Camera Options.

C Sanchez

EF0
Joined
Jul 8, 2019
Messages
17
Location
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Hello everyone. What cameras are recommended for weather photography for any time of day? I was hoping I could get one that is able to pick up, clear nights with stars and great moons pictures and high quality lightning pictures. I also would like to have a lightning trigger with this camera too. I see mixed opinions on both Canon and Nikon cameras so I’m also confused with that. I’m used to Canon but I would likes y’all’s opinions on that. My budget is currently set at $2500 so I was hoping it would be enough for a great camera with quality for both night and daytime.
 
Pick either. Both options are great. I happen to run Nikon because my first one was on sale 10+ years ago. Learn to use what you've got and you can take great photos with either brand.

I started with night, after lightning. Graduated into daytime and structure with a few tornadoes. Same cameras,

Honestly though..these days I use my phone mostly for daytime stuff and dslr comes out at night.
 
Pick either. Both options are great. I happen to run Nikon because my first one was on sale 10+ years ago. Learn to use what you've got and you can take great photos with either brand.

I started with night, after lightning. Graduated into daytime and structure with a few tornadoes. Same cameras,

Honestly though..these days I use my phone mostly for daytime stuff and dslr comes out at night.
I guess I’ll stick with any kind of canon camera since I’m just used to it a bit. It would be nice to have a good camera that can take night time and lightning shots. My iPhone takes good daytime pictures but it’s struggles with anything else.
 
Phones are useless for anything night aside from maybe some video options, like time lapse or slo-mo. DSLR's shine at night because of the ability to open up that shutter for extended periods of time. One thing you should invest in, should you be after lightning/night time structure, ifs a wireless remote. That can be had for super cheap on amazon and are a great tool to keep on hand.

And like you said, if you already know Canon, stick with it. Canon is great. Nikon is as well. Just depends on where you started. Canon vs Nikon is not nearly as divisive as the PC vs Mac or iPhone vs Android communities. Camera people just like cameras and nobody (with any sense of decency) will give you shit for which brand you like.

Go surf craigslist or local pawn shops if you're just getting started and want to try out a few different camera bodies or lenses. You'll find that most people here have a kit lens, a telephoto zoom (usually in the 50-200mm range), a wide (say 14-20mm) and a prime fixed, like a 35 or 50mm. Personally, I run a 18-55 kit (rarely use it though), a 14mm ultra wide and a 70-300 tele-zoom. All cheap glass. Nikon branded lenses are expensive compared to brands like Sigma and Rokinon, who make great lenses for a fraction of the branded lenses.

bhphoto.com is a useful resourse, not just to buy, but for reasonable and informative reviews of products. Worth taking a peek over there as well.
 
Phones are useless for anything night aside from maybe some video options, like time lapse or slo-mo. DSLR's shine at night because of the ability to open up that shutter for extended periods of time. One thing you should invest in, should you be after lightning/night time structure, ifs a wireless remote. That can be had for super cheap on amazon and are a great tool to keep on hand.

And like you said, if you already know Canon, stick with it. Canon is great. Nikon is as well. Just depends on where you started. Canon vs Nikon is not nearly as divisive as the PC vs Mac or iPhone vs Android communities. Camera people just like cameras and nobody (with any sense of decency) will give you shit for which brand you like.

Go surf craigslist or local pawn shops if you're just getting started and want to try out a few different camera bodies or lenses. You'll find that most people here have a kit lens, a telephoto zoom (usually in the 50-200mm range), a wide (say 14-20mm) and a prime fixed, like a 35 or 50mm. Personally, I run a 18-55 kit (rarely use it though), a 14mm ultra wide and a 70-300 tele-zoom. All cheap glass. Nikon branded lenses are expensive compared to brands like Sigma and Rokinon, who make great lenses for a fraction of the branded lenses.

bhphoto.com is a useful resourse, not just to buy, but for reasonable and informative reviews of products. Worth taking a peek over there as well.
Thank you very much for the advice, I will definitely take it into consideration.
 
Honestly I would be looking at mirrorless cameras if I were you. DSLR's are just not worth the investment if you have a clean slate. I don't have a real opinion on mirrorless, but the Sony's are extremely popular.
 
I generally agree with Ben on mirrorless. Although DSLRs do still have their advantages, the main reason I'd recommend mirrorless for someone starting at square one is future-proofing and resale value.

I'm heavily invested in DSLR gear and it still serves me well, but the possibility of resale value dropping off dramatically in the medium- to long-term (even for lenses and other non-electronic accessories) should be a deterrent for newcomers.
 
I’d recommend anything Sony mirrorless. I have the A7R3 and absolutely love it. If your budget is 2500 though, I’d recommend the A73. The resolution isn’t as high but you do get more focal points (similar to the A9). I have friends that have had this camera and are delighted with it. I think the body goes for 1799 on BH right now but you can get bundles that include a lens for under 2500 to start you out.
 
Make sure the camera has a good panoramic option and the controls are easy to figure out. Having 2-3 custom settings buttons are also VERY important because you don't want to be fumbling abound with resetting things like auto white balance and ISO limits. Being able to quickly change from auto to manual focus is also important, in addition to turning off focus tracking. (You might already know all this so sorry if I'm over schooling). I am not currently sponsored by any camera company, so no endorsements, but I've been using the Lumix GH4 and the DCM-FZ1000. The FZ1000 is similar to the Sony RX10 (also a very good camera) and features "a 20MP 1"-type MOS sensor (and the suspicion has to be that it's a Sony chip), but, rather than the Sony's 24-200mm equivalent zoom range, the Panasonic reaches from 25 to 400mm equivalent." FYI , the FZ1000 is a fixed lens, which means you don't have to carry / change / buy multiple lenses.
 
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