I have zero knowledge in photography but kinda interested to learn. Would like to get a used camera but don't know which one is suitable. Please help me.

If you got a good smartphone camera, it's a good place to learn already
Most camera apps got pro mode which will allow u to learn the basics of iso, aperture and shutter speed

Once you're already good at the basics, I guess you can go for mirrorless cameras, start with something like sony a6000

I would suggest compact camera, in my case I prefer SONY cameras

Actually i would say the a6000 with kit lens is a good starting ground (currently imo the best value for money).. and its good enough for even when u further develop ur knowledge and interest in photography. If u were to get a compact camera, u will eventually purchase either a mirrorless or DSLR camera in the future which means u will have to spend twice the money. So my advice is the A6000 for future usability, if u dont forsee urself getting into this as a hobby then a compact would suffice.

This post has been edited by lost123: Apr 22 2019, 02:03 PM

Nah. Smartphone is good for learning composition with limited control. But not basics like ISO, aperture and shutter cause this thing is nearly non existent. It is also frustrating since u have to go deep in menu to do this adjustment and specific scenario and limitation to use it. Did u know if u go pro mode in huawei p20 Pro for example, it only allows image quality 10mp jpeg or 40mp raw on main sensor camera only? Too much is govern by the phone software even on pro mode.

Better get actual dedicated camera if want full control (but not the point and shoot subpar ~rm500 crap)

This post has been edited by TrialGone: Apr 27 2019, 10:50 AM

Get a second hand nikon D700 + 50mm F1.8G lens. Watch and read lots and lots and lots of youtube videos and articles and forum posts regarding shutter speed, aperture and ISO. Lastly, go out and shoot lots and lots and lots of pictures. Rinse and repeat.

if you want to have fun, any modern camera will do, especially smartphones but if you really want to learn, just buy a old skool manual camera, no result to show buy you will learn a lot quickly

Canon EOS 200D. The best all-around beginners camera right now.

Is A7 ii a good beginner camera ? The price dropped now

A7 iii kinda beyond reach lol unless I'm planning to shoot without lense

I started with Panasonic LX3 All the manual controls you need to learn. A used one (or LX5 / LX7) is under RM 500 nowadays...battery is questionable though haha

first try borrowing. then try buying a 2nd hand unit from a friend.

make sure you have shutter priority, aperture priority & full manual settings available in the one you choose.

then go hit youtube and go have some fun.

if it sticks, then you can go shopping for serious gear.

I doubt you have zero knowledge in photography unless you don't have a smartphone with you that is at least a few years old. A lot of smartphones in the last 5 years have very good cameras and most people I know are 'into photography' just because they have a smartphone and they take lots of pictures with it. They might not have the sentiment of 'I'm a photographer' but if they take lots of pictures everyday... you kind of are! Maybe you don't think it's professional but taking photos everyday means it's kind of a hobby already eh? This has become a truly liberating phenomena for the casual photography hobbyist.

My guess is you're thinking "I wonder if a mirrorless or DSLR will get me better pictures than the ones I'm already taking?" The answer is yes it could (emphasis on the possibility rather than surety) once you get your hand on all the photography techniques. I think any DSLR or mirrorless (this is not even considering if you want interchangeable lenses or not!) in the last few years will be a good learning tool for someone who might want to take it more seriously. A good place to start is to determine what kind of photography you wish to do more on. Of course, as we are learning, we will try almost everything but I'm sure you already have a pretty good idea what kind of photos you like to take best. Therefore, a few good thoughts to ponder when inquiring or browsing online:

"What camera+lens+lighting setup will be good for taking candid street/landscapes/family events/portraits/fast action/indoor events?"

"I want a camera, but I travel a lot and need something manageable size-wize"

"I don't care about camera brands/dslr/all the jargon nor do I want to spend loads but I just want slightly better pictures than my phone camera"

"I want to learn seriously cause this is something I will love doing for quite a long time, I might even invest more into it in the future"

Each thought will give you a different slew of cameras that cater to specific criteria.

Cheers mate

2nd hand micro 4 thirds system Panasonic or Olympus is very affordable

Best of all the lens and body are light and you don’t mind taking along and store inside your bag pack

I agree with a decision to take photos from your smartphone at first. You should learn basic things in photography
You must be well versed in the composition, the exposure, understand what you need and why. A professional device is worth buying only after you have filled your hand and can see a beautiful frame in ordinary things.

I think sony a6500 is good for beginner
or a6000 cheaper in price

Attend a photography class, they will be able to better advise

Basically, if you are learning for self interest, then you can start with a smartphone, most of the phones release within 1 or 2 years before this are good enough, some of them even can take 4k quality photo or video, the only problem would be it's not easy to adjust the setting in pro mode (iso, shutter speed and etc), but that is ok, when you are free, you can take your time, walk in the shopping mall, twin tower or any place you feel like you want to take a picture, stand there and try with different setting, no need to rush.

If you think you really want to buy a camera, make your choice base on how much money you have (or your family have?), don't forget to buy lens ( Important, a must) and other optional things, like tripod, flash, additional battery, stabiliser, memory card and etc, depend on your need and how you use it. Can try to learn online or pay for lesson, other than learn how to use the camera, settings and tools, need to learn how to take photo and video with different angel and position as well so the outcome is not boring and...not that interesting.

This should be enough for you to start with, feel free to ask for help

*simple note, try to get used to the following setting first
ISO = adjust the brightness of a picture or video while sacrifice the sharpness of it, that means, the higher the ISO is, the brighter the image will be BUT it will add more and more noise and reduce the sharpness of the image, try to avoid anything more than 1600 for ISO

Shutter speed = the time needed to snap the image, the lower the shutter speed is, the clearer the image will be, but the image will get darker and darker as the shutter speed goes lower, normally 1/60 should be enough, if the main object is moving fast like dancing or running, then you need at least 1/125 to get a clear image but it will make the image really dark, unless the lighting is really good (outdoor shooting, sport light focusing on the object etc), use flash or other lighting tool to help you

aperture= the sharpness of the areas which are out of focus, normally a camera will try to focus on something or certain area, anything out of the focus will become blur, you can increase aperture to make the out of focus areas clearer, but it will make the image become darker as aperture number increase.

there are some other important setting too, but the basic are ISO, shutter speed and aperture, can't take a good image without knowing how to make a balance with these three and other tools and equipments.

which one?i wanted to get one ..OMD EM5 / EM10?

Going used is a pretty good route since there's loads of good and cheap cameras from 2013 onwards.

If you wanna go the more traditional route and get the "feel" of making photos, getting a used Fujifilm XE2 is a pretty good choice. I still kept my old one with the 27mm pancake lens. It's amazingly fun to use.

Or go with Sony A5100 and later models for the selfie screen. The interface not as nice but its the best bang for buck camera around now.

Both can be paired with 3rd party china lens which are usually cheap and fun.

Damn good camera, can do professional works nicely too.