Best camera for nature photography?
 

Reasonably priced, though I wouldn't mind hearing about various levels of crazy in this field. I know that I should join a photography forum and maybe I will but I just have a feeling that there is someone here who really knows this stuff. I'm a complete newbie.

I'm thinking something SLR w/ some lens recommendations for vistas, shooting clouds, etc. My iPhone takes good up-close photos but lacks on the wide vistas, etc. New hobby, thanks. :)

nature like landscapes; any wildlife? you'll need a tele for most wildlife shots

from a car or backpacking, climbing?

then there's budget

Nikon D750 will do a great job and can take the 400 different vintage (used) Nikkor lenses out there from early 1960s-on and Nikon made a lens for every problem; D600/610 is cheaper full frame body but has poor AF in low light

for medium format Mamiya digital seems to get a lot of attn.

for light wt. get Olympia or Panasonic m43 body plus lenses - if the dynamic range of the scene is too great you can stack different images to create a single one - AND you can do it in camera

the Oly Pro lenses are outstanding as are the Leica/Lumix ones from Panasonic - the lenses from one brand will work on the other brand

m43 is a mirrorless design

DSLRs are on the way out and still hang on for edge cases, like pro sports

Nikon has a mirrorless system, Z-system

Canon has its devotees, as does Fuji - you need to try various ones out to see how you like the ergonomics, menu system etc.

any friends with quality digital cameras? ask if you can go with them sometime

the little pocket cameras have been pretty much wiped out by phones, the above are systems/brands that will hold on for years

There are terrific systems out at all different levels, by many different manufacturers.
I like to engineer backwards.
What are you going to do with your images? Posting on facebook/ internet can use different equipment than printing 40x60" images to hang in a gallery. (I do both.)
Reasonably priced- you need to understand you get what you pay for, and you really need to know your needs. I have lenses that go from $250 to $12,000.
Newbie, don't overbuy. Post processing is another topic, and will be just as important or maybe more important than the camera system.
There are no bad systems out there. I would go with sony, nikon, canon in no particular order.
If you can find an actual brick and mortor camera store- go visit. Handle the equipment, ask questions.
If you are looking for a online forum, I would recommend nikon cafe. Great group of guys/gals.
gary

There are books written on this subject.

But, a friend me mine just wrote a book on birds. Her photos were in the book. She has a mid range DSLR and a very long lens.

Pics look great.

There are many here who are experts on cameras and photography. Scott Douglas, and others, have helped me a lot.

Nikon D7200.

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Point and shoot Canon Powershot - less than $100 on eBay.......

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If you have a friend with a whole lot of lenses, go with a camera that you can borrow them for.

You'll be fine with the main brands. What's great about Nikon and Canon is they are nice and popular and if you are looking for a certain lense there is bound to be one available second hand or on sale.

Denis - The best advice I can give you, a raw beginner, is go out and find a camera shop that has a wide variety of cameras you can handle. It might pay to set a budget first so you don't fall for one that isn't within the restrictions of said budget.
After that, come back and ask for +'s and -'s of said camera.

We all have our biases here so take that with a grain of salt.

My bias switched from Nikon to Sony with the advent of me inheriting a Leica M3 and wanting to use the lenses on a digital body since I don't shoot film due to budget constraints.

Nikon Cafe is a good Nikon site. Talkemount is a good Sony site owned by the same fella that owns Nikon Cafe. I hang out there a lot when I'm not here.

Good luck on your journey and keep the questions coming.

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A wildlife shot taken with my Sony.

I'm one of those with a bias, so I think I'm just going to suggest you look for a camera dealer locally, who sells used cameras with a warranty. You can literally shoot with these cameras (don't know about the Covid thing though) before you buy them. That will give you a huge head start in finding out how they lay out the menus, buttons, and the like.

I also agree that mirrorless is the way to go. You might also consider "street photography" or candid portraits. I think the reward is much much faster for a beginner.

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I need to get a "faster" tripod, if that makes sense.

