Help for aspiring 13 year old videographer/photographer

[SniperPenguin]

Hey all,
I'm going to Germany in the next month or two and want to film it. I also want something to do as a hobby over the summer.
I will be building an 8 core PC with an RX 580 for editing the photos and videos.

I'm receiving 500$ for my birthday. Add that to the money I've already saved and the expenses are almost all payed for.

I have chosen the Canon EOS Rebel T7i, the EF-S 18-55mm lens, and the Manfrotto Befree live fluid head tripod.
Is this a good setup? I would like it to last me for the next 3-4 years, and only need to change the lens within that time if needed.

Thanks!

 

[SniperPenguin]

I'll go Canon. I don't see myself using a Nikon in the future.

For the PC, I've come to a solid decision.
Get the UltraWide Monitor.
Get a new case. (40$)
Get a new PSU (60$)
Get a new fan (25$)
Get some new RAM (100$)
And at that point, just wait for AMD Vega or AMD Ryzen Pro and just change the GPU/CPU later.

The reason is, because my current RAM is slow and 8 gb, my current cooler isn't the greatest, and I'll buy the case now and have a good PC to look at until I upgrade.

 

[getochkn]

Pro's can take awesome photos' with a cheap kit and noobies can't take a decent picture better than a cell phone with a $2000 camera. I just bought a mirrorless and even the difference between my first pictures and now what I can do with the same camera and lens is amazing. I know several people that have a 5100 and can make that puppy take awesome photos. It's like a guitar. Pretty sure Eric Clapton could give you goose bumps with a $50 Walmart guitar, and you, with a $15,000 Strat could not.

$150 used lens off Kijiji off my back porch in the city light. See F stop/ISO/Shutter lengths make all the difference more that the dollar amount of the lens.

 

[USAFRet]

Similarly, this is from my Fuji X-T1 mirrorless, with a used/refurb 50-230mm zoom ($125?)

And this is from a now 17 year old Olympus C3000, with a whopping 3.3 megapixel sensor.

 

[USAFRet]

This is why I recommended, waaay up there...to go out with the Nikon and take a few hundred photos.
See what works, and most importantly why or why not.

Refine your skills, not the camera.

 

[getochkn]

This is why I recommended, waaay up there...to go out with the Nikon and take a few hundred photos.
See what works, and most importantly why or why not.

Refine your skills, not the camera.

Yup, I've saved all my jpeg/raw's in the past month since getting my camera and 4000+ photos out of a few hundred GB, I have a few dozen good shots.

 

[SniperPenguin]

Well, we haven't used the Nikon for a year or so and the charger's gone missing. I'll go to a Best Buy or something to get another.
But if it does come to the point where I want to buy a new lens for the Nikon, I will just get a Canon + lens. I feel more comfortable spending money on Canon.

But the lenses I have now look to be in good shape.

I have a question. So I know the prime 50mm lens has excellent image quality, but if I would want a good zoom lens, what would be one that has adequate zoom and a sharp image? I'm thinking 55-200mm?

I have decided to stick with my current 4790k for now, change the memory to something faster (mine is literally a stick of memory that still has the green chipset), get a new case so I can have a good upgrade foundation, a good 25$ cooler (mine is some random AIO liquid cooler), change the PSU and be set.
Then, I can change the important stuff.

Both of you are experienced in photography. Tell me (just for future reference), is it better to have a 4, 6, or 8 core for Photoshop, Lightroom, and for my videos After Effects and Premiere Pro?
4 core would be my 4790k. 6 core Ryzen, 8 core Ryzen. Deciding not go with Intel because they're overpriced and don't even solder their newer CPU's.

But that's a ways ahead. You guys are right. I should first try out the camera I have now, experiment, and see what I can do. Then once I have a grasp of photography, I can get a new camera. Or, if I don't think it's the best thing for me I can use that.

I'll ask further questions here. Thanks!

 

[USAFRet]

Your current 4790k is just fine.
I have one, and work in Lightroom almost every single day. DaVinci Resolve for video work.

I see absolutely zero need to change your PC system.

A year or two from now? Then maybe think about whatever is new and magical.


Get a charger, take the Nikon out with the lenses you currently have.
Make some magic happen.

