GAS Advice You've Given to the Old "What Should I Get?" Question

Two questions: what do you want to do with a camera? How much do you want to spend on a camera? Then take it from there.

In the end camera choices are personal and nor always rational. The sad demise of high street stores means handling cameras to see if they 'feel' right is much more inconvenient now, but how a camera feels in hand is very important for me and I've seen many others say the same thing.

My key piece of advice is that once the person ha s bought a camera, read the manual thoroughly, learn the camera's settings and functions throughly (at leadt those ones that you will make use of), and shoot with the camera until decision making on how you shoot is second nature to you. The more you have to think about what you want to do and how you go about doing that on a camera the more distracted you are from making the more important aesthetic decisions about the photo you are trying to take.

My final piece of advice is once you have made a decision on buying a camera stop reading photography (gear) websites, since you will never be happy with your choice and will always be chasing after the latest and greatest at the expense of your commitment to learn how to take great pictures with the camera you have.
You hit on a key thing about cameras, where they are not necessarily a rational purchase. In fact, being wowed by something that you just fell in love with when you picked it up and started using it, which leads you to more productively and creatively learn to work around its limitations and take advantage of its strong points, is something that's definitely lost nowadays. I know that when I bought my first serious camera, the Nikon D40, there was definitely an emotional aspect to my purchase decision, and I grew so intimately familiar with that camera as a result. I did start out with research but it was the emotional connection to the Nikon over the Canon XT and XTi of the time, which my friend had and which I just didn't like... our choices were simpler back then, I guess. Although I'd have been way better off with a D50 since I mainly used an old nifty fifty which didn't have a focus motor, and the D40 eschewed the in-body focus motor. A dumb decision on my part, which I just lived with and made the best of.
 
Good advice. Are there any specific times you've used that strategy, and had a productive conversation that led to a good purchase? Part of the idea for the thread was to hear some examples along with the thought processes that went into them.
Yes, there were a couple.

Specifically, someone wanted to be able to take photos of their kids playing sports. They had no experience with a camera whatsoever, and they were dead set on getting a Nikon D5 flagship because they were convinced that was the only thing they could get that would work.
I sat down with them and asked them to run me through their thought process and what they were wanting to do.

They wanted
  • something that could capture the sports their kid played
    • baseball
    • soccer
  • something that would last
  • easy to pair with their phone
  • could do a little post processing in camera
  • didn't need a massive backpack to take with them
  • had a budget, but could extend that budget if there were financing options
As stated above, they were a little apprehensive because they though that DSLR was the only way and based on some internet searches, they thought that the only thing that would work for them is something like a Nikon D5 or similar flagship. They were also under the impression that they would need to have the 70-200/2.8 or a 300/2.8.

Looking at the gear online, they were rather intimidated by the whole setup as well, not sure if they spent all that money if they would know how to use it all and they would just be wasting money they could never recoup.

Dismayed at the price and the size of the kit...they asked for my opinion. I just so happened to have the same day off that they did and we went out to lunch.

I talked with them and got a lot of that information above.

I also brought with me a few "camera kits".

I brought my D500 with battery grip and the 70-200/2.8
I also brought along the Nikon 70-300/4.5-5.6

In another kit, I brought the Fuji X-T3 and the 70-300


We talked about the gear being more than just the "sports setup" and helped talk through how much better IQ can be, speed of image acquisition and ergonomics.
Video was not a concern now, but would like to grow in that direction in the future.
Getting into the lack of experience, I told them it was not an issue, I would mentor them or I would help them find local classes to enhance their education. (They chose me mentoring them as it was just better for their schedule)

Given that the sports in question were all outdoor, good light events I was able to talk them out of the f/2.8 lenses as an initial purchase. They understood that they could get faster lenses in the future if their kid decided to wrestle, play basketball or had some other indoor sports they wanted to play.

