From Where He Stands

WHAT CAMERA SHOULD I BUY/USE?

August 31, 2016

Hello! Welcome to the very first post of FROM WHERE HE STANDS. My name is Lawrence, real life and Instagram husband to Thatsotee. Let’s get right into it!

The ever popular question of “Hey Lawrence! Which camera should I get for awesome Instagram pictures?” First, let me start by saying, I am in no way a professional, nor have I invested enough time with all camera types to provide a complete answer. This blog post is my personal opinion, through my experiences, and is meant to assist those with limited knowledge of cameras, particularly those using it for blogging and instagram. I will also cover the more intriguing topics of camera settings and lenses in future posts.

Most people want to buy the camera that everyone else is using. Ask yourself, how many people do you know with a DSLR stored away after a couple of months of use? That have it set to auto? That only have the one kit lens for their camera? That … well you get the point. If you want to literally point and shoot, then use anything; but if you want to grow your skills, invest some time and money then let’s get started.

With that out of the way … what should you get? Most bloggers/instagrammers usually have the same need … SIZE. If you don’t want to carry it, you will not bring it out with you. Therefore my recommendation is to look at the mirrorless market, such as Canon’s EOS-M lineup.

Canon EOS-M

(pictured Canon EOS-M with 11-22mm F4-5.6 IS & 22mm F2)

Take a look at this basic pro/con list of camera types. It should help you understand why I recommend mirrorless cameras.

Smartphones are awesome! We all know that. They’re always connected and very easy to use. They fit in your pocket or purse and if you pass it onto a friend they will learn how to use it in seconds. Since you are likely to have it already, it is considered a staple and perfect to grab those shots you need in an instant or where pulling out a huge DSLR may be too much. Smartphones are perfect for food, coffee, FWIS’s, and selfies; therefore a must have.

(pictured Samsung Galaxy Note 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5)

(pictured Samsung Galaxy Note 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5)

Things to look for in a Smartphone camera is a wide angle lens, a low aperture (most are at F2.0 or lower these days) and optical image stabilization. Aperture is the amount of light a lens lets in – the lower the better. Optical image stabilization will help keep images sharp and make it easier for those one-handed shots (note: digital image stabilization is not the same thing – get ‘optical’).

Mirrorless cameras are my recommendation for bloggers/instagrammers on the go. Here’s why. From what I have seen from where I stand (SCORE!) portability is an absolute. It has to be small, easy to use, and fit in her bag. Mirrorless cameras used to have poor sensors and very few lenses. Now mirrorless cameras come in full frame and cropped APS-C sensors which take fantastic images along with compact lens choices and adapters to add classic DSLR lens.

(pictured Canon EF-M to EF lens adapter | Canon EOS-M with 22mm F2 | Canon EF-M 11-22mm f4-5.6 IS)

(pictured Canon EF-M to EF lens adapter | Canon EOS-M with 22mm F2 | Canon EF-M 11-22mm f4-5.6 IS)

Mirrorless cameras also come with a ton of features that DSLR’s are still catching up to. Things like Wifi, tilting screens, touch screens, and faster shooting are now common place with mirrorless. They can also come in pretty colours (if that’s your thing). By the way, mirrorless cameras are essentially that – DSLR’s without the mirror mechanism. By doing this we save on the size and weight. Therefore, we can have the same great images from a DSLR in a small mirrorless body! Hugs and kisses all around!!!

So why do we need DSLR’s? Lets get rid of them grandpa!

(pictured Canon 6D with Tokina 16-28mm F2.8 | Canon 50mm F1.4 | Canon 70-200mm F2.8 IS L | Canon 24-105mm F4 IS L)

(pictured Canon 6D with Tokina 16-28mm F2.8 | Canon 50mm F1.4 | Canon 70-200mm F2.8 IS L | Canon 24-105mm F4 IS L)

Settle down now kids, it’s not so simple. DSLR’s are going to be around for awhile. For me, DSLR’s allow me to shoot longer, use better lenses, faster and better auto-focus, real-time and clearer previews through the viewfinder, feels and fits great in my hands, and of course looks damn cool. Since mirrorless cameras are smaller, their battery packs are also very small, which means you need to carry a bunch of extra packs to get you through the day. On my Canon DSLR, I can shoot for 2-3 days before I need to charge the battery. Mirrorless cameras also use power hungry features like wifi, gps, bluetooth, NFC, and a touchscreen that is constantly on.

