Total beginner

[Madmixie]

Hi all, I have just joined this forum and do hope that I am posting in the correct place. Please feel free to tell me if I am.

I am a keen hiker and spend a lot of time out in the wilderness and I'm usually wild camping.
I would like to purchase a camera to capture all my memories and the stunning scenery and wildlife I often encounter. The problem I have is I have absolutely no idea what is the best camera I can purchase for my budget. I have a budget of £500 and what I would like to be able to do is purchase the camera and be able to add other lens, equipment etc at a later date when my budget allows.
Does anyone have any recommendations or hints/tips to point me in the right direction please?
Thanking you all in advance for any advice received.

 

[Sky]

From what you say, you'll need two lenses; a telephoto for wildlife and a shorter (maybe wide-angle) for scenery. However, with your budget you're going to be limited if you want good results and may have to settle for a widerange zoom. The camera doesn't really matter, but the quality of the lens does.

If you can give us a better idea of what sort of wildlife and what type of scenic view, we'll be able to come up with a few more useful suggestions for you.

Welcome to the forum BTW.

 

[Madmixie]

Hi, many thanks for taking the time to respond to my post.
I thought my budget would probably be a big obstacle to be honest lol.
I do a fair amount of coast walking and hill/mountain climbing and currently just use the camera on my phone but the photos just don't do the locations any justice whatsoever. I am amazed at the fantastic photos that people post and would love to be able to do the same but with my extremely limited (i.e zero) experience, I am struggling as to where to start.
So in short I would like to take some good photos of the coast and the mountains and also be able to take some good close ups of the animals I encounter.
Thank you for the welcome, much appreciated.

 

[Sky]

Ah yes, the budget.

Unfortunately, it is far too easy to spend a small fortune on photography and most people will spend far more than they need to in the beginning by believing that a better camera will give them better results. As I said already, it's the lens that's most important, but there is also a lot of practice and a fair bit of study required before you'll develop the skills to get good pictures.

You'll be able to get started for £500, but I'm afraid it won't stop there, so be prepared to dig a bit deeper over time.

My recommendation would be to start with second-hand gear. Don't rush into it though, people will be along to give their recommendations as you have requested it, but be patient and after a few more posts you'll gain access to our classifieds section where some good kit comes up for sale quite regularly.

As you're new to photography, I'd avoid buying from dealers until you know what you're actually looking for. The latest and lightest cameras are 'mirrorless' and I for one (like many others) don't like them for various reasons that I won't bore you with. Others however, think they're good and are moving away from DSLRs - for you this is a good thing because it means there is a good supply of second-hand DSLRs to be had for not a lot of money.

I prefer Nikon cameras and lenses, but there are many others to choose from.

Good luck and enjoy the journey . . .

 

[droj]

Animals? What animals ...?

 

[Jannyfox]

If you are walking/camping/climbing you need to strike a balance between getting those fantastic images and the size/weight of the kit you're prepared to carry to do it. Maybe go to a camera shop and look at and handle various camera bodies and lenses. Don't buy, just look and handle, then go home and research the ones you think might fit your needs. In terms of lens focal length, you may well have to find a compromise between the landscape and the wildlife. Depends very much on what your wildlife is. Take time over figuring it all out. Remember the best camera is the one you have with you (in other words you can have the best camera/lenses/tripod/filters in the world but if they're sitting on the kitchen tabe because they wouldn't fit in your rucksack........).

 

[Mintchocs]

Animals? What animals ...?

Sheep, cows, hedgehogs, badgers, birds, grass snakes, seals, squirrels etc

With a budget of £500 I would get a basic 2nd hand Nikon D3300, D3400 and two lenses to cover most of what you need.

 

[Compuwight]

Hi and welcome. As Sky has put it so aptly - lots of peoples have lots of opinions of lots of kit !
Therefore I will share my personal journey to help you get started on your journey through the maze that is photography.
Being new to digital photography and wanting better results than my Finepix compact. I ventured into the local high street branch of a well known national retailer of new/used equipment and simply asked to see a selection of used kit to meet similar needs to you. I took my time over several visits to look and feel at what was on offer, then did a bit of research online. I decided to go down the used route as I got more bangs for my buck. I purchased a Nikon D3200 with 18-55 kit lens plus a Nikon 70-300 zoom with a bag all for less than £500. I have to say I was impressed with the results immediately (others my hold a different view). Please do not take this as a recommendation I am simply sharing my experience in the hope it helps you.