I used the D500 w MB grip as an example of what a "D5 with 70-200/2.8" would basically be size and weight wise. They were immediately turned off on the size/weight alone.
I then took the MB grip off and attached the 70-300. That was a much better fit, but still they felt it was a little bulky, but at least manageable in a smaller shoulder bag, versus a backpack. Yes, I brought some bags along as well. :) Should have seen the restaurant staff...probably thought I was a traveling salesman.

We discussed the benefits and downsides of the OVF versus EVF.

That's when I pulled out the Fuji XT3. Having come from the background of only ever using a cell phone and not having a lot of experience with estimating correct exposures, they liked the idea of having the histogram and the WYSIWYG "live view" exposure. The size was nice as well.

They definitely were not interested anymore in the 70-200/2.8, so after lunch, we went to a local park and I had them try out both of the kits in 70-300 configurations. The park had a lot of dogs at play, so I had them run through capturing images of the dogs running and playing. I told them to concentrate at this time only on the cameras responsiveness, easy of use, ergonomics, and AF acquisition and accuracy.

It is no surprise that the D500 was a clear winner in the AF keepers, but the XT3 was not that far off, honestly for them...and I did explain that the XT3 was capable, but hads to be treated differently and if that is something they were interested in, I could teach them how to get the most out of it.

They were heavily leaning toward the XT3 at this time. Their reasoning was the EVF and the size and weight of the overall kit. They also appreciated the fact that they could shoot by just looking at the back screen and get some low angle shots with the tilty-flippy screen.

Next step was to give them the kit to use at one of the sporting events. I brought the XT3/70-300 kit to a soccer match. I also brought the D500/70-300 just in case.
They shot primarily with the XT3, and were pleased with the performance. I did tweak the AF algorithm a bit to get them more keepers, as they did notice quite a bit of refocusing when other players would come between their kid and the camera.

In the end, they chose the XT3 and 70-300. They also wanted a wider option, so we discussed what they wanted it for and it was for general shooting or to get wider shots of the team/players up close at the sidelines.

The kit was as follows:
  • Used XT3 - $800
  • Used 70-300 - $650
  • Used 16-50 - $175
  • Extra battery - $35
  • Used shoulder bag (think tank mirrorless mover) - $35
  • memory card - $50
Grand total - $1745

They also have a system they can grow into with great f/2.8 options and stellar small/fast primes. Fuji does still lack in longer native range options (they do have the 100-400), but that is not something this particular person has interest.

Education wise, I setup a weekly meetup over the weekend to go through the basics of exposure and how to get that with the gear they have. After the session, I would give them an assignment to create pictures related to the lesson. If I shot sports, I would invite them along to shoot the same and we would compare images, discuss what they did well, and what may have gone wrong with a few images.

After that, we would meet a few time a month as needed or discuss over the phone about anything they had questions. After about 3 months the sessions needed were less and less. They did sign up for some local sports workshops and that helped them as well.

Sorry if that was overboard...but just wanted to try and give an accurate representation of how I go about it. I never want someone I give advice to think that I just drop them into the fray with a bunch of gear and outlay of money and just wish them good luck. I just remember back to when I started and had little to no guidance and had to make my way through all tyhe internet posts. Mentoring and apprenticeships are sorely underrated and I try and help out in that aspect whenever I can.
 
You put a lot of time and effort into it - lucky friends!

I convinced my mom to get a Sony RX10 III over an ILC, she's been very pleased with it (she's now considering the Mk IV for its PDAF for birds in flight). She wanted something with a lot of reach for wildlife, but also wide angle capability. It needed to have good video capabilities (she used to be video only until a few years ago), and not too heavy. She's no pixel peeper, and not necessarily a bad weather photographer, so given the desire for light weight, I personally think the RX10 III / IV is still the best option out there, despite being quite old by now. Any ILC would need at least 2 (large) zooms to cover that 24-600mm efl range, and many still won't give the image quality of the Sony's zoom lens - that really is an unbelievable performer given the zoom range. And any superzoom true compact would have a much smaller sensor, much worse lens, worse controls, and probably no EVF. The Sony has 2 or 3 direct competitors made by Panasonic, but bests them quite handily on most factors apart from price.
 
