The BEST Beginner Camera Equipment from Amazon

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I am not a professional photographer by any means. I’ve done a couple weddings, I do portraits for friends and family, but I wouldn’t qualify myself as a professional. If I wanted to, I probably could, but I really just enjoy taking photos when I travel and to capture those special moments for people. Photography is so special, and I should’ve known I would love it since I was always taking pictures even from childhood.

Anyway, I’ve been through a couple cameras, and it took me a while to kind of get my groove with it. It took a lot of research and definitely a lot of money to get to where I am now, but I wanted to share that with you. Definitely read the reviews on Amazon for each item, because it’ll help you know if the product is right for you! Everyone does photography differently, so what works for one person might not be right for you.

Camera Body

Sony a7iii

I absolutely love this camera. It’s the Sony a7iii, and it definitely upped my photography game. The quality of this camera is perfect for me. My favorite thing that sold me was the touch screen for picking where you want to focus. This makes it so easy, especially as a beginner, to take much better photos. You can purchase it as just the body or get it with the default lens. If you don’t have the money for or aren’t ready to buy a separate lens, definitely get it with the 28-70mm lens, pictured below:

If you have Sony lenses, or you just don’t really want the default lens, you can also opt to get just the body. It will save you a little money, and you can just buy a lens that works for what you’re doing. I’ve included some of my favorites later in this post. For just the camera body, you can see it pictured below or click to see more:

Canon (great for beginners!)

I started out using a Canon camera. It was the only thing available at Walmart, and that just made it really easy. It came with 2 default lenses, but I quickly purchased more expensive ones, so I have like 5 different ones now. The Rebel series of the Canon cameras are great for beginners, because they have good auto options. These cameras are really user friendly, and honestly, pretty affordable if you want to get started. You can check out it out here:

As you can see, the price difference is crazy. The quality of the camera definitely is at play here. It does come with an 18-55mm lens. Again, once you have the body of the camera, you can upgrade to different lenses that work for you. So if you’re unsure, you can always purchase a cheaper camera body like this one. Once you have good lenses, you can easily switch up to a nicer camera body because they mostly can mix and match within the brand.

Sony Lenses

NOTE: Make sure you know your camera before buying a lens! Not all lenses are compatible with all camera bodies, even if they are the same brand.

I would argue that a good lens is going to make or break your photography. I mean hey, that’s probably why they are so expensive. Sure, it is really important to have the right camera body for you. It’s equally as important to invest money in a good lens. The default lenses that come on these cameras just don’t have the same depth, focus, and quality as the ones you can purchase separately.

Sony 55mm f1.8

So, I only bought 2 different lenses when I got my Sony a7iii, but I honestly only ever use the 55mm. I’ve learned how to make that one work for me in most scenarios, so it’s easy to only have to carry one. I did a lot of research before I bought this. I wanted to make sure if I spent the money that it would be worth it. By looking at the reviews, most people love this one:

The quality is amazing, and it’s easy to use. The price is definitely up there, but it’s worth it. There are options for a lower-priced 50mm, but after reading so many reviews, I knew I had to just click purchase. If you have a Sony camera, this is definitely a crowd favorite.

Sony 24mm f1.4

For a while, I was loving my wide-angle lens. This one seemed like a good happy medium, because it’s not quite as wide as my old 10-18mm, and it had a higher aperture. I used to use this a lot on trips, and it’s great for capturing landscapes or other things like that. You can check it out here:

Again, read the reviews on this thing if you’re not sure. The price point is definitely there for a reason. It is a versatile lens, and honestly, I’m writing this wondering why I don’t use it more! I got a little used to using my 55mm for portraits that I just stopped using this one!

Canon Lenses

Before upgrading to a Sony, I was buying additional Canon lenses left and right. At the time, it was an easier upgrade than changing the camera body. So, here’s the ones that I loved:

Canon 50mm f1.8

This was probably my first purchase for my Canon Rebel back in the day. At a low cost but higher quality, this can instantly upgrade your photos. If you have a Canon camera body, this is a great way to upgrade from the default lens at a lower cost.

As a fixed lens with a better aperture, you can start taking pictures at a higher quality for a fraction of the cost.

