Photography has been a love of mine since I was young. From pinholes to point-and-shoots, from D-SLRs to Mirrorless, I’ve used just about every type of modern camera. And for the most part, I can safely say it’s not what you have, but how you use it.
So here’s the list of cameras I currently own and use, as well as their modern equivalents. When you invest in good equipment, you won’t have to replace it often. Note: as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases; nevertheless, I stand behind my choices.
I will do a whole other post on lenses, so stay tuned.
Sony a6500
I picked this one up in late 2017, and it’s still my go-to for anything (especially travel). It’s lightweight, yet packs a punch in specs. The burst shooting function comes in clutch when someone blinks in the group photo, and the 4K video capabilities + built-in image stabilization make for cinematic excellence.
Where it really shines is its ability to shoot in low light with little to no grain. Where my Canon will get fuzzy above ISO 800, I can regularly bump this one to ISO 3200 and it’s still super crisp. The color grading out of the box is a little flat (which can be fixed in post), and it tends to overheat when recording videos over 10 minutes (pulling the screen out helps prolong this). But the pros outweigh the cons by far, especially at the price point.
Newer model: Sony a6600
Canon Rebel t4i
I got this one in January of 2013 as a replacement for my original Rebel, and it is still solid after almost 11 years. The specs may not seem impressive anymore, but the photos that come out of it are.
The colors are vibrant, the focus is quick, and the images are crisp. It’s perfect for event shoots when paired with a flash, and portraits using the Nifty Fifty are pristine.
Newer model: Canon Rebel SL3
Apple iPhone 11 Pro
Purists will balk at the mention of this, but sometimes the phone camera can get better shots than a $5000 DSLR camera. It’s not about what you have, but how you use it.
Sure, portrait mode can never match a DSLR with a low aperture lens, but it’s not that far behind.
Newer model: iPhone 15 Pro
Sony a5100
I got this one mainly for travel and it has come in clutch many times over. It’s even more lightweight than the a6500 yet uses all the same lenses.
Newer model: Sony a6100
GoPro HERO7 Black
If you’re looking for a small, yet powerful camera you can take literally anywhere, this is the one. It’s been underwater, strapped to the hood of a car, strapped to a human climbing a 100ft tree, and still spit out clear video. The slow-motion and time-lapse functions alone make it worth it, and the wide-angle setting is the cherry on top.
While you won’t have the controls a DSLR or Mirrorless camera can provide, the video output is amazing. I’ve tried the cheaper knock-off versions a few times but always come back to the original.
Newer model: GoPro HERO12 Black