Kindly Advice: Newbie Photographer

[niclhj]

Hi to all ClubSNAP users,

I'm a newbie at photography. My experience is only limited to when I used to do event photography as a replacement for my actual professional photographer when he's out. Thus, I don't really have much experience in it as I have only used my office camera.

Currently, I want to take up photography as a hobby, may or may not turn it into a profession, and I would like some advice from you guys here on reviews of cameras. I'm thinking of getting a mirrorless camera, the Canon EOS-M50 for starters, as a regular DSLR is too bulky for my liking, and also budget wise, the M50 suits me. Willing to up my budget by a little bit if it is really worth getting something more expensive (have looked at Fuji XT-2 and XT20, and Olympus OM-D E-M10 II and III - a bit high side for my budget).

Would like to seek more professional advice before making a purchase.

Thank you all in advance.

 

[Octarine]

You might want to read through this thread, also talking about camera selection:
https://www.clubsnap.com/threads/advice-for-new-photographer-which-camera-should-i-buy.1722911/

 

[Ah Pao]

Not discouraging anyone here to buy a new camera, but what is it that you are looking for that a typical phone camera can't do?
BTW, the M50 is great for starters.

 

[niclhj]

You might want to read through this thread, also talking about camera selection:
https://www.clubsnap.com/threads/advice-for-new-photographer-which-camera-should-i-buy.1722911/

Thank you!! I missed this post. haha

 

[niclhj]

Not discouraging anyone here to buy a new camera, but what is it that you are looking for that a typical phone camera can't do?
BTW, the M50 is great for starters.

I'm getting second hand as the new one is also above my budget.

I'm not too sure how to describe it, but sometimes there are limited things to what a phone cam can do for me. Such as keeping sharpness of pictures when zoomed in (and the zoom range is also comparably low to a camera), and also when taking macro, I couldn't get the desired close-up shot due to limited range of the phone cam.

 

[Edwin Francis]

As a ex-Canon DSLR user who waited and waited for years for their mirrorless 'system' before giving up and going micro-43, I wouldn't get Canon mirrorless now. Not until they show they're committed. If you want mirrorless, and are looking at growing with the system, get one of the established brands - Fuji, Panasonic, Olympus or Sony. They're all at a level that some pros have switched.
Personally, I went Olympus, now trying a Panasonic. But your needs / preferences might be different. Watch the Youtube reviews. Go showrooms and play with a couple of display cameras. Any of these systems is mature enough to fill 90% of needs, each has pros and cons.

 

[daredevil123]

TS, if you are coming in as a totally new camera owner, there is no need to limit yourself to the Canon M50. The mirrorless market now is very competitive with many mature systems out there as options. You can broaden your search a little more. For example for the X-T2, you can even go for the X-T20 if your budget is limited. It has the same sensor, same image quality, same autofocus system and uses the same lenses. Coming in at almost half the price of the X-T2, it is a very viable option. You can even look for the X-T20 used to save even more money. Just remember that the more mature mirrorless systems have been around longer and are more popular, meaning there will be a lot more of the equipment out on the 2nd hand market.

 

[niclhj]

Thank you all for your valuable comments and recommendations.