How to Choose the Best Camera for Fashion Photography
This is the first post in a series of monthly posts I will be doing in collaboration with Style Collective on fashion photography. Before I became a fashion photographer, I was an award-winning newborn and maternity photographer. Works of Love Photography was a successful business I owned and operated for seven years, until 2013, when I decided to focus on my family. Over those years I learned so much about how to take a good portrait. There is so much to learn and know about portrait photography and what I learned has been easily applied to fashion photography. High quality portraits can absolutely make the difference between an average fashion blog and one that truly stands out in a crowded blogosphere.
Today’s post is about how to choose the best camera for fashion photography, as well as the lens. If you really want to take your fashion photography to the next level, it is important to invest in a DSLR camera. The difference in quality between a DSLR camera and a point and shoot or smart phone is amazing. So you’ve decided you want to use a DSLR camera but where do you start?
The first obvious consideration is cost. Fashion blogging is a labor of love, especially in the beginning, and it can be hard to justify spending a lot of money on a camera and lens. A good camera though is a solid investment, and can serve many purposes for years to come. The first thing to consider is whether or not you want a full frame or a crop sensor camera. Crop sensor cameras are very good (I used one for the first two years of my portrait business) and one can create beautiful images with them. They are also very cost effective.
The Best Camera for Fashion Photography – Cropped Sensor vs Full Frame
So what is the difference between a cropped sensor camera and a full frame camera? Before the era of DSLR cameras, film SLR cameras existed. These cameras had a rectangle that captured the image that was 24mm by 36 mm in size. This became known as the 35 mm camera. When DSLR cameras first became popular, it was more difficult and expensive to create a digital “full frame” sensor. Thus, cropped sensors were created. These cameras had a crop factor of 1.5 (for Nikon) or 1.6 (for Canon). A cropped sensor is just that, a “cropped” view of a full frame image. See below for an example:
A cropped sensor camera costs significantly less than it’s full frame counterpart. For the average amateur photographer this is perfectly reasonable. A cropped sensor camera will effectively increase the focal length of a lens. For example a Nikon 50 mm lens on a cropped sensor camera produce an image with the same field of view as a 75 mm lens on a full frame camera (1.5x crop factor). This can be a good situation for telephoto photography as extra reach can be gained with a crop sensor camera (a 70-200 mm lens will take the same pictures as a 105-300 mm lens on a full frame camera).
So what are the advantages to a “full frame” camera? The biggest motivation for me to switch to a full frame camera was an aesthetic one. Blurry backgrounds (bokeh) are very appealing to me and it is much easier to get that effect with a full frame camera. A full frame camera will have a more shallow “depth of field” (more bokeh) than it’s cropped sensor counterpart, at the same effective focal length (this topic is more thoroughly explained here).
Additionally, because a full frame camera has a larger sensor it can perform better in low light situations. The bigger the sensor, the more light it can collect. This is reflected in the ISO range of a camera. Cropped sensor cameras tend to produce more “noise” in low light situations. Finally, the quality of the image tends to be superior compared to it’s cropped sensor counterpart. The bigger the sensor, the higher quality image you will get.
The Best Camera for Fashion Photography – Nikon vs Canon
There are many different camera manufacturers available but today I am going to focus on Nikon vs Canon. I have used Nikon products ever since college, so the first DSLR camera I purchased was a Nikon. This was just my preference, as I know many portrait photographers who prefer Canon. Both are excellent companies that have been producing cameras for decades. The charts below show you the differences between their consumer end and professional end cameras:
*comes configured with a kit lens
*comes configured with a kit lens
Here you can see the cost difference between a full-frame camera and a cropped sensor camera. Entry level cameras can be purchased for under $1000. If you decide to purchase one of these, the biggest word of advice I will give is do not purchase the kit lens. A kit lens is inexpensive, but there are much better lenses that can be purchased for a similar cost. The most basic Nikon camera, the D3400 however, is only autofocus compatible “AF-P” and this severely limits the lens compatibility of these cameras. The Canon Rebel T6 is only compatible with “EF-S” lenses.
A full frame camera will cost anywhere between $1269 and $1500. If you can afford it, I highly recommend purchasing a full-frame camera. Expect to pay at least $6000 for the best professional camera these companies make.
The Best Camera for Fashion Photography – A Word About Megapixels
So a word about megapixels. More megapixels is not necessarily better, unless you plan on printing extremely large billboards. Both the Nikon D810 and the Canon 5DMk IV produce images over 30 megapixels in size. Plan on having a lot of hard drive space on your computer if you are using these cameras. This reason alone would dissuade me from buying either of these cameras. You will get an image with amazing detail for the purposes of fashion blogging with a camera with 12 megapixels.
The cameras I have listed are the current models both Canon and Nikon sell. A good cost saving option would be to purchase a used camera built two to three years prior (you can see the history behind these cameras here for Nikon and here for Canon). I actually shoot with a Nikon D4 that I have used since 2012 and I am very happy with this camera. Before that I used a Nikon D700 (the first image in this post was taken with that camera). Camera technology can change rapidly and the older versions can depreciate significantly in value.
Which Lens do I Choose?
