A Cyclist’s Buyer’s Guide for Cameras
Introduction
It would be more than negligent to have never written this blog. If I’m being honest, technically, I didn’t write this as a blog in the first place. Often @photo.pace is asked “What camera should I buy if I’m just starting out?” Or a question virtually undifferentiated from the former. As I tend to take on the responsibility of responding to people who reach out to PP I frequently find myself being reluctant to give an adequate answer. This isn’t because I find it hard to answer the question but more so because Instagram DMs simply don’t allow the space for a thorough response. The other week someone reached out to me on my personal account and asked me this daunting question. As I started to formulate a reply that would fit into IG’s 1000-character limit I paused and made a much simpler reply, “What’s your email?”
Roughly two hours later I had drafted this email which is this blog, fully formatted and untouched aside from removing the inquirer’s name and things that pertain specifically to our conversation. I did more deleting than I did typing. From a simple DM response, to a full fledge email reply, to Photo Pace blog post, here is your buyer’s guide for cameras on bikes.
Buying New vs Used
This is always a point of contention with new buyers. There’s always the thought: “is the camera still good if it’s used?” The answer is yes. I’ve owned four cameras, three of which I bought used and they all worked beautifully and I never had an issue with any of them. I highly recommend Facebook Marketplace first if it’s available in your region. After that I recommend KEH, Fred Miranda and then B&H Photo. The theory around this is actually beneficial to you as a buyer and as a seller. Imagine if you bought a camera brand new for $3900 and sold it six months later. The chances of you selling that camera for $3900 is 0%. You’d likely sell it for something like 3300-3500, if you’re lucky. But, if you bought that same camera used for $3300 and sold it 6 months later you would likely be able to sell it for $3300. So the value of a used camera is MUCH higher than the value of a new camera. It’s all about doing your due diligence and making sure that you request photos of the camera from all sides from the seller to make sure that it’s not beat up.
*NOTE* It’s very common for the paint on the bottom of a used camera to be pretty worn. There shouldn’t be any dents but you may see scratches, not ideal but not a deal breaker.
Full Frame (FF) vs APSC (crop)
This is another place where new camera hunters get hung up. In the year 2020, and honestly the last several years, there’s been very few bad cameras put out on the market. That goes back all the way to 2012—we’ll cover that later. So it won’t matter if you buy a Full Frame or an APSC body. Between Canon, Nikon and Fujifilm you’re not going to find too many bad FF or APSC cameras for newbies. Fujifilm ONLY makes APSC and Medium Format (MF) - they do not make FF digital cameras.
Full Frame is defined by an image sensor that matches the size of a frame in a 35mm film strip. Essentially, camera companies replicated the standards from film strips to digital so that camera lenses and shutters did not have to be re-engineered.
APSC is one size down from FF. APSC cameras tend to have more tech in a more affordable package because the size of the sensor is smaller which means that the processor of the camera is not as challenged therefore they can have: faster shutter speeds, faster image transfer, larger buffers and a bunch of other techie things that don’t necessarily matter but are very attractive to the consumer. The biggest difference is the crop factor. A crop factor magnifies the focal length of your lens. All lenses are almost always designated by their FF focal length e.g. 24mm, 35mm, 85mm, 105mm and so on.
Canon crop factor is 1.6x. So a 35mm lens on a Canon APSC camera = 56mm results
Nikon crop factor is 1.5x. So a 35mm lens on a Nikon APSC camera = 52.5mm results
Fujifilm crop factor is 1.55x. So a 35mm lens on a Fuji APSC camera = 54.25mm results
For the example above the crop factor doesn't make a huge difference using a 35mm lens but it does as you go up to longer focal lengths like an 85, 135 and 200mm. It could be helpful if you need the extra length but it also could force you to stand much farther back to get the shot that you intended than if you were using a full frame camera.
The last important part about FF vs Crop is the out of focus areas. The larger the image sensor (or image surface for film) the blurrier the out-of-focus areas will be. This is commonly referred to as ‘bokeh’ (bo-kuh). For the most part you won’t notice much of a difference between APSC and FF but if you’re on a budget you may not have a fast enough lens to blur the out-of-focus areas. Lenses are always something you can upgrade over time and their widest f-stop, known as “aperture”, contributes vastly to being able to isolate your subject. There is a very noticeable difference in bokeh if you are comparing a MFT (micro-four thirds) camera to a FF.
Lenses
We can get really lost here so I’m going to keep this very short. I will provide a completely separate write up on lens choice in the future.
Unlike camera bodies lenses do not lose value very much until the manufacture makes a newer version of the same lens. This means that this is where a majority your money should go. If you can afford new glass, by all means, buy new glass. However, the used market is very strong and trustworthy and the key to any used market, regardless of specificity, is doing your due diligence. In all honesty, I would lean to assume that more camera gear passes through the used market by reputable people and dealers than the new market. Things to look for are scratches on the glass and fungus. A lot of newer, modern, glass won’t have fungus. Older film lenses can have fungus. Sometimes this simply means taking your lens to be serviced. Other times the servicing may not fix the lens. If you are buying a used lens and you have a compatible camera body you must attach the lens to the body and check for these things:
The lens is autofocusing correctly
That the aperture is correctly changing as you adjust it in manual mode
That the lens is functioning properly by taking a few snaps—some with a single shot and a few by holding the shutter down and taking burst
GOOD GLASS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF PHOTOGRAPHY ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS!!! If your budget comes down to purchasing a cheap body and an expensive lens then you’ve made the right decision. These are lenses that I recommend for new camera owners
Wide
16-35mm zoom
24mm prime
24-70mm zoom
Standard
35mm prime
50mm prime
Tight (Telephoto)
70-200mm zoom
85mm prime
105mm prime
135mm prime
Zooms are very versatile lenses however you will usually get better [technical] results from the top manufacturers’ prime lenses. Generally speaking you can get a faster lens which you always want the fastest (f-stop) lens you can afford. I also recommend prime lenses for beginners so you can master a focal length which is very key to advancing your photography.
