battery life (in part due to the EVF). There are fewer accessories and lens selections native to mirrorless bodies, though you can get adapters to put Canon or Nikon lenses onto your mirrorless. 2. DSLR: the traditional camera with mirrors. bulkier than the mirrorless counterparts, but with better battery life and accessory variety. they are also supposed to be faster at autofocus, though some sources say the new mirrorless are catching up. (i don't have any personal experience with this so idk) DSLRs have optical viewfinders (OVFs) that show you the image the mirror is reflecting onto the sensor. this means you're not seeing a "processed" version of the image. as such, you won't get live exposure adjustments when you change ISO etc. when you first start out, it's probably a good idea to check the LCD screen to make sure you're exposing properly (i totally forgot to do this and had the ISO way up for low-light, then had decent lighting and took some super blown out photos). eventually, you'll get a better feel of what settings to use. i think the viewfinder should also have a light meter (tho i'm not 100% on this). you can also use live view on your LCD while you take shots to get a more accurate representation of the exposure. 3. crop sensors: basically your sensor is smaller. if you have a crop sensor (or APS-"some letter", for example i have an APS-C), make sure to look up the crop factor for your model. the main thing this will affect is the effective focal length you're shooting at. if you're shooting at 50mm on a sony APS-C (which has a 1.5 crop factor), you will get images that look like they were taken at 75mm on a full frame camera (more on focal length later). generally, when people refer to focal length, they'll be talking about the full frame equivalent. all lenses will be labelled with their full frame focal length. for example, a lot of people refer to the "nifty fifty" or 50mm prime lens as a pretty versatile option. if you're shooting on an APS-C, you'd want to get a 35mm lens for that same versatility. you also don’t get the same depth of field as you would on a full frame at the same aperture? (i feel like this is super disputed on the interwebs but i think its true...) at f/1.8 on a crop, your dof won’t be as shallow as on full frame. 4. full frame sensors: a 35mm lens will be a 35mm lens. the sensor is just larger. also said to have better low light performance (less noise). full frame cameras are more expensive, but i (and most of the photography community) think beginners should be just fine with a crop sensor. also, you can only use full frame lenses on full frame cameras, while you can use both full frame and crop lenses on crop sensors. crop lenses use less glass since there is less sensor to reflect onto, so if you use a crop lens on a full frame, you'll get black parts on the edges of your image since the lens didn't reflect enough light. this makes full frame lenses a little heavier/more cumbersome.

a bit on lenses:

1. focal length: a longer focal length is going to crop in your field of view. basically, i'd use a 16mm (a relatively short focal length) to take a wide landscape and i'd use a 200mm (relatively long focal length) to zoom in on my little sister dancing onstage while i shoot from the audience. 2. fstop/aperture: i talked about this in my previous post but here's a quick summary. low fstop = more light = shallow depth of field. high fstop = less light = deeper depth of field. 3. prime lens: these lenses have a fixed focal length (no zoom) and generally come in wider apertures. the wider the max aperture, the more expensive your lens is going to be. they also generally produce sharper images with less noise and force you to really think through your shots, since you have to move to change the framing. however, keep in mind you don't always necessarily have to frame your shot in camera! 4. variable aperture lens: these are zoom lenses (you can change the focal length) where the maximum aperture width changes with the focal length. for example, the lens might say 16-50mm, f3.5-5.6 (this is the sony a6000 kit lens). this means that at 16mm, the max fstop is f3.5, but it is only f5.6 when at a 50mm focal length. the zoom is helpful when you want to frame shots exactly how you might like, especially when you can't move around. 5. constant aperture lens: zoom lenses with a constant maximum aperture width. more expensive and less readily available/compatible, but you won't have to worry about the max aperture being narrower as you zoom in.

some accessories:

1. a tripod: helpful for self-portraits, long exposures or just general stabilization. as mentioned, i'd prefer to manually focus on a tripod. i have one, though i've lost the mounting plate (which is pretty cheap to replace) tho i've currently misplaced the entire tripod since i haven't used it in years. 2. microfiber cloth: your lens is going to get dirty. you'll want to clean it or you'll get spots in your images which may or not be removable in post. 3. rocket blower: again, dirt will happen. this is good to blow off big particles so you don't scratch anything while cleaning. *do not* just blow on your lens/sensor with your mouth. you might accidentally spit on it which is a nightmare. believe me, i've been there. 4. sensor cleaning kit: this generally comes with cleaning solution and swabs. super helpful for removing crap off your sensor. the cleaning solution is also great for lenses. i just put a bit on my microfiber cloth and gently rub. (you could use swabs on your lens but those are kinda expensive and single use so) 5. remote/wi-fi app: a lot of cameras now are wi-fi enabled. most camera manufacturers have apps that can allow you to use your phone as a remote. they'll also allow you to see what the camera is seeing (it might be a bit laggy) and adjust some basic settings. super helpful for self portraits or long exposures where you don't want to touch the camera. you could also buy a remote, but the apps are usually free. 6. camera strap: the ones that come with cameras are super uncomfortable. you can get slightly better ones for pretty cheap, or much nicer ones if you're so inclined. 7. camera bag: protect your camera when you travel. i actually just use a super old camera bag, but it has a little padding. just make sure your camera and/or lenses don't move around a bunch or knock around. some lenses (cough a6000 kit lens) are pretty fragile. you don't want to spend hours trying to repair one or, even worse, have to buy a new one because you didn't take proper care.