 

[rhysiam]

Just to further reinforce what's been said about your PC, most Photoshop and even After Effects workloads are surprisingly single threaded. Your 4790K is still slightly faster than the entire Ryzen line up in single threaded tasks. An "upgrade" to current gen Ryzen gear will if anything slightly slow down those tasks. Look again in a year or two when you're much more confident about what you'll actually be doing on the PC and can choose parts with very specific goals in mind.

RE the lenses, the only reason I was suggesting the 50mm prime is because is so affordable for the glass quality. You pay serious dollars to get similar image quality in a zoom lens... don't worry about. Also, shooting with a prime is good when you're learning as it forces you think about composition and not just stand wherever and zoom in/out. The thread started out with you spending ~$1K on gear and looking to learn... in that situation adding a 50mm prime to your kit is for sure worthwhile. But given have decent Nikon gear for now, just use what you've got. It's great. And - as has been said multiple times - it's far more about the eye and brain behind the camera than the glass sitting in front of it.

 

[SniperPenguin]

Alright, so sticking with the current CPU. I just need to change everything else but the CPU, motherboard, and GPU. It's only about 250$ anyways.
I'm definetly buying a 50mm prime, but I'm so used to the zoom lenses that I'll want one. Is it better to get 18-200mm or 18-135mm?
Also, about the Nikon charger.. How do I know which one is right for me?

 

[USAFRet]

Alright, so sticking with the current CPU. I just need to change everything else but the CPU, motherboard, and GPU. It's only about 250$ anyways.
I'm definetly buying a 50mm prime, but I'm so used to the zoom lenses that I'll want one. Is it better to get 18-200mm or 18-135mm?
Also, about the Nikon charger.. How do I know which one is right for me?

"EN-EL14"
Like this at Amazon:
https/www.amazon.com/dp/B06XRCJTLL

Or Nikon specific:
"Nikon MH-24"


EDIT:
And you really, really want extra batteries for your trip.
Nothing worse than missing a once in a lifetime shot due to a dead battery.

 

[SniperPenguin]

Alright, so sticking with the current CPU. I just need to change everything else but the CPU, motherboard, and GPU. It's only about 250$ anyways.
I'm definetly buying a 50mm prime, but I'm so used to the zoom lenses that I'll want one. Is it better to get 18-200mm or 18-135mm?
Also, about the Nikon charger.. How do I know which one is right for me?

"EN-EL14"
Like this at Amazon:
https/www.amazon.com/dp/B06XRCJTLL

Or Nikon specific:
"Nikon MH-24"


EDIT:
And you really, really want extra batteries for your trip.
Nothing worse than missing a once in a lifetime shot due to a dead battery.

How many more batteries do I need? 2,3,4?

 

[USAFRet]

How many more batteries do I need? 2,3,4?

I have 3 for my Fuji, and have gone through 2 in a single days shooting.

 

[rhysiam]

Alright, so sticking with the current CPU. I just need to change everything else but the CPU, motherboard, and GPU. It's only about 250$ anyways.
I'm definetly buying a 50mm prime, but I'm so used to the zoom lenses that I'll want one. Is it better to get 18-200mm or 18-135mm?
Also, about the Nikon charger.. How do I know which one is right for me?

I'm confused. Are you buying lenses for the Nikon now? I though it already had a nice range from 18 to 200mm with your two lenses? You don't really need anything else do you?

If you are going with the Canon after all, The 18-135 is very good for a kit lens, highly recommended. Do you really need further reach than 135mm? If you do, you could look at telephoto options. I personally don't like super-zooms (like 18-200mm). What I wrote before applies even more to the 18-200mm. Here's a copy/paste with a few changes to update for the 18-200mm...

RE lens, it really depends what you prioritise. The 18-200mm is super versatile (wide angle to telephoto). It's an amazing travel lens -> unmatched versatility and portable.
However, it's a pretty bad photographer lens -> it's slow and image quality is poor compared to most other lenses in its price range.