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I've talked a couple of people into the Panasonic FZ1000, when they initially thought they needed much more expensive ILCs. They have been very happy with them. While not a small camera, they are very flexible.

Most people don't care one hair on a bullock's bum about the infinite nuances discussed to death on photography fora. They want something that gives them 35mm film quality, doesn't have interchangeable lenses, and is pretty flexible as per Andrew's excellent post above (@gryphon1911 ).
 
Yes, there were a couple.

Specifically, someone wanted to be able to take photos of their kids playing sports. They had no experience with a camera whatsoever, and they were dead set on getting a Nikon D5 flagship because they were convinced that was the only thing they could get that would work.
I sat down with them and asked them to run me through their thought process and what they were wanting to do.

They wanted
  • something that could capture the sports their kid played
    • baseball
    • soccer
  • something that would last
  • easy to pair with their phone
  • could do a little post processing in camera
  • didn't need a massive backpack to take with them
  • had a budget, but could extend that budget if there were financing options
As stated above, they were a little apprehensive because they though that DSLR was the only way and based on some internet searches, they thought that the only thing that would work for them is something like a Nikon D5 or similar flagship. They were also under the impression that they would need to have the 70-200/2.8 or a 300/2.8.

Looking at the gear online, they were rather intimidated by the whole setup as well, not sure if they spent all that money if they would know how to use it all and they would just be wasting money they could never recoup.

Dismayed at the price and the size of the kit...they asked for my opinion. I just so happened to have the same day off that they did and we went out to lunch.

I talked with them and got a lot of that information above.

I also brought with me a few "camera kits".

I brought my D500 with battery grip and the 70-200/2.8
I also brought along the Nikon 70-300/4.5-5.6

In another kit, I brought the Fuji X-T3 and the 70-300


We talked about the gear being more than just the "sports setup" and helped talk through how much better IQ can be, speed of image acquisition and ergonomics.
Video was not a concern now, but would like to grow in that direction in the future.
Getting into the lack of experience, I told them it was not an issue, I would mentor them or I would help them find local classes to enhance their education. (They chose me mentoring them as it was just better for their schedule)

Given that the sports in question were all outdoor, good light events I was able to talk them out of the f/2.8 lenses as an initial purchase. They understood that they could get faster lenses in the future if their kid decided to wrestle, play basketball or had some other indoor sports they wanted to play.

I used the D500 w MB grip as an example of what a "D5 with 70-200/2.8" would basically be size and weight wise. They were immediately turned off on the size/weight alone.
I then took the MB grip off and attached the 70-300. That was a much better fit, but still they felt it was a little bulky, but at least manageable in a smaller shoulder bag, versus a backpack. Yes, I brought some bags along as well. :) Should have seen the restaurant staff...probably thought I was a traveling salesman.

We discussed the benefits and downsides of the OVF versus EVF.

That's when I pulled out the Fuji XT3. Having come from the background of only ever using a cell phone and not having a lot of experience with estimating correct exposures, they liked the idea of having the histogram and the WYSIWYG "live view" exposure. The size was nice as well.

They definitely were not interested anymore in the 70-200/2.8, so after lunch, we went to a local park and I had them try out both of the kits in 70-300 configurations. The park had a lot of dogs at play, so I had them run through capturing images of the dogs running and playing. I told them to concentrate at this time only on the cameras responsiveness, easy of use, ergonomics, and AF acquisition and accuracy.

It is no surprise that the D500 was a clear winner in the AF keepers, but the XT3 was not that far off, honestly for them...and I did explain that the XT3 was capable, but hads to be treated differently and if that is something they were interested in, I could teach them how to get the most out of it.

