One of the main questions I get asked on a regular basis when it comes to my blog is:
1- Who takes your pictures and
2- What kind of camera do you use?
Now, I’m not gonna lie… I do have a photographer that I work with almost religiously (and for him I am eternally grateful) BUT when I’m not shooting with him I also shoot a lot of stuff on my own. I mean, lets be honest, I’d go broke if I had to hire him for every photo, although I desperately wish I could.
To be honest though, when I first started blogging I was shooting almost all my stuff on my own!
I mean seriously you guys, the hustle was real.
It wasn’t until almost a year or so into it that I actually started having someone help me with photos (i.e. family members) and then a year after that it turned into a professional photographer. I tell you this because I want you to know that my transition was gradual and everything takes time! Some people jump into things super professional at the beginning (which is great) but I didn’t have the money to do that so I started from the bottom and hey, it worked for me. So don’t worry if at the beginning you start off slow and are figuring things out – that’s the fun of it!
Heck, I still am to this day!
Today I thought it would be fun to take a step back from all the beauty & fashion and talk about that question I get most which is what kind of camera (or cameras) I use. And for this I’m going to round up some of the cameras I have used starting from the VERY beginning to show you my gradual progression so that if you are just starting off blogging or maybe just even wanting to get into photography one of these cameras may catch your interest.
One other thing to keep in mind — when I first started blogging I did not have a big budget to splurge on a fancy camera so I did a lot of research and compromised on a relatively fair priced DSLR that I kept for a LONG time. Just know, as a beginner — any DSLR is a HUGE step up from a point & shoot camera so you’re making a big step in the right direction already. Whether you have a food blog, travel blog, fashion blog, beauty blog, lifestyle blog, etc. I’m here to help you find the right camera!
My First Camera: Canon Rebel XSi with Canon 50mm f/1.8 Lens
I actually had gotten this camera a year or two before I started my blog because I really wanted to get into photography. To be honest, at the time I purchased this camera, I had no intentions of starting a blog – the camera was for the sole purpose of photography. However, being young and sort of broke, I didn’t have a lot of money to fork over on a super fancy camera so I did a lot of research. I have always been a Canon girl when it came to point & shoot cameras so I knew I wanted to stick with what I knew. The Canon Rebel XSi seemed like a great fit and it was a very reasonable price. I mean, what did I know? I literally went by Google and all the Amazon.com reviews but hey, after all my hard research it turns out it was a good camera after all! I ended up purchasing the kit. If you guys don’t know, you can basically buy a DSLR as the “body only” OR you can buy the “kit.” The kit is the camera body as well as a standard lens. If you don’t have a lens already and have never done any kind of photography this might be the route to go however, I will say knowing what I know now, standard lenses… well, suck. I didn’t know this at the time but as with anything you learn. Now I always just buy the “body only.” After shooting with the standard lens for a while, I couldn’t figure out why my photos never looked like “everyone else.”
<insert eye roll emoji>
Long story short, I eventually upgraded to a 50mm 1.8 lens which was a WORLD of difference.I used this for SO long. Honestly I have a soft spot for my Rebel since it launched my blog career and was a great camera to me for so long.
My Second Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T5i with Canon 50mm f/1.4 Lens
I later retired my Rebel XSi because I wanted an upgrade AND I decided to get more into creating video content. I didn’t want to spend a TON of money so I did my research and found that the T5i was a great choice. It’s a great camera for shooting photos and it’s made for entry-level video makers which is why it was a great pick for me and is pretty popular for some YouTubers. It does have an auto-focus feature which is great for video bloggers but I will warn you it is not super fast– however, it is pretty good compared to some DSLR’s out there – and for the price, it’s pretty good. I also love that it has a flip out screen so you can see yourself while filming/shooting which the XSi did not have.
