Which camera should I buy as a beginner?

Camera bodies improve every year and depreciate hard; lenses last decades. That single fact should shape most of a first camera decision.

Step by step

1. Check what you actually want that a phone cannot do.Modern phones are excellent in good light. Cameras win at low light, at long reach, at genuinely shallow depth of field, at fast-moving subjects, and at giving you manual control.
2. Choose the system before the body.You are buying into a lens mount. Look at what lenses exist for it, new and used, and at what they cost. Bodies get replaced; the lens collection is the long-term commitment.
3. Understand sensor size.Larger sensors gather more light, which means less noise and shallower depth of field. Full frame, then APS-C, then Micro Four Thirds, then compacts. Bigger also means larger and more expensive lenses.
4. Ignore megapixels.Twenty-four megapixels is far more than almost anyone needs — it prints large and crops hard. Above that, the number affects file size much more than picture quality.
5. Prefer mirrorless for a new purchase.Almost all development is now mirrorless, so lenses and bodies keep appearing. The viewfinder also shows the actual exposure before you take the picture, which is genuinely helpful when learning.
6. Buy the cheap body and the better lens.The difference between an entry body and a mid one is smaller than the difference between a kit zoom and a decent prime. That is where the money changes the pictures.
7. Consider a 35mm or 50mm equivalent prime.A cheap fast prime is the classic learning lens: it forces you to move, it works in low light, and it gives the shallow depth of field a kit zoom cannot.
8. Buy used from a proper dealer.Used camera dealers grade condition, give a warranty and take returns. Cameras that have been looked after are mechanically simple and last a very long time.
9. Handle it before buying.Grip, weight, menu logic and whether the controls fall under your fingers matter every time you use it. A camera you find awkward stays at home.
10. Budget for the rest.Spare battery, a couple of memory cards, a bag and something to back up to. These are not optional and they are usually forgotten in the budget.

Tips

• Cheap body, good lens. Bodies depreciate, lenses hold value and shape the picture.
• Twenty-four megapixels is plenty. The number is a marketing lever above that.
• Used from a graded dealer is the best value in photography.

Common mistakes

• Buying the most expensive body affordable with a kit lens — The kit lens is the limiting factor in image quality and in what the camera can do. The same money split differently — a cheaper body and a better lens — produces visibly better pictures.
• Choosing on megapixel count — Beyond about 24 megapixels the number mainly increases file sizes. Sensor size, lens quality and your own technique determine the result far more.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask