If you are just graduating from a Point & Shoot camera, or you know you don’t need many of the higher end “bells and whistles”. The camera below will do all the basics, give you plenty of creative options such as being able to select the shutter speed and aperture and many others, as well as performing all the regular automatic functions. It has interchangeable lens capability if you want to add a telephoto, wide angle or macro lens. It’s a good solid choice. If you ever decide to move up to a higher end Canon, all the lenses and accessories will work with the new camera –an important consideration!
It’s not the latest model, which is why it’s less expensive. Camera manufacturers are always upgrading their models, adding new features and making small, incremental improvements. Just like when buying a car, you will always save money buying a year end close-out or a car that’s a model year older than the current. Because this camera is cheaper than the latest model is not an indicator that the camera is low quality. A year ago when this camera was the latest model it was as expensive then as the latest model is now.
Canon T5

You will also need a memory card. A new camera does not come with a memory card. I suggest a good high-quality card that’s large enough to store a lot of pictures for those times you are away for a week or don’t have time to download your pictures onto your computer after every shoot.
Memory Card

UV Filter

You should also purchase a UV Filter. As soon as you take your camera out of the box, put this filter on and NEVER take it off. It will protect your lens from scratches and dirt. Better to replace a $10 filter than a $500 lens. Any new lenses you buy should also get their own UV filters. Make sure you know the filter size of the lens you purchase. The filter below is a 58mm which the correct filter size for the Canon T5 I recommend.

When you are ready to add to your Gadget bag:

Circular Polarizing Filter This filter is the second most important filter to buy. If you enjoy taking landscapes this is a good addition to your camera bag. You screw it on right over the UV filter.

It work best if you have a nice blue sky and if there are white puffy clouds and you are standing at right angles to the sun, but it will have some effect no matter where you stand. Frame your shot and slowly turn the rotating front part of the filter until you see the blue sky turn a nice deep blue. As you continue to rotate the filter you will see the sky begin to lighten again. Turn the filter until the sky is the shade you like, then take your shot.

 

Telephoto Zoom Lens
A good telephoto zoom is a great addition. This one is powerful and has an image stabilizer which is important when using a hand held telephoto. It’s less expensive to buy one without the image stabilizer, but I think it’s well worth the extra expense. Be careful when buying package deals with a lot of additional stuff for not much more money. Usually the additional stuff they give you is low quality and stuff you really don’t need. If a zoom lens is included, chances are that it’s their cheapest one –usually without an image stabilizer.

Canon Zoom UV Filter for the telephoto Zoom

Mid-Level

The camera below is the latest version of the Entry level above. It has all the latest features and improvements. Honestly, the only thing I think is worth the additional money is:

• The T6i is 24.5 MP -the T5 is 18 (unless you will be making VERY lare prints this is not a concern)
• Shoots 5 Frames per second as opposed to 3
• Will auto focus while shooting video -the T5 will not

So, ask yourself if that is worth the $XXX more. If I were buying a new camera, I’d get this one mostly because I always buy the latest version just so it won’t be obsolete quite so quickly. Then I keep it until it’s ready for the Old Camera Graveyard. My current camera is several years old and still works fine –it’s just not as sexy as this newer model -then again I’m not as sexy as a newer model either!

Canon Rebel T6i

Canon t6i Filter,  Memory card, Zoom recommendations are the same as for the Canon T5.
You may have noticed all my recommendations are from Canon (no they are not sponsoring me). That’s because I’ve owned Canons all my life and have grown to trust them and I have all the accessories I need for my Canon. Once you make a commitment to a camera brand it’s hard to change because all the stuff you buy for that camera won’t fit on another brand. Just like you can’t put Toyota engine into a Honda.

Nikon

Below is the Nikon equivalent to my Canon Recommendation. Am I recommending Canon over Nikon? Not really. I’m just a Canon guy. Just like there are Toyota and Honda people (or Ford and Chevy people) you need to decide what kind of person you are. Perhaps that’s a subject for a future post!

Entry Level

Nikon UV Filter

Memory Card

Nikon Mid Level

Nikon UV Filter Filter

Memory Card

Prosumer Level

These are for serious hobbyists or starting professionals. The normal everyday photographer really doesn’t need a camera of this caliber. But, if your rich, or hit the lottery, these are the cameras for you!

Canon 80D

 

Nikon D610