Name: Photography Buying Guide
SKU: 978-0988263420
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.70 (10 reviews)

Description

Free
no credit card needed
4,200+
readers on northrup.photo
4.5★
from 640+ Amazon ratings of earlier editions
3 formats
PDF, EPUB and Kindle

How it works

Get your free copy

1

Check out free

Add the book to your cart and check out. There’s nothing to pay and no credit card needed.
2

Download it

Download the PDF, EPUB or Kindle file from your account and read it on your computer, tablet, phone or e-reader.
3

Shop smarter

Start with Tony’s quick recommendations, or dive into the details before you spend a dollar on new gear.

What’s inside

The questions every photographer asks before buying gear

In a hurry? Tony’s quick recommendations get you the best gear for your budget. Love camera gear? Dive into the details on Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Micro Four Thirds and third-party lenses and lighting.

Cameras

Choosing a camera

What should my first camera be?
Should I buy Canon, Nikon or Sony?
Is a mirrorless camera or a DSLR better for me?
Do I need a full-frame camera?

Lenses

Choosing lenses

Which lens should I buy?
Should I buy zooms or primes?
Is image stabilization worth the extra cost?
Is it safe to buy third-party lenses and flashes?

Lighting and support

Flash, studio and tripods

Which portrait lens and flash should I buy?
Which wireless flash system fits my budget?
What studio lighting should I buy?
Which type of tripod should I buy?

Plus: the best gear for landscapes, weddings, wildlife and sports, how to save money buying used, and what computer to get for photo editing.

Reader reviews

What readers say

Earlier editions are rated 4.5 out of 5 across 640+ Amazon ratings

I was going to buy a flash unit that was 8x more expensive than the one I actually bought because of the recommendation this book made.

checho4, reader review

Buy this before you spend any more money on your equipment.

DXLi

It is part buying guide/catalog, part tip guide, and part encyclopedia, and is overall very comprehensive.

Wayde C.

Meet the author

Tony Northrup

Tony has been a photographer for more than 30 years and has written dozens of books. He has taught photography to millions of people on the Tony & Chelsea Northrup YouTube channel, which has more than 1.6 million subscribers, and he teaches portrait and lighting workshops in New York City.

He reviews cameras, lenses and lighting gear on the channel, and his buying advice is practical: what matters, what doesn’t, and why, so your money goes to the gear that will actually improve your pictures.

FAQ

Questions, answered

Is it really free?

Yes. Add it to your cart and check out. There’s nothing to pay and no credit card needed.

What formats do I get?

A formatted PDF of the paperback edition for computers and tablets, an EPUB for Apple Books, Google Play Books and most e-readers, and a Kindle (Mobi) file. Download any of them from your account right after checkout.

How current is it?

Tony last updated the book in July 2022, adding what he and Chelsea learned from the Nikon Z9 and Z30 and the Canon R7 and R10. The core advice, like which features are worth paying for and how to save by buying used, applies whichever models are newest.

Which brands does it cover?

Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Micro Four Thirds, Pentax and more, plus third-party lenses and lighting from companies like Sigma, Tamron and Yongnuo.

Next step

Then learn to take stunning photos with it

The right gear is only half the story. Stunning Digital Photography, the world’s bestselling photography book of the decade, teaches you to use it, with 20+ hours of captioned video lessons built in.

See Stunning Digital Photography