They were heavily leaning toward the XT3 at this time. Their reasoning was the EVF and the size and weight of the overall kit. They also appreciated the fact that they could shoot by just looking at the back screen and get some low angle shots with the tilty-flippy screen.

Next step was to give them the kit to use at one of the sporting events. I brought the XT3/70-300 kit to a soccer match. I also brought the D500/70-300 just in case.
They shot primarily with the XT3, and were pleased with the performance. I did tweak the AF algorithm a bit to get them more keepers, as they did notice quite a bit of refocusing when other players would come between their kid and the camera.

In the end, they chose the XT3 and 70-300. They also wanted a wider option, so we discussed what they wanted it for and it was for general shooting or to get wider shots of the team/players up close at the sidelines.

The kit was as follows:
  • Used XT3 - $800
  • Used 70-300 - $650
  • Used 16-50 - $175
  • Extra battery - $35
  • Used shoulder bag (think tank mirrorless mover) - $35
  • memory card - $50
Grand total - $1745

They also have a system they can grow into with great f/2.8 options and stellar small/fast primes. Fuji does still lack in longer native range options (they do have the 100-400), but that is not something this particular person has interest.

Education wise, I setup a weekly meetup over the weekend to go through the basics of exposure and how to get that with the gear they have. After the session, I would give them an assignment to create pictures related to the lesson. If I shot sports, I would invite them along to shoot the same and we would compare images, discuss what they did well, and what may have gone wrong with a few images.

After that, we would meet a few time a month as needed or discuss over the phone about anything they had questions. After about 3 months the sessions needed were less and less. They did sign up for some local sports workshops and that helped them as well.

Sorry if that was overboard...but just wanted to try and give an accurate representation of how I go about it. I never want someone I give advice to think that I just drop them into the fray with a bunch of gear and outlay of money and just wish them good luck. I just remember back to when I started and had little to no guidance and had to make my way through all tyhe internet posts. Mentoring and apprenticeships are sorely underrated and I try and help out in that aspect whenever I can.
X-T3 with the 70-300 is quite a clever choice. Impressive how you handled that.
 
Yes, there were a couple.

Specifically, someone wanted to be able to take photos of their kids playing sports. They had no experience with a camera whatsoever, and they were dead set on getting a Nikon D5 flagship because they were convinced that was the only thing they could get that would work.
I sat down with them and asked them to run me through their thought process and what they were wanting to do.

They wanted
  • something that could capture the sports their kid played
    • baseball
    • soccer
  • something that would last
  • easy to pair with their phone
  • could do a little post processing in camera
  • didn't need a massive backpack to take with them
  • had a budget, but could extend that budget if there were financing options
As stated above, they were a little apprehensive because they though that DSLR was the only way and based on some internet searches, they thought that the only thing that would work for them is something like a Nikon D5 or similar flagship. They were also under the impression that they would need to have the 70-200/2.8 or a 300/2.8.

Looking at the gear online, they were rather intimidated by the whole setup as well, not sure if they spent all that money if they would know how to use it all and they would just be wasting money they could never recoup.

Dismayed at the price and the size of the kit...they asked for my opinion. I just so happened to have the same day off that they did and we went out to lunch.

I talked with them and got a lot of that information above.

I also brought with me a few "camera kits".

I brought my D500 with battery grip and the 70-200/2.8
I also brought along the Nikon 70-300/4.5-5.6

In another kit, I brought the Fuji X-T3 and the 70-300


We talked about the gear being more than just the "sports setup" and helped talk through how much better IQ can be, speed of image acquisition and ergonomics.
Video was not a concern now, but would like to grow in that direction in the future.
Getting into the lack of experience, I told them it was not an issue, I would mentor them or I would help them find local classes to enhance their education. (They chose me mentoring them as it was just better for their schedule)

Given that the sports in question were all outdoor, good light events I was able to talk them out of the f/2.8 lenses as an initial purchase. They understood that they could get faster lenses in the future if their kid decided to wrestle, play basketball or had some other indoor sports they wanted to play.