So do you want a lens you can leave on and get nice, usable travel shots in a variety of situations... i.e. do you want to capture memories of your trip with minimal fuss -> the 18-200 is super handy in that case.
OR, are you less interested in travel pics and more interested in learning photography... i.e. do you want artistic/interesting photos from your trip, but prepared to accept that in some situations the lack of zoom on other lenses means you won't be able to capture the shots you want without moving around, or perhaps even can't get those shots at all. If that's what you prefer, get a better quality lens with less zoom.

 

[USAFRet]

Here's a task for you...

Of all the pics you took in the last 3 days, post the 2 best, in your opinion, here.
List the equipment, camera settings, and light conditions.

 

[rhysiam]

Just on the batteries, don't go too overboard. If you're shooting without flash you should get over 600 shots from a D5100 on a single charge. That's a lot of photos.

I actually don't travel with a second battery for my Canon 70D and it's never been a problem for me. I rarely find myself taking more than 300-400 shots in a day and with travel adapters it's easy to charge each night. A second battery is probably a good idea, and if you find yourself snapping way more than I do then it'll be mandatory (maybe even a third or forth), but an SLRs (without flash) are pretty light on battery use compared to smart phone or digicam.

*Update*

I have 3 for my Fuji, and have gone through 2 in a single days shooting.

I was confused about that, but your Fuji is a mirrorless yeah? They chew through battery quite a bit quicker. Still - spare battery is a good idea.

 

[USAFRet]

Just on the batteries, don't go too overboard. If you're shooting without flash you should get over 600 shots from a D5100 on a single charge. That's a lot of photos.

I actually don't travel with a second battery for my Canon 70D and it's never been a problem for me. I rarely find myself taking more than 300-400 shots in a day and with travel adapters it's easy to charge each night. A second battery is probably a good idea, and if you find yourself snapping way more than I do then it'll be mandatory (maybe even a third or forth), but an SLRs (without flash) are pretty light on battery use compared to smart phone or digicam.

Yeah, I think my battery use is skewed, because I use an eye-fi SD card. It is its own wifi hotspot, and transfers pics wireless to the PC or tablet I might be carrying.
So it is sort of battery intensive.

 

[SniperPenguin]

USAFRet, my phone camera is done for and I just started summer.
But I have some that I've done with my point and shoot. So pretty much just one look at the LCD, decent angle and press the shutter lol. Sometimes I changed the aperture/zoomed in for a blurred background, but point and shoot is pretty simple. I'll put an image or two that's on my desktop. Sadly, I had a memory card of my images from Germany but it's since been corrupted. That's fine, because I'll have a second chance at it soon.

USAFRet, you are totally right. It is the photographer, not the gear. But I have a feeling that the gear will have some sort of income. I'll likely end up going for the Canon T7i if I decide to buy a new DSLR, but what irks me the most about the camera is the smaller battery. The absence of a rear focus, top LCD, or adjustment wheel lock is totally fine with me.
Not worth the extra money for the 77D. Batteries are quite expensive, but from what rhysiam said the batteries are decent with the 70D. That's great, but doesn't the 70D have a larger batter than the 77D? Still, a camera with a larger battery is tons more so I don't have a choice.

I'll be at home for a bit of Germany, since last time I got to see many places. I just want to enjoy myself there. So I will have access to an outlet near me.

https/postimg.org/image/aeguud841/

https/postimg.org/image/wy365oft3/

https/postimg.org/image/geqoxvnq3/

 

[USAFRet]

USAFRet, my phone camera is done for and I just started summer.

And this is what I'm talking about.

You're too focused on the hardware, and not enough on the wetware and the art of photography.

 

[SniperPenguin]

USAFRet, my phone camera is done for and I just started summer.

And this is what I'm talking about.

You're too focused on the hardware, and not enough on the wetware and the art of photography.

Post updated

EDIT:
Last photo is when you try to get a low depth of field. Would've turned out better if I tried again, but unfortunately it's not very often a stray cat walks up to you.

 

[USAFRet]

USAFRet, my phone camera is done for and I just started summer.

And this is what I'm talking about.

You're too focused on the hardware, and not enough on the wetware and the art of photography.

Post updated

EDIT:
Last photo is when you try to get a low depth of field. Would've turned out better if I tried again, but unfortunately it's not very often a stray cat walks up to you.

And that cat pic is the one I like best.