Are you ready to start your journey into photography? These are the five essential items that are required to get started in photography. There are a lot of nice to have items when it comes to photography, but the items below, are critical in starting out. Without them you are dead in the water.
Camera
This is a no brainer. You just can’t do photography without a camera. Trust me, I have tried! Cameras range in size, price and use case. For this guide, we are going to be focusing on interchangeable lens cameras. These are the gold standard for professional photography. They allow the user to swap out different style lenses, depending on what is to be photographed. As of this writing, the main styles of cameras are Mirrorless and DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex). DSLRs contain a mirror that is flipped up when taking a picture. Mirrorless cameras, as their name implies, don’t have a mirror. DSLRs are typically larger while Mirrorless cameras are smaller. As of 2022, most camera manufactures are moving away from DSLRs and more towards Mirrorless.
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DSLR Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras have long been the go to style of camera for professionals. They use a mirror system that allows the user to see a scene through the optical view finder. | Mirrorless Mirrorless Cameras use an Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) to display the scene. Adjusting your camera settings will adjust the scene in real time. This essentially gives you a preview of what the final image will look like. |
Lens
Interchangeable lens cameras require a lens be attached to the camera in order to function. There are two main types of lenses. Prime and Zoom. Prime lenses have a fixed focal length. This means that they only have a fixed angle of view. For example, a 16mm focal length will be able to capture a wide field of view, whereas a 300mm focal length will have an extremely narrow field of view. Zoom lenses have a variable focal length. This means that they can be “zoomed” in and out from various fields of view. For example, a 24-70mm lens can be shot at all focal lengths between 24mm and 70mm. Prime lenses are typically “faster” than zoom lenses. This means their aperture value, or the amount of light allowed through the lens, is greater than what is allowed with zoom lenses. Most prime lenses average on the high end around f1.4 or f1.8. The best zooms, only allow around f2/f2.8. Zoom lenses allow for more versatility, since they cover multiple focal lengths. At the end of the day, it all depends on the photographer and how they are trying to capture an image.
Field of View
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Prime LensAbove are examples of Prime Lenses from various different OEM and third party brands. Prime lenses are usually smaller, faster (in terms of light allowed through) and, in some cases, cheaper than Zoom lenses. | Zoom LensAbove are examples of Zoom Lenses from various different OEM and third party brands. Zoom lenses are usually more expensive and slower than Prime Lenses, but cover multiple focal lengths. This makes them a more versatile tool. |
Memory Card
This is probably the most boring essential item. No one really gets excited about spending money on memory cards. But you just can’t take photos without them. Most, if not all, cameras do not have built in storage. Your camera requires a memory card so that it can save your images. Most cameras have at least one memory card slot. Higher end cameras will have two. For the sake of this article, the two main card types are SD (Secure Digital) and CFexpress (Compact Flash). Memory cards are rated by their read/write speeds and storage capacity. The faster the write speed, the faster your camera is able to store pictures. Fast writing speeds are ideal when you need to takes many pictures all at once. The larger the storage capacity, the more photos you can store on a single card.
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SD Card Above are examples of different brands and styles or SD cards. Beginners should note storage capacity (32GB, 64GB, 128Gb, etc.) and Read/Write speeds. SD cards will typically have the Read speeds labeled on them. Consult product documentation in order to determine Write speeds. | CFexpress Card Above are examples of different brands and styles or CFexpress cards. Just as with SD cards, Beginners should note storage capacity (32GB, 64GB, 128Gb, etc.) and Read/Write speeds. SD cards will typically have the Read speeds labeled on them. Consult product documentation in order to determine Write speeds. |
Editing Software
Once you have taken your photos, it is wise to get them in some sort of photo editing software. This allows the photographer to fine tune the images to their liking. Adobe Lightroom is one of the most common editing platforms available today. In Lightroom, you can adjust different settings such as exposure, white balance, contrast, saturation, color grading, crop and much more. Lightroom ideally should be run on a computer, but can be used on mobile devices such as a phone or tablet. Keep in mind, you don’t have to edit your photos. Photography is an art form that allows for self-expression of ideas. I believe it is good practice to do some sort of minor editing. It is a good exercise in understanding the different variables of photography and how they impact an image
An Idea
If you want to get into photography, you must have had or have an idea of what you want to shoot! There are many different styles and genres of photography. Depending on what you want to shoot, you may need to purchase additional gear. But most photography can be done with just these items. Be sure to explore different types of photography and try and step outside of your comfort zone. It is a great hobby and for some, a lifelong profession.
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