Stuck on what to get your loved one for the holiday?

Aside from a gift certificate to Massart Photography, the next best thing is a camera of your own ?

Here are some “tips from the pros” on what to look for….

Cameras

We shoot Canon so we can only really give recommendations on Canon, but just about every camera line has the equivalent consumer level camera. The camera that we would suggest consumers start out with is a Canon Rebel. It is the camera that Audrey started out on and is a great value purchase. (Just for the record, we have a Canon Rebel in our own house as our “we need a quick photo camera,” since, if you know how to use light, you can get great images no matter the camera!)

Rebel options to check out on the Canon website.

Lenses

One of the most important things to be mindful of, if you are going with a DSLR, is to not stick with the “kit” lenses – the lens or lenses that come with your camera! For a reasonable amount of money, you can get a decent quality lens that will give you much better quality images if you are looking for that blurred-out background that everyone loves. The good thing about kit lenses is that most of them have zoom capabilities. While zooming in and out might be what some are looking for, if you spend $200 on a zoom lens and $200 on a “prime” lens (one that has a fixed focal length and doesn’t zoom) the prime lens will give better image results just about every time.  Stay tuned for more in depth information on why that is, and other camera functionality tips in future blogs.

A great focal length to start with is a 50mm. Some 50mm options on Canon’s website.

We actually have a few 50mm lens for sale so if you would like to go the used route, contact us.

Flash

If your camera has a hotshoe (a spot for a flash), buy a flash! When you use the flash on the camera, which is obviously pointing directly at the subject(s), it takes away any shadows, which you need to have your photo feel 3 dimensional. So get a flash, even a cheap one, point it at the ceiling, and increase power as necessary. Once you get comfortable with pointing it straight up, start pointing it anywhere other than straight ahead and experiment. You will love the results!

For our recommendation that is very good quality at a great price point, check out Yongnuo.

Places to Purchase

If you would like assistance on which camera to buy, PLEASE skip Best Buy, BJ’s, Walmart, etc. The people working there usually don’t specialize in camera knowledge and purchasing even an entry level DLSR is an investment. If you need help choosing and would like to shop locally, we recommend going to Hunt’s Photo and Video. They are very knowledgeable and will help you with your needs. Are they the absolute cheapest place to get your equipment? No. What you will get is excellent service and the knowledge that if something goes wrong with your camera/lens/flash, they will be there to help you out. If you prefer to shop online, you really can’t beat Amazon. Their shipping time is excellent and they have just about everything. Just make sure to do all the research you can so you make an informed decision! 🙂

I know everyone knows how to get to Amazon, but did you know that if you head to Amazon then 0.5% of your purchase will be donated to charity?

Before you know it, your closet will look like ours…..(we didn’t take this photo and it isn’t really our closet but we wish it was! Lol)