The T5i is also one of the easier DSLR cameras to use. Basically it’s a great camera if you want the professional quality and versatility of a DSLR and you are also looking for a good camera that can take photos and record amazing video. I had this camera for probably the longest out of all my cameras and I would recommend this one to everyone!
My Current Camera: Canon 70D with Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 Lens
I just recently upgraded to the Canon 70D and I’m in LOVE with this camera! My photographer is actually the one who recommended I get this camera because I was complaining about my focusing issues with my T5i. If you are not into creating videos then it really isn’t something you have to worry about but for me, it was pretty important. Basically, the Canon 70D gives your videos a studio-quality look. It does take a lot of time to adjust and you will need all the proper lighting and equipment but if you are really invested in it, then it’s a great camera to have. I find this is the absolute best recording DSLR and it is amazing for the price. I had looked at the Canon Mark III which is insanely priced but to be honest, there was no need for me to go that high because the 70D is exactly what I needed since I’m not necessarily a professional photographer. My main complaint with my T5i was that its auto-focus was too poor. The 70D is pretty much famous for its auto-focus system and allows vloggers to mark their face as the target for the camera’s continuous focusing. I can also set my camera to set my focus in the center of my screen and everything that is placed in that box will be in focus, so whether I place a makeup item up or down as long as it is in that box, it will be in focus. If you have ever tried to film a makeup tutorial video then I swear you ALL know what I’m talking about. Basically it is SUPER useful for vloggers that need to move a lot while speaking to the camera or applying makeup/doing hair tutorials etc…
It also has fantastic quality as far as photos go so I take all my photos with this camera when I’m not shooting with my photographer. I will say, this camera does have quite a learning curve so if you are not familiar with DSLR’s you may not want to go straight to this one first. Also, if you are not a huge video person, it might not be necessary to get this as well. But I do LOVE it. Just a suggestion!
My Point & Shoot Camera: Canon G7X
So I do also have one point & shoot camera. This is a camera that I take with me when I travel for random photos or when I want to do vlogs, video diaries, or even sometimes I shoot my flat lay photos with this camera since it is SUPER easy to use and handle. Again, if you are not much of a video person then it might not be necessary to have one unless you do travel and want to capture moments and not lug around a huge DSLR. I LOVE my DSLR but damn it can be a HUGE pain to carry on trips (and SO heavy!!). For example, I’m planning on taking this little one with my to NYFW in September to capture some video and photos so that when I get back from my trip I can try to put together a little NYC video diary with all the footage. It may not be AS FANTASTIC quality as a DSLR but it’s very good for a point & shoot camera and the whole point of it is it really does give your readers the feeling that it’s more “behind the scenes” and person if that makes sense. Kind of like you’re taking them on a trip with you! Oh also! It has a flip up screen so you can see yourself when filming video or taking photos — very helpful!
ALSO – I use my iPhone camera religiously!!
One other thing to remember — your iPhone is like the BEST camera you could have on you 24/7! You have no idea how many photos I actually take with my iPhone!! A ton of my flat lay photos, OOTD photos, and more are all from my iPhone! I’ve even see some incredible Instagram accounts done ONLY with iPhone photos and it’s seriously #GOALS! The point of this is not to be discouraged — if NONE of these are in your price range that’s ok!! There are so many amazing editing apps out there now that you can make your iPhone pics look amazing as well!
Hope you guys found these camera tips helpful! If you have any questions leave them in the comments below and I will make sure to answer them! Also, let me know if you guys want me to do a separate post talking about the different lenses I use!
Rach says
I’m considering upgrading my camera to the 70D. This was a very helpful post!
http://www.rdsosbessions.com
Lew says
I definitely think you should let me know
Alice says
I’ve heard so many good things about the 70D and loved playing around with one at the store. Love these tips, thanks for sharing!
xo, alice / T Y P E N U
Tamara says
Really useful post. I agree, lugging a DSLR around all the time can be a bit of a pain, so I’ve been looking at the Canon G7X. Good to know your thoughts.
Tam Loves Tea