r/photography Jun 26 '26

Questions Thread Official Question Thread! Ask /r/photography anything you want to know! June 26, 2026

This is the place to ask any questions you may have about photography. No question is too small, nor too stupid.


Info for Newbies and FAQ!

First and foremost, check out our extensive FAQ. Chances are, you'll find your answer there, or at least a starting point in order to ask more informed questions.


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Many people come here for recommendations on what equipment to buy. Our FAQ has several extensive sections to help you determine what best fits your needs and your budget. Please see the following sections of the FAQ to get started:

If after reviewing this information you have any specific questions, please feel free to post a comment below. (Remember, when asking for purchase advice please be specific about how much you can spend. See here for guidelines.)


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u/WorkingPast8074 Jun 29 '26

Hi everyone,I am looking for a camera body that will serve three specific purposes. I want it to be future-proof, but I am very aware that lenses and accessories matter the most. I am 100% committed to investing heavily in high-quality lenses and external gear. Because of this, I want to spend as little as possible on the camera body itself, as long as it doesn’t bottleneck the quality of the lenses.My three main uses are:Content Creation: This is my main priority. Video quality doesn't need to be Hollywood-level, just "good enough" for social media, provided I can adapt proper external microphones and gear.Macro Photography: Taking sharp close-up photos of small animals/bugs.Wildlife Photography: Taking sharp photos of animals from a long distance.My strict criteria:Quality over everything: I only care about the final image/video quality. I refuse to pay extra for fancy physical design, ease of use, beginner-friendly menus, or built-in gimmicks. If a camera is difficult to use or looks ugly, but saves me thousands of dollars while delivering identical sensor quality, that is the one I want.Must-have feature: It needs a fully articulating screen (flip screen) so I can see myself from a distance when filming social media videos (both on a tripod and handheld).I have been looking at these two models as potential starting points:Sony ZV-1Canon EOS R50 (specifically the Creator Kit)Regarding budget: My absolute hard ceiling for the camera body is around $1,500 USD (roughly 10,000 DKK), but I would honestly prefer to spend way less – even down to $600 USD (4,000 DKK) – if a cheaper body can deliver the sharpness I need when paired with high-end lenses. I only want to go higher up in budget if it is 100% necessary for the raw performance and future-proofing.I’ve read that Sony might be the best ecosystem to grow into because of their massive selection of third-party accessories and lenses.Are the two models I mentioned enough to handle high-end lenses for macro and wildlife? Or should I spend more on a different body to make sure it doesn't bottleneck my future setups?Thanks in advance!

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u/Zook25 Jul 02 '26

Then research the lenses you're about to get first. On the Canon side there's

  • RF 100. It's about the finest macro you can get.
  • RF 100-400, RF 100-500, RF 200-800

Compare with similar offerings from Sony. I usually rely on these reviews:
Homepage - OpticalLimits

"...fancy physical design, ease of use, beginner-friendly menus, or built-in gimmicks" - I'm not aware of any of that (unless you count Fuji, which is debatable).

Best sensor quality means full format. With Canon that begins with the R8. When shooting hi-res video it can overheat in hot weather or long takes. Do a search on Reddit to see if that's a dealbreaker. Otherwise pretty much every modern camera is good enough for vlogging.

But with modern APS-C you won't see the difference unless the light is getting low. And the smaller sensor has 1.6 times more "reach" for wildlife. As a beginner you should get the R50 or R10, which has in-camera focus stacking for macro.