Canon 35mm f1.8

If you want to get something a little pricier for a much better lens, definitely go with this one. Still cheaper compared to the Sony lenses, this one quickly became my go-to lens. Really, I don’t think I ever stopped using it until I got my Sony.

At 35mm, the distance plus aperture was perfect for what seemed like every occasion. That’s my ideal perfect lens. As a beginner and not a professional who can carry around tons of equipment, this would definitely be my pick.

Canon 10-18mm f4.5-5.6

I knew I wanted a wide-angle lens, so I did my research for a while before purchasing this one. People seemed to be loving this one, and I was new so I trusted those reviews. This is a great lens for the price, and for those landscape shots, it works wonders.

There are similar lenses for much higher cost, but people said they would still choose this one. If that doesn’t give you enough proof, I don’t know what can. If you’re a Canon camera person, this is a great wide-angle lens for you.

USB-C Hub Hyperdrive

Okay, I have an iPad and the most frustrating thing is that there isn’t anywhere to plug in anything but the charger. It’s only USB-C. Don’t get me wrong, I’m obsessed with my iPad and I would buy it again 100% of the time, but I needed a way to get all my pictures plus other things onto my iPad.

My friend introduced me to one of these and I bring it everywhere. It’s super small, and it has tons of plug options. You can put your SD card in it, a USB, HDMI cord, and more. I’ve used this for so long, and it’s super easy to carry with me. I’ve also used it for hooking up to a TV to watch movies! Anyway, definitely recommend this one.

SD Card Reader to iPhone

If you aren’t traveling or going somewhere with your iPad, I love this. I found it forever ago on someone’s page and pretty surprising I purchased it immediately. Unfortunately I lost mine, so I need to go back and buy another. All you do is plug it in to your phone and put the SD card in, and you have your pictures.

Super simple to use, and it is efficient for getting those pictures off the camera and onto your phone in no time. I would say definitely keep your SD card use at a smaller storage or it will take longer to upload!

SD Card

I feel like a total newbie admitting this, but I didn’t really buy a good SD card for a WHILE. Sure I had some basic ones, but truly, you can’t have enough of these. You never know when something might go wrong or you run out of storage unexpectedly. I think a 256GB SD card is great for making sure you always have enough space.

Plus, my Sony a7iii has space for 2 SD cards, one as a backup, which I love. Now I have peace of mind that even if one fails, I’m good. So I bought 2 of these, and I’ve never run out of space since. I do have others I will rotate, but these are definitely what I keep in my camera at all times.

Other

it’s one thing to have all the camera equipment to get you started, but these things are all an essential part of my photography.

Adobe Lightroom

Lightroom is definitely my photo editing app of choice. I have it on both my iPhone and iPad, and I definitely think it’s worth the $9.99 a month. My favorite feature is the ability to both use purchases presets from other people on here but also save an unlimited amount of presets of my own.

If you get good at it, it’s great for retouching and creating different effects on your photos you can’t get from just your phone editing. Highly recommend.

Dropbox

I was using Google Photos for sharing my pictures, and the quality just wasn’t it. If you’re taking pictures for other people and sharing albums, definitely get Dropbox.

You do have to pay for this, but if you’re a beginner and don’t have resources for other methods, this is a great option. It keeps the same quality in your photos, and you can just keep sharing the link with whoever you need to.

Extra Cloud Storage

I have SO many photos on my phone and iPad. Due to the nature of the cloud, they all are both places. I quickly needed more storage, and I pay for that storage. I never want my pictures to go away, so this is worth it. If you find yourself running out of space easily, just go ahead and upgrade your cloud storage.

External Hard Drive

On the other hand, if you prefer to keep your devices on low storage, definitely invest in an external hard drive. I got one of these, and I moved a bunch of my old files to here. You just plug these into your computer or iPad and transfer the files over.

You can get as many as you want and keep them all, label them, and pull them out when you need. Again, I do keep most of my stuff on my devices, but I do have one of these for stuff past 3-5 years ago.

For More:

If you love Amazon and love camping, click here to read more of my suggestions: The Ultimate Beginner’s Camping Supplies You Need to Get Started.

To read more about getting started with blogging, click here: 12 Best Podcasts for Learning How to Start and Grow a Blog.

If you want to check out any of my travel content or see my photos from the Pacific Northwest, click here: Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, and Grand Tetons | 5 Day Road Trip.