Professional Photography Equipment Guide

If you are new in this industry, getting the right professional photography equipment is important.

Cameras, lenses and other accessories certainly do not come cheap. They are an investment, and you want to get your money’s worth. If you end up buying the wrong equipment or camera, you will only end up frustrated because you will not get the results that you want, and / or you will spend more money to buy the right one.

While it is true that a good photo does not depend on the brand or price tag of the camera or lens, good quality equipment will help you in capturing great photos. A photographer’s eye for composition and talent in using lighting are truly what makes a good photograph. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t need any tools.

Professional Photography Equipment Guide

Here is a quick guide on professional photography equipment.

• Get a DSLR. The DSLR’s optical viewfinders, high-speed frame rates and powerful processors keep it on top of other cameras. It has interchangeable lenses, faster focus and frame rates, manual zoom and larger sensors.
• Start with the most basic equipment, and then you can work your way to  building your system up. The most basic professional photography equipment that you will need are:
  • your choice of DSLR
  • all- rounder zoom lens such as 18-135mm or 15-85mm
  • good quality carry case or bag for your equipment; choose one with enough space so you can leave the lens on the camera frame
  • high quality memory card, at least 8 GB
• Be careful about buying “value for money” bundled kits. Bundled kits can save you some cash, and can be a good buy. Be wary about the “free” accessories that suppliers put in the bundle. These are usually cheap and the quality is inferior, hence they are “free”. If you do buy a kit, always make the camera and lenses be your main consideration, and not the “free” tripod, memory card or flash. Look for lenses with a good zoom range and aperture range, as well as image stabilization.
• If you are planning on taking a photography class or course, wait until after you complete that before buying your professional photography equipment. You will learn a lot from the class, and perhaps figure out what photography genre you want to pursue. These will help you determine the start up equipment you want to buy.

A great option when starting in the industry is to get camera hire. Hiring your equipment will not only be cheaper, it will allow you to test the equipment before you spend your savings on buying it. If you have all your basic equipment, you can rent the equipment that you need for specific occasions or shoots.

Call AimImage for all your professional photography equipment needs.