Quote from Cory Maben on February 27, 2024, 9:11 pm

Quote from Dylan Catlett on February 27, 2024, 10:11 am

I'm not too beholden to the 2000s look. It was more of a momentary fascination.

As for pictures of the pipes, nothing too fancy, just a close-up picture of them, sort of like what you might see in an online listing. Not being a photographer, it's hard for me to describe to you what I mean. I thought it would be neat to display my pipes in a little gallery.

All the same, I think the best thing to do is not worry too much, and just focus on finding a decent-enough camera (and lens) that I can grow in the hobby with. Perhaps a kit lens is best for me, for now. As you said, a lot of the finer technical details can be figured out later on.

I would much appreciate any feedback from the members here about potential cameras and lenses I spot in the future, and hopefully they can point out any flaws that an uninitiated person such as myself would not be able to spot.

By the way, how ought I to carry a camera + lens? Do I purchase a bag made for the camera? What about the lens/lenses?

I agree with @jbp about using a normal backpack. I did that up until very recently. I would buy soft lens cases from JJC, Lowepro or Caselogic and also a larger one for the body. Double zippering everything effectively makes it waterproof and it's a cheap solution. Some people really like using messenger style bags as well. But I don't recommend buying a purpose built camera bag as a beginner because they tend to be expensive and only really offer an advantage until you're carrying around a lot of gear.

As for carrying your camera once you get somewhere, I usually use either a wrist or shoulder strap depending on what I'm doing and where I am. I also have one of those quick release plates, but I never use it. Some people swear by them though.

In regard to the macro lens. I think the Nikkor 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5D Macro that @jbp recommended might be a great first lens for you if you decide to go Nikon. It won't be super wide, but you can easily pick up a wider prime lens if you find that it becomes a reoccurring problem for you, but maybe you're like me and you only rarely want to shoot that wide, but that's part of the experimentation process.