I'm also a newbie. Experimenting with aperture priority. It's still a bit hit or miss. And nothing like the pressure of trying to get a shot live.
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Manual mode. I love manual mode.

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It is a question much like asking what is the best car for my needs.

The budget will all depend on your level of photography. The pro all have pro level equipment for a legitimate reason. If you need a extreme lens, you are going to need a Nikon or Cannon.

One the other end, a camera that is so complex and bulky that you never take it with you is worthless to you. I took my real Cannon camera with me for a track day, and never took it out of the case. I just used my iPhone and I alwys have that with me.

So if you want to photograph true wild animals in the wild, you will need a long lens, and sturdy monopod. If you are shooting insects you need an entirely different system.

Whatever you get, make sure there is good glass for it. My wife has a Rebel T3i and it does fine for what she uses it for. With better glass these would be better. the 300 doesn' have image stabalization so it could be crisper.

This was a point-n-shoot camera compared to hers with just a 300mm lens.
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Or a teensy little crab with the standard lens. She also has macro lenses and you can see the pollen grains if you want.
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A moose at a couple hundred yards.

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Canon 5D mark III 50mm 2.0 ISO 100 1/350 aperture priority RAW Canon speedlight470ex slave controlled savage 500w light umbrellas.
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I went mirrorless last year. So much lighter to carry. I ended up with a Canon M50 for video. I have an older Canon DSLR and with an adapter I can use the older lenses. Auto focus works too.

So if you have any old gear, you might look into what can be used with the new unit.

Yup, the lenses are for more expensive than bodies.

Instead of SLR, I'd look at mirrorless, especially if I were just starting out. I'd also be looking at compatibility with existing (heritage) lenses. Then I'd look at battery life, then nuanced performance stats after that.

Or you can do as I did, start with a hobbiest kit SLR (D90 at the time), and then add more lenses (24mm, 50mm, 70-200, 16-35) and flash, and tripod, then upgrade the body (D4), and additional batteries, cards, bags, lights, reflectors. . . all to end up having to lug 20lb of junk with you to the vintage races and hiking. 99% of the time, I just bring my phone now.

DSLR is a bit heavier, but allows you to easily use the used lenses on the market. I dunno your budget...

Nikon's mirrorless bodies can be fitted with an adapter to use their old lenses.

Old Lenses Matter (OLM) because they have some special rendering - sure it's distortion, but it can look great.

Agree with camera shop idea above or you could rent. Or take your best shot then switch later and sell or give away the old gear.

It's like tools, start with something affordable, decent and covers a lot of bases, and if you find yourself maxing out the capability then upgrade.

I'd recommend something like the $296 Canon EOS T100 kit with 18-55mm lens. If you can't learn to take some nice pics with that a $5000 setup won't do anything for you. Lots of fun lenses for the EF-S mount and if you want to get a better body later such as a 90D those lenses will work.

I love landscapes. My go to camera has been a Leica M10 for a number of years AND my go to lens is a 21 mm wide angle for landscapes. I also do a tremendous amount of still life. For that I use a Canon 5d Mk IV and lean heavily on my 100mm macro.

I have not done wildlife photography in many years. Wildlife, as others have pointed out, would be a completely different kit (lens wise).

For the past two years I have been taking advanced photo classes at my local JC, Moorpark College. I have learned a tremendous amount about all aspects of photography.

I recently upgraded to a Leica Q2, and I love that thing. It is a perfect camera for all that I do. BUT I cannot see it as a viable wildlife set up.

IMHO and from hanging with some very talented artists, I think we are seeing two major trends. One is film, especially for the younger artists, they love it! The other is the mirrorless.

Mirrorless is really gaining momentum and the gear is fantastic. Lightweight, tough, easy to use. Since you don't have any lenses you can invest in the best for the particular platform. And you have the option of using adapters to use older (but very good) gear.

I was impressed with the Canon R system. The Canon RP would be a great start based upon features and price (especially price). It would be an excellent entry level camera that is the latest proven technology. I like that thing, but am invested in a traditional Canon 5D Mk iv.