Mirrorless cameras have a very limited selection of lenses. There are adapters out there that allow you to use DSLR lenses but they usually make it slower and can look quite awkward. DSLR lenses are large and when attached to a small body it’s just unbalanced for shooting and looks weird.

(pictured Canon EOS-M with 24-105mm F4 IS L and lense adapter)

(pictured Canon EOS-M with 24-105mm F4 IS L and lense adapter)

There are countless lenses for DSLR’s and for every budget. The DSLR has a mirror which allows me to view my subject the way I see it in real life. I prefer this over the electronic viewfinder on mirrorless as those have a lag and look very grainy. When taking editorial shots for the blog, I use DSLR lenses to get that dramatic pop in my pictures.  I also need use a DSLR with a full frame sensor, and currently only Sony offers a full frame mirrorless (that is just as expensive as a DSLR). Once you put a DSLR lens on a mirrorless body it is almost the same size as a DSLR. For me, I like the stability, grip, and performance of a DSLR. I would recommend a DSLR for the Instagram-husband or the behind the scenes photographer where size and weight may not be as important. When shooting Tee, I feel like a tourist if is use a small mirrorless, where a DSLR gives it more of that photoshoot feel. Again, these are all personal preferences.

Conclusion
It all really comes down to costs. Always have your smartphone with you. As a secondary camera, which will be used for OOTD’s, grab a mirrorless camera (but try and get one that is APS-C or full framed). These are the sensor sizes that are in most DSLR’s. Anything smaller and you might as well stick with your high-end smartphone camera. Tee takes her Canon EOS-M with 22mm F2.0 lens (APS-C sensor) everywhere. Mirrorless cameras come in a bunch of different models with different features but you only really need the best image quality for the price. Don’t worry about the extras unless they are must haves (like a tilting screen for those high above food shots).

If you need those killer editorial shots with creamy background blur, you need to grab an amazing lens. Some are fairly priced and will work well with mirrorless adapters (like the Canon 50mm F1.4 or 85mm 1.8), but a DSLR may be the better choice if you are looking to get those amazing shots from a high end lens. These lenses can be very expensive and most bloggers would prefer to get a new Chanel bag and a cheaper priced lens instead of the one high end lens. For example, the king of lenses for bloggers is the Canon 85mm F1.2 L II. That alone will put you back about $2000 USD (in Canada we’re looking at just under $3000). That’s not even with a camera body, which should be used on a full frame DSLR to get the most from it, and that will be a minimum addition of $2000. OUCH!

Keep in mind, camera body technology comes and goes pretty quickly (3-5 years). But a good lens can last a lifetime. So if you are starting out, get something cheaper for a body and a good lens. Not only will your pockets be happier, but your pictures will be exceedingly better. Camera bodies have a bad resale value but a good lens is always sought after.

Believe it or not, I stripped out a lot of detail so I don’t lose too many of you. (Differences in sensors, mega-pixels, brands, lens types, camera features etc…).  I also showcased a lot of Canon and Samsung products, this is only because that’s what i own and love. Nikon, Sony, even Olympus and Panasonic are all great brands.  Now that you’re on your way to buying a new camera, lets learn how to use it instead of relying on those filters.

Here is what I like to use.


*I know i didn’t talk much about the sensors sizes but I will have a future post to explain the differences and why certain sizes are desired.

Please let me know what you thought of this post, what you would like to see in my next blog post, and if you agree or disagree with anything.  Thanks so much for reading!

Lawrence, Instagram Hubby to Thatsotee

17 Comments

  • Reply HER Boutique September 1, 2016 at 4:50 pm

    Love this post! SO helpful!

    xo – HER. Boutique

    http://www.herboutique.com
    http://www.instagram.com/shopather

    • Reply Tee October 9, 2016 at 8:21 pm

      yay! so happy it was! Xx

  • Reply Nina September 2, 2016 at 8:56 pm

    Great article Lawrence, and thanks for all your help with my mirrorless camera 🙂

  • Reply Sayaka Miyashita September 22, 2016 at 9:08 am

    Great post on comparison with dslr and mirror less! I’d recommend Olympus mirror less to Canon anyday ! Olympus lead the mirror less market with their O-MD and Pen series :))

    • Reply Tee October 9, 2016 at 8:21 pm

      Hey Sayaka! Haha! Yes, we all have our favorites. Thank you for your sweet comment. Xx

  • Reply Cici McCalman December 21, 2016 at 9:31 pm

    Hey Lawrence! Great article on the camera selection. I am a photographer myself, would you share how you edit your photographs and how do you select which photos to post on Instagram? Thanks!

  • Reply Cici McCalman December 21, 2016 at 9:31 pm

    Hey Lawrence! Great article on the camera selection. I am a photographer myself, would you share how you edit your photographs and how do you select which photos to post on Instagram? Thanks!

    • Reply Tee December 26, 2016 at 8:48 pm

      Hi Cici! Thanks for checking us out. To be honest there’s not a lot of editing done. We choose the best photos and then make minor adjustments for distortion and then crop it to the right size for the blog or instagram. I try and get the picture right when taking it but at times i know i need to make changes to the saturation and brightness levels. Hope this helps! – Lawrence

  • Reply Ula February 11, 2018 at 3:42 pm

    Hi there!

    Love your post! Could you please tell me one more thing. I am just starting with my Instagram and want to invest in camera but no more than £350 at the beginning. Do you think I can find any reasonable camera for that price? Any particular brand and model would you recommend?

    Thank you very much!

    All the best,

    xx

    • Reply Tee March 26, 2018 at 4:14 pm

      Hi Ula! I would recommend the Canon EOS M-6! Love the stabilization in video and quality in pictures. It’s a little over your budget but I think investing in quality is important for your equipment. Hope that helps! Xx

  • Reply Alvin May 31, 2018 at 2:03 am

    Hi,

    I am using EOS 5D Mark for all of my projects.

    • Reply Tee June 4, 2018 at 3:41 pm

      Great camera!

  • Reply jhon September 4, 2018 at 2:43 pm

    Hi there, are you looking for the best camera for Instagram? if yes then I have the best suggestion for you.you must read this article. This article, you will be going to learn about different cameras for Insta which are best suited for you guys.
    https://www.azonvisor.com/best-ab-machine/

  • Reply Victoria March 5, 2019 at 4:51 am

    If someone is looking for a best camera for Instagram, check out this article. https://www.azonvisor.com/best-camera-for-instagram/

  • Reply Luna July 20, 2019 at 4:08 am

    Hi Lawrence,

    Thanks for this post, really useful. I had an additional couple of questions about which camera your wife uses for her You Tube videos? The quality is beautiful and there is no background hissing or other noise at all. Also, is the no-background-noise just by using the camera alone or is there post editing work being carried out to remove any hiss?

    Thanks so much, appreciate it.

    • Reply Lawrence August 5, 2019 at 4:30 pm

      Hi Luna,

      Currently we film mostly on the Canon M6. The lense we use most often is the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 with the Canon EF to EF-M adapter. As for the sound, you can greatly improve your audio just by using an external recorder NOT connected to the camera. The hissing is usually feedback from either the lense autofocusing or interference from the camera frequencies. Its a bit of work to sync audio later but its worth it.

      Hope this helps Luna. Have fun shooting!!

  • Reply Tayyaba Fatima October 18, 2019 at 4:28 pm

    nice article, keep up the good work.

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