I was asked for my thoughts on a DSLR camera that was near-pro quality that would shoot well in all lighting conditions, especially in low light settings, was good for action and sports photography and should also do high quality video. I will say, up front, that I am a Canon camera user and know the Canon line better than Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, Samsung and others. There are many outstanding cameras in those other brands, but my recommendation is for a Canon camera as I have been a long-time user and and am very happy with the quality and features.
I will recommend a camera and the accessories to complete the setup.
The camera I am going to suggest is the:
Canon EOS 7D Mark II Digital SLR Camera with 18-135mm IS STM Lens
Memory Cards:
If you plan on doing much video with this camera, you should get at least 2 or 3 high capacity cards with high transfer speeds like these below:
[su_row] [su_column size=”1/3″] [/su_column] [su_column size=”1/3″][/su_column] [su_column size=”1/3″] [/su_column] [/su_row] [su_row] [su_column size=”1/3″] [/su_column] [su_column size=”1/3″] [/su_column] [su_column size=”1/3″] [/su_column] [/su_row]A Mandatory Second Battery
I can’t stress enough the need to carry a second battery when you’re out shooting with a camera. There is nothing worse than getting some great shots and having your battery die in the middle of a performance or game you’re photographing. I also recommend only using Canon brand batteries for the best and longest lasting performance.
Camera Straps
I’m a big fan of Peak Design’s camera straps and accessories. I’ve gone through numerous other brands of straps and found these to be the most comfortable and easy to use. Check them out at Peak Design Camera Straps.
Tripods
There are so many tripods out there that it can get very confusing to choose one. I have been using MeFoto tripods a lot because they make a great travel tripod that can be packed into a suitcase but is still solid and works well. Like all other pieces of photographic equipment, the better the function the higher the price. The best tripods to use are large and very solid so there is little vibration or shake during shooting. But for the average amateur photographer, one of these below will work well. While only one color of tripod is shown below, there are 8 to 10 different color choices for some of them.
[su_row] [su_column size=”1/3″]Backpacker[/su_column] [su_column size=”1/3″] RaodTrip
[/su_column] [su_column size=”1/3″]Globetrotter
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Microphone for Video
While the camera has a small built-in microphone, if you are somewhat serious about shooting video, this is a good, relatively inexpensive, add-on microphone that fits into the hot shoe on top of the camera and will plug into the microphone port on the camera.
Triggertrap – Fantastic Remote Control of your DSLR
If you’ve never heard about Triggertrap, it is a very cool way to connect your IOS or Android device to your camera and perform photographic magic, like time-lapse, star trails, high speed photography, multi-exposure HDR, use in multiple cabler release modes, and much more. You can see their products at Triggertrap. Watch the video below.
Canon 7D Mark II Training Video
I have purchased Michael’s training videos for the past 3 DSLR’s I’ve owned because he’s very clear, concise yet complete and an excellent teacher:
Michael The Maven Training Videos- Canon 7D Mark II
Canon 7D Mark II Accessories