Film vs Digital and now… Mirrorless
This portion comes down to a few different variables that are specific to the user. How do you want your photos to look? What can you afford today? Will you want to upgrade in the future? Very generally, film has by far the lowest barrier to entry, emphasis on entry. Film has an infinite cost which adds up quickly over time. I will use the model below which applies to me.
I buy a lot of my film from Photoworks SF for between $8-15 per roll. Let’s imagine that I buy three $15-rolls bringing my cost on the day is $45. To develop each roll it will cost me $7. It will also cost me and additional $7 to get a low-res scan back via email from Photoworks (these prices don’t tend to vary by too much). Now, to shoot, develop and receive each roll my total cost per roll has gone from $15 to $29 per roll x3 = $87 for 3 rolls of film. In 2019, I was averaging about four rolls a month on the low-end. That’s 48 rolls x ~$29 = $1392 for film development and scans. . . for one year. Needless to say, that cost will only continue to increase unless you choose to develop on your own which will cut that cost by 85-90%.
In the world of digital cameras the barrier to entry is much higher than film but after you have your kit (body + lens(es)) you won’t have any other costs besides an occasional memory card or accessories. Below are the Pros and Cons of each imaging format.
Film Pros and Cons
More stylistic results depending on film stock
MUCH LOWER barrier to entry
Less time editing
More intuitive creative experience
Infinitely more expensive over time (cost comes from buying and developing film)
More attention to care and servicing
Longer time to get results
Less or near 0 support from manufacturers (vintage camera stores are usually quite spread out)
Digital (DSLR)
Instant results
Vast options and support from manufacturers
High cost to entry/low cost ownership
Likely no service unless serious damage or malfunction from the body
Also takes video
Older technology
Cannot see exposure through the viewfinder
Larger bodies for carrying on bike
Mirrorless (Also digital)
Instant Results
Newest Technology
High Shutter speeds
Best video quality
Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) - can see results through viewfinder
Smaller, lighter body for portability
Slightly more expensive than DSLR market
Newest bodies need newer, more expensive memory cards (not required but recommended to optimize performance)
Lenses are more expensive
The Camera Bodies
Here I’m simply going to pick a few cameras from each category that I mentioned between Film, DSLR and Mirrorless. Ultimately, for lenses, you’re going to want a 35mm or 50mm or both if your budget permits. I’m a Canon-guy so any of the Canon cameras that I recommend I have, at the very least, solid knowledge about the system. Nikon and Fuji I do not have as much knowledge but I’m only recommending top rated consumer cameras so that you can have the confidence in the system.
Canon
Film - Canon A-1 (1978) manual advance (auto winder available), manual focus ~$200 (I currently own)
Film - Canon F-1 (1969) manual advance (auto winder available), manual focus ~$275
Film - Canon EOS 1n (1996) fully modern film body functions as any digital SLR system; uses modern canon digital lenses. Great if you end up with a digital body later ~$250
DSLR - Canon 6D (2012) Basic function Digital camera. Great value. (1st DSLR; Previously owned) ~$500
DSLR - Canon 6D MKII (2017) An upgrade to the first model. More modern technology and better autofocus ~$1100
DSLR - Canon 5D MKIII (2012) One of the best DSLRs in Canon’s history; VERY affordable ~$800
DSLR - Canon 5D MKIV (2016) The last and most modern DSLR they’ve made. All around beast of a camera ~$1500
Mirrorless - Canon RP (2019) Most affordable, best value mirrorless camera by Canon ~$800 brand new
Mirrorless - Canon EOS R (2018) Solid Mirrorless body; decent value ~$1300-1500 (Currently own)
Nikon
Film - Nikon F3 (1980) manual advance (auto winder available), manual focus ~$250
Film - Nikon F5 (1996) fully modern film body functions as any digital SLR system ~$350
DSLR - Nikon D750 (2014) Equivalent to the Canon 5D III ~$800
Mirrorless - Nikon Z5 (2020) Newest mirrorless FF from Nikon $1200
Fujifilm (ALL APSC)
Mirrorless - X Series - these are smaller form factors of the XT series cameras w/ fixed lenses (not removable) and more affordable depending on the model. Check out X100F and X100V (~$800-$1500)
Mirrorless - XT series These are VERY affordable industry leading APSC cameras! Highly recommend: XT-2 (2016), XT-3 or XT-4 (cost ~$500, ~$1000 and ~$1500 respectively)
Mirrorless - XPro series Larger rangefinder style bodies. Solid performance and great form factor. See XPRO-3 ~$1500
Conclusion
Buying a camera for the first time or the first time in a long time is a daunting task. To simplify this entire guide - buy the best camera that your money can afford. . . but be smart about it. There are very few bad cameras that exist in any abundance but there are plenty of cameras that don’t fit your needs or that do way more than what you will ever need. (Notice that I never mentioned a single video spec; we’d be here forever). So make sure to ask yourself: What do I want out of my camera? And go from there. Happy hunting.
