Photography Equipment Guide
One of the most frequent things I get asked about is what photography gear I use and what I recommend. So I decided to go ahead and make a free guide that can answer all questions you might have! Everyone needs a little direction some times. I hope it helps!
p.s. this guide is just the essentials to get started. I go into a LOT more detail on gear, how to improve, and how to grow your business in my photography course.
camera body and lens
body: canon 1DX Mark II
lens: canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II
Body: I have been using the canon 1DX Mark II for about a year now and absolutely LOVE it. I made the investment because it’s great for both photo and video purposes, and it has definitely lived up to the expectations.
Lens: My go to lens has been the 24-70 2.8 for a while now because it is so versatile. I think it’s so easy and convenient to just travel with one lens instead of a bunch, and this one has fit all my needs because it can get nice wide shots or you can zoom in for up close and personal beautiful portraits. I’m definitely planning on expanding my arsenal of lenses soon, but I’ve honestly been getting by on just this one for a while now. I’m all about spending as little money as possible!
I do plan on getting a new lens soon, and when I do it will be the canon 35mm f/1.4. It takes STUNNING portraits and I love that it’s fixed focal length. It makes you, the photographer, move around and get more up close to your subject, rather than just relying on the zoom as a crutch.
Flash: I just recently got into flash photography and invested in the canon speedlite 600EX. This flash is really easy to learn how to use and it also is great to have if you plan on getting into studio photography because it can sync with other flashes you end up purchasing. I highly recommend this lens over cheaper ones because you can really see the difference!
Hard drive: One thing that you do NOT want to learn the hard way is that backing your images up to a hard drive right away is so important. Honestly I back them up to multiple. This helps you avoid the risk of losing all your files. It is also smart to work off of hard drives because if you shoot in RAW (always shoot in raw. never jpeg) then your file sizes are really large and your computer will get full/slow pretty fast. Nobody wants the spinning beach ball! I have a few different types of hard drives but one that I have been using lately and is working really fast for me is the samsung X5. Highly recommend!
Click here for camera body
Click here for lens
Click here for the lens I really want and will be getting soon!
Click here for the memory card and here for the memory card reader
Click here for the flash
Click here for the hard drive
Click here for the camera bag
If you’re just getting into photography and aren’t entirely sure where to begin, you’ve definitely come to the right place! Some of the equipment that I use is pretty expensive. It took me years to build up to what I now use, it’s not where I started at! So don’t be discouraged! If you’re just breaking into photography there are much cheaper options that are great tools for you to learn on and decide if you love it and want to turn it into a business before you invest thousands of dollars. Below I will put some links to some descriptions and links to a few options.
Camera body option 1: A camera that I used for a really long time when I was just started out was the canon rebel series. The one that I would currently recommend is the canon rebel t6i. You can get incredibly sharp images on this camera for a much cheaper price. You can either purchase it as part of a kit, or purchase the body by itself and pick out different lenses. A kit just means that it comes with a lens or two depending on which kit you choose. These lenses aren’t necessarily the best, BUT if you are just starting out they are more than enough to learn on.
Camera body option 2: If you think that you are a little further along than the canon rebel t6i, the next camera body that I would suggest is the canon 6d (or the 6d mark ii if you want the newer version. It’s more expensive but definitely worth it if you have the money). This is the camera that I used for a long time before I got my new one! I took a lot of beautiful pictures on it. I can’t recommend this camera enough if you’re willing to spend a little bit more money that you would on the rebel series.
Lens option 1: I think that one of the best cheaper lenses that you can invest in to start out with is the canon 50mm 1.8. It’s often referred to as the “nifty fifty” because it’s just really universal and easy to use. I know a lot of professional photographers that will still use this lens (or the slight step up: 50mm 1.4). It takes beautiful portraits and is quite an amazing lens to start out on. It’ll probably make you fall in love with photography really fast! One thing to note is that this lens is a fixed focal length, so that means it doesn’t zoom in or out. I think that fixed focal length lenses are really good for learning though, because you don’t get to use the zoom as a crutch! You have to physically move your body and angles to get the shot you want, and this can help you develop your eye faster, as well as your composition skills.
Lens option 2: Honestly I think that it’s a really good idea to start out with a kit lens. These are pretty dang cheap and are GREAT for you to learn on. It makes no sense to spend a bunch of money on a nice zoom lens if you aren’t even entirely sure that you love it yet! Save your money and just learn!