I used the D500 w MB grip as an example of what a "D5 with 70-200/2.8" would basically be size and weight wise. They were immediately turned off on the size/weight alone.
I then took the MB grip off and attached the 70-300. That was a much better fit, but still they felt it was a little bulky, but at least manageable in a smaller shoulder bag, versus a backpack. Yes, I brought some bags along as well. :) Should have seen the restaurant staff...probably thought I was a traveling salesman.

We discussed the benefits and downsides of the OVF versus EVF.

That's when I pulled out the Fuji XT3. Having come from the background of only ever using a cell phone and not having a lot of experience with estimating correct exposures, they liked the idea of having the histogram and the WYSIWYG "live view" exposure. The size was nice as well.

They definitely were not interested anymore in the 70-200/2.8, so after lunch, we went to a local park and I had them try out both of the kits in 70-300 configurations. The park had a lot of dogs at play, so I had them run through capturing images of the dogs running and playing. I told them to concentrate at this time only on the cameras responsiveness, easy of use, ergonomics, and AF acquisition and accuracy.

It is no surprise that the D500 was a clear winner in the AF keepers, but the XT3 was not that far off, honestly for them...and I did explain that the XT3 was capable, but hads to be treated differently and if that is something they were interested in, I could teach them how to get the most out of it.

They were heavily leaning toward the XT3 at this time. Their reasoning was the EVF and the size and weight of the overall kit. They also appreciated the fact that they could shoot by just looking at the back screen and get some low angle shots with the tilty-flippy screen.

Next step was to give them the kit to use at one of the sporting events. I brought the XT3/70-300 kit to a soccer match. I also brought the D500/70-300 just in case.
They shot primarily with the XT3, and were pleased with the performance. I did tweak the AF algorithm a bit to get them more keepers, as they did notice quite a bit of refocusing when other players would come between their kid and the camera.

In the end, they chose the XT3 and 70-300. They also wanted a wider option, so we discussed what they wanted it for and it was for general shooting or to get wider shots of the team/players up close at the sidelines.

The kit was as follows:
  • Used XT3 - $800
  • Used 70-300 - $650
  • Used 16-50 - $175
  • Extra battery - $35
  • Used shoulder bag (think tank mirrorless mover) - $35
  • memory card - $50
Grand total - $1745

They also have a system they can grow into with great f/2.8 options and stellar small/fast primes. Fuji does still lack in longer native range options (they do have the 100-400), but that is not something this particular person has interest.

Education wise, I setup a weekly meetup over the weekend to go through the basics of exposure and how to get that with the gear they have. After the session, I would give them an assignment to create pictures related to the lesson. If I shot sports, I would invite them along to shoot the same and we would compare images, discuss what they did well, and what may have gone wrong with a few images.

After that, we would meet a few time a month as needed or discuss over the phone about anything they had questions. After about 3 months the sessions needed were less and less. They did sign up for some local sports workshops and that helped them as well.

Sorry if that was overboard...but just wanted to try and give an accurate representation of how I go about it. I never want someone I give advice to think that I just drop them into the fray with a bunch of gear and outlay of money and just wish them good luck. I just remember back to when I started and had little to no guidance and had to make my way through all tyhe internet posts. Mentoring and apprenticeships are sorely underrated and I try and help out in that aspect whenever I can.
That is a great story! You were a fantastic resource for them, nicely done.
 
I have realized that the people wanting the advices from me are mostly the combination of two categories: number one - they have realized they are not satisfied with taking pictures by using smartphones; number two - they have never used any type of camera for photographing, the related gears are uncharted territory for them. I usually recommend the high-end cameras and lenses to them who approach me to ask for the advices, because
- high-end gears may produce images that can be apparent different from the images of smartphones, even they are rookies of camera photograhing.
- high-end gears are more likely to be sold as used gears if they find out camera photographying is not what they have expected.
- high-end gears usually cost much more, which may let them give up their idea of buying gears.
 
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