If you are considering venturing into the world of DSLR photography, it can seem overwhelming as you browse various cameras and equipment. Let's start with the very basic requirements for gear if you have a desire to up your photography game past your phone camera.

Picking a DSLR can be confusing. Your selection should be based on what type of photography you plan to do. Travel photographers will be considering size and weight and may stick with a cropped sensor. I started out my photography journey with a Canon Rebel and it is a fantastic camera.

Amazon carries a very robust kit:

Canon Rebel Kit

The previous kit contains Canon 18-55mm II Lens. This is a decent kit and by no means a bad lens to begin with, however; I tend to think a prime lens is a smart choice for those just starting out learning DSLR. The prime lens I started with was a Canon 50mm.  The Canon 50mm is a solid work horse. On the cropped sensor of a Rebel body, it will appear more like a 80mm focal length. Its true 50mm will be on a full sensor, larger (more expensive) camera body.

So should you choose the Canon 50 mm you do not need to purchase a kit. Simply buy the camera body on it's own, like this link: Rebel Body only. While kits can be convenient, you often do not use all the components. If budget is your primary concern, I recommend buying a body and a lens, and progress from there.

In my next post, I'll review camera body and lens recommendations for those who want to go big right from the start, or who feel they have outgrown their Rebel.

This post contains Amazon links from which I earn a small commission if items are purchased through my links.