Beginner’s Guide to Essential Photography Gear in 2025

Starting your photography journey can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to balance the cost of equipment with your budget. It’s easy to get lost in the sea of options available. To help simplify things, I’ve put together a list of essential gear for beginner photographers, along with my personal thoughts on each option. This way, you’ll be better equipped to make the right choices for your photography future.

Camera Bodies: Choosing the Right One for You

Selecting the perfect camera body can be one of the trickiest decisions for beginners. Many newcomers worry about the brand or focus on technical specifications.

First things first: I always recommend choosing a camera brand that your friends or fellow photographers use. That way, you can borrow lenses and collaborate more easily. If you don’t have anyone to share gear with, don’t worry—each brand has its own unique strengths. For example, Canon & Nikon cameras tend to produce images that are a bit flatter out of the box, while Sony offers truer colours. However, if you shoot in RAW format, any of these cameras will give you the flexibility to adjust the image to your liking in post-production.

As for technical specs, remember that a camera is only as good as the person using it. Any camera with 20MP or higher can deliver stunning results, even when printing large images, as long as you know how to get the best out of it. I personally use a 33MP camera for weddings and landscape photography and regularly print large-format images, so don’t get too caught up in the numbers—focus more on technique and learning to capture great shots.

Here are some excellent options for beginner-friendly cameras under 1,000€:

Best Nikon Cameras for Beginners

- Nikon D5600 - 549€ ( Amazon )

• APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP | 3.2-inch screen | 5 fps shooting speed | 1080/60p video
• Although Nikon is moving away from DSLR models, the D5600 is still a fantastic choice for beginners.

- Nikon Z5 - 949€ ( Amazon )

• Full Frame | 24.3MP | 3.2-inch tilting touchscreen | 4.5 fps | 4K/30p video
• This is my personal pick for an entry-level hybrid camera, offering exceptional value for the price.

Best Canon Cameras for Beginners

- Canon EOS R100 - 400€

• APS-C CMOS | 24.1MP | 3-inch screen | 6.5 fps | 4K/24p video
• A solid and affordable option for anyone new to photography

- Canon EOS RP - 849€

• Full Frame | 26.2MP | 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen | 5 fps | 4K/24p video
• A great entry-level full-frame camera for those on a budget.

Best Sony Cameras for Beginners

- Sony A6400 - 849.00€

• APS-C CMOS | 25MP | 3-inch tilting screen | 11 fps | 4K/30p video

While it’s hard to find a beginner camera cheaper than this, I suggest looking at Nikon or Canon models at the 1,000€ mark for a full-frame option.

Essential Lenses for Beginners

After purchasing your camera, it’s time to think about lenses. While kit lenses often come bundled with beginner cameras, they tend to be less sharp than what you can buy separately. If possible, I recommend purchasing your camera body separately and investing in a higher-quality lens right from the start.

For beginners, I suggest having two lenses: one versatile zoom lens for landscapes and general use, and one prime lens for portraits and artistic shots. Below are some of the best options for various cameras, categorized by “basic,” “better,” and “best” lenses. Keep in mind that some cameras are crop sensors, which can affect the focal length of certain lenses.

General-Purpose Zoom Lenses (24-70mm)

 

Nikon D5600 (crop sensor)

Only recommendation: Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM (200€)

 

Nikon Z5 ( full frame )

Basic: Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-50 f/4.0-6.3 (398€)

Better: Tamron 24-70mm F/2.8 G2 Di VC USD G2 (960€)

Best: Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S (2199€)

 

Canon EOS R100 (crop sensor)

Basic: RF-S18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 (299€)

Better: EF-EOS R Adapter (86€) + Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD (with the 1.5x crop on the R100, this will be a 23-45mm equivalent) (1269€) 

Best: EF-EOS R Adapter (86€) + Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM (with the 1.5x crop on the R100, this will be a 23-53mm equivalent) (2195€)

 

Canon EOS RP ( full frame )

Basic: Canon RF24-50mm F4.5-6.3 is STM (378€)

Better: EF-EOS R Adapter (86€) + Tamron 24-70mm F/2.8 G2 Di VC USD G2 (1191€)

Best: Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8 L IS USM (2579€)

 

Sony A6400 (crop sensor)

Basic: Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM (563€)

Better: Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD (with the 1.6x crop on the A6400, this will be a 27-45mm equivalent)(753€)

Best: Sony FE 12-24mm F2.8 G Master (with the 1.6x crop on the A6400, this will be a 19-38mm equivalent)(2799€)

Prime Lenses

When starting out with prime lenses, 35mm and 50mm are popular choices. Here are my top picks for each camera:

 

Nikon D5600

35mm - Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G (192€)

50mm - Sigma 35mm F1.4 Art DG HSM Lens for Nikon (with the 1.5x crop on the D5600, this will be a 52.5mm equivalent) (829€) - Nikon no longer manufactures 50mm dx lenses in the F-mount

 

Nikon Z5

35mm - Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S (924€)

50mm - Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S (556€)

 

Canon EOS R100

35mm - Canon RF24mm F1.8 Macro IS STM (with the 1.6x crop on the R100, this will be a 38mm equivalent) (659€)

50mm - Canon RF35mm F1.8 IS Macro STM (with the 1.6x crop on the R100, this will be a 56mm equivalent) (628€)

 

Canon EOS RP

35mm - Canon RF35mm F1.8 IS Macro STM (628€)

50mm - Canon RF50mm F1.8 STM (219€)

 

Sony A6400

35mm - Sony Carl ZEISS Sonnar T E 24mm F1.8 (with the 1.5x crop on the A6400, this will be a 36mm equivalent) (799€)

50mm - Sony SEL35F18 35mm f/1.8 (with the 1.5x crop on the A6400, this will be a 52.5mm equivalent) (529€)

 

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right gear can be overwhelming, but the most important part of photography is practice. While camera specs and lenses are important, the key to taking great photos lies in your skills and creativity. With the options listed here, you’ll have everything you need to start capturing beautiful moments. Remember, as new equipment becomes available, I’ll continue to update this guide to ensure you stay informed.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or if there’s something I missed that you’d like to know more about! Thank you for reading, and happy shooting!

 

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