Gonna take some photos aint I.
If I was starting all over again right now, I wouldnât go DSLR, Iâd go mirrorless.
But what I found from when I did buy my first DSLR about ten-ish years ago, is that the best one is the one that youâre most comfortable in your hands, where the menus feel navigatable. Get yourself down to Curryâs and have a play - at entry level, there wonât be any material difference between one brand and another.
I sit on the front and pretend Iâm driving it
Whatâs a mirrorless?
smaller, lighter, cheaper, but still have interchangeable lenses.
The âmirrorâ is the bit in the DSLR which allows you to look through the viewfinder, but also means that when you click the shutter itâs the sensor (or in the olden days, the film) that gets exposed. Mirrorless cameras donât have this, but have electronic viewfinders instead (or just use the screen on the back), which means youâre cutting out some of the expensive technology and weight out of the camera.
So whatâs the best camera you can get for 300-400? Iâll be using it to take gig photos, band profile photos and landscapes I guess.
Agree with Robâs mirrorless recommendation. Entry level is quite subjective - do you have a budget in mind?
300-400
Really like the look of the Olympus pen e-pl7 design wise
If youâre going mirrorless, get one of the Sony alpha ones
a4000 should be less than 400 I think
Youâre not going to get a lot new for ÂŁ300-400. If youâre going to shoot gigs, youâll probably want a faster lens than the standard kit lens too.
Would you consider going second hand?
Yes
Iâve seen a few photos taken from a D3400 and they look pretty good.
The design consideration is an important one if youâre thinking about mirrorless vs dslr though, especially if youâre taking pictures for other people. I use my mirrorless for travel photos mostly and love it for that but I used it to take pictures of an event for someone and felt really self conscious that it didnât look like a âproperâ camera
Looks like thereâs a D3500 now, so you should be able to get a decent deal on a D3400.
Looking on Amazon it also suggested the Canon 4000D, which theyâre selling for ÂŁ299 with a kit lens.
If youâre serious about taking photos at gigs, youâll probably want a 50mm 1.8 lens as well, just for starters.
Whereas my friend Julie is a professional press photographer and she shoots with Fuji Mirrorless cameras, so I wouldnât get too hung up on that, especially when you go to some festivals and see what some chancers are using. At the last Great Escape I some people with iPhones in the pit FFS!
Yeah I was eyeing up a d3400 that came with a 18-55mm lens for ÂŁ369?
Iâll be doing smaller events. Seen photos taken with one that look to be of a satisfactory quality
D3400 looks good. If you can afford it, maybe pick up a budget 50mm 1.8 as Rob suggested - the wide aperture is what youâll want for low light shooting.
Get enough light in the photos, and your picture quality will be fine, even at entry level. Cameras these days are incredible.
Low light will still be a challenge though - Even my full frame Canon 5D mk III needs a faster lens on the front for when I shoot gigs.