So you’ve decided on a camera, now you need a lens. A good basic “prime” (meaning only one focal length) is the 50 mm f 1.8 lens. This lens can be purchased for $130 (Nikon) or $110 (Canon). A 50 mm lens is a good portrait lens (and on a cropped sensor camera would produce the came field of view as a 75 mm lens). Many portrait and fashion photographers use a 50 mm lens almost exclusively. Some even use a 35 mm lens, and this can be great if you want to incorporate your environment into your photo (a good idea if you are photographing around large buildings and want them in your picture). If you want to really enhance the blurriness or “bokeh” of your photo, you want to use a lens with a longer focal length. Below I am showing you the appearance of a portrait at various focal lengths (the American Girl doll was a very willing subject!):
I chose the fence to be in the background to illustrate the depth of field at various focal lengths. Each of these photos were taken at the same distance from the doll. I used prime lenses almost entirely (as these are what I like to use). Aperture (or f-stop) was almost always f2 (f2.8 for the 70-200 mm and 105 mm macro lens). Notice that the background is almost completely blurred (more bokeh) with the 70-200 lens and this is very visually appealing. The 135 f2 lens creates a very similar look with slightly less bokeh. The 50 mm lens creates an image incorporating a significant amount of background (though if shooting very close to your subject the background would be significantly more blurred). The 35 mm lens is more of a “wide-angle” lens.
So What Lens Do I Use?
Personally, for fashion photography I like to use the 135 mm f2 lens. It is a great lens for “bokeh” and it is significantly lighter and less expensive than the 70-200 f2.8 lens. My original training was that of a portrait photographer, and I like the focus to be on the subject, with the rest of the background blurry. Other photographers I know prefer to use a wider angle lens and this can be very nice as well from a stylistic standpoint.
So, in summary, if you want to take your fashion photography to the next level, invest in a DSLR camera, the best camera for fashion photography in my opinion. If you can, try and buy a mid-range camera, and get a full-frame camera if possible. There are a wide range of lenses to consider, so think about what you want your style to be.
Next month I will be discussing how to take pictures in Manual Mode.
Thanks for reading!
April
This post is so helpful! I have a Canon SL1 and I am still learning how to use it!
xo Jessica
http://www.whatsfordinneresq.com
Jessica – I hope you are enjoying your camera. There is so much to learn about photography and you can learn something new every day!
April, this is amazing an so helpful. I have a Sony DSLR and I am in love with it. My husband and I were just talking about upgrading our lens from a 25 MM to a 50 MM and we couldn’t determine what the difference was. I will have to show him this post (since he’s my photographer)! Thanks so much for all of the information!
xo, Amanda | http://www.thegoldengirldiary.com
Amanda – I’m glad you found my post useful!
Hi April, this photography how-to is absolutely amazing! I’ve owned a nice Sony alpha NEX-7 for almost 5 years now and still have not mastered my own photography. I love the comparison with the doll and different shooting modes and full frame versus cropped sensor. I can’t wait to read more next month on Manual Mode! I currently shoot mostly in Aperture Priority with a tripod/remote & need to set aside some time to try different shooting modes/settings.
Thank you again for all your help April; I always look forward to your photographs here and on Instagram.
~Jessica | http://www.petitestylescript.com/
Jessica – Glad you liked my post! Yes, manual mode all the way! AP is just one step away. All you have to do is set your own aperture and ISO and the rest is easy. Manual mode (with spot metering on the skin) is really the only way I know how to take pictures and it gives me so much more control.
This is such an impressive post! I love all of this useful info! I truly learned a lot! I have a cannon 5 D with a 50 mm lens. I don’t know what I am doing LOL! Thank you for this. Loved the picture examples!!
Ruthie – The 5D is a great camera. I know so many photographers who loved that camera. A 50 mm is a great lens too!
This is so incredibly helpful! May send this to my husband with the title “Excellent Christmas Gift for Me”… ha!
Amanda – I’m glad you enjoyed my post! Hopefully you’ll get a nice Christmas gift!
Wow, what a great post! It’s hard to find articles that compare lenses specifically for fashion photography, but you did an amazing job! Lots of useful tips here…and I’ll have to save my pennies for that 70-200 f2.8 lens! 🙂
-Marissa
http://www.quartzandleisure.com
Marissa – I’m glad you liked it I have the 70-200 but hardly ever use it because it is so big. The 135f2 is a great alternative and half the price!
Loved this post!! I just bought a new camera last month (Canin Rebel t6i). It makes SUCH a difference! I only wish I had gotten it before. Im having a lot of fun learning how to use it. Can’t wait for your future posts!
Liz
http://Www.lizzieinlace.com
Liz – Glad you enjoyed it! Congrats on the DSLR. If you find photography as interesting as I do you will love your camera even more!
Hi April,
Excellent post! My fiancé is a fashion blogger and her sisters and I are the photographers. We’ve been using a Nikon D3200. We’re all novice photographers. You really peaked my interest in getting a full framed camera as a Christmas gift. Thanks for the motivation ?.
Brian – I am glad to have peaked your interest! Full frame is definitely the way to go if you can manage to do it! I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Such a helpful post! I’m currently shopping for a full frame camera at the moment as I currently have a DSLR that’s has a crop sensor. I also love my 50mm lens for portraits! Thanks again for all of these great tips.
Jessica – Glad you enjoyed my post! Yes, the 50 mm is great! And have fun shopping for a full frame camera, they truly are awesome to have!
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