P.

M.

I'm giving away a camera soon, quite possibly one of the ones on this shelf.

I will not like like a brand new one in a box, But we will talk about that later.

It has been a hot minute since we have had the chance to talk about cameras.

So that's what we're doing today.

We're gonna go over some of the basics.

We're gonna talk about some of the year that I used to shoot these videos and the adventures and talk about why the average Joe or Jane probably shouldn't buy their camera here in Japan.

But let's start with what is probably the most common question that I get sent to me.

What camera should I buy now?

This is a really broad question, but since cameras are essentially a tool and there to fill a need, it's a pretty easy one to answer.

So I'm gonna start with an example.

When I bought my drift car, I was given the advice to only change or upgrade parts on that car after breaking them.

Now I am paraphrasing and translating from Japanese here, but I was told finding your limits will teach you where you need to invest your money or improve your skills.

Unless the changes purely aesthetic, drive it until you break it.

And this stuck with me.

In fact, photography has always been this way.

For me, most people's goal, including myself, is just to take nicer pictures.

Every photo that you're looking at right now has been shot on one of two cameras, either my iPhone six plus or my iPhone eight plus.

In fact, I rarely share anything on Twitter that wasn't shot on this old iPhone, including night shots.

Sometimes I'll pair it with a moment lens that I just pop it in the light room mobile.

Make some adjustments like I will always say, to shoot with your phone until that's not enough, and then figure out what's not enough.

Do you need more zooms?

You want softer backgrounds?

Figuring out what your phone can't do will help you narrow in on the needs that you're trying to fill by spending money on a camera.

Now, as for camera choices, if you already know what needs you want to fill or if your goal is just to buy a DSLR because you want the feel of a camera in your hands and don't get me wrong.

The tactile aspect is huge.

Let's talk about how to choose a camera in just a second after I give some love to our sponsor.

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Going to that website, checking the prices and you're good.

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It's all linked in the description down below that is the end of the sponsors segment onto picking a camera.

So if you're just getting started into photography, the good news is there's not really any bad modern DSLR choices for beginners, especially for photography.

It's really simple.

Just find a camera and lens within your budget from a maker that you like.

Just find a camera that you like the field, even the shutter sound as long as it gets you out.

Shooting I've always loved Lucas is advice because it's representative of exactly how you should be approaching photography.

You should be doing what you love with a tool that you enjoy using it.

It's that simple.

And for photos, pretty much every modern DSLR could do the basics.

Now, if you want to do video, you're going to need to do a little more research.

But I'm gonna go over my gear in just a minute, and that will hopefully give you a range of ideas and potential starting point.

Now, if you're looking to get really technical and learn more about what the gear can and can't do, I highly recommend checking out Gerald Undone.

He produces quite possibly the best and most detailed looks into cameras and year that you will find on the Internet today.

Hi, Gerald.

Hi, Norm.

Alright.

Now, for my gear breakdown, I am gonna go fast, so stay sharp and be ready.

The first thing I want to say is that brand loyalty doesn't matter anymore.

Like you can have a brand that you like.

That is completely okay.

But there are so many good cameras out there that it would be absolutely ludicrous to limit yourself to one single brand.

I use quite a few different cameras, and I separate them all by use case.

I'm gonna go pretty quick here, starting with this right here.

The A seven s three.

Probably my favorite camera to shoot with this camera has it all the auto focus.

Beautiful four K low light.

It is my go to for on the go documentary projects night shoots, but because of the cost, I usually only use it for projects where I know I'm gonna have the extra time or space to take care of it because I don't want to damage it.

And I usually pair it with a 12 to 24 or 24 to 1.

Oh, five lens for the B roll.

Now for really running gun stuff, I use my canon 90 d It also shoots four K, but not nearly as beautifully.

And the low light isn't anywhere close to being as nice.

But it can and has taken a beating.

Like if I'm doing a rushed shoot or I know I'm gonna have to repeatedly take that camera in and out or put it down, pick it up.

I'm gonna use this camera because I know it could take the abuse.

And if it gets damaged or destroyed, which has happened, it's gonna set me back, but only about a third of what the Sony would set me back.

So there's that for many of the same reasons I'll often pair it with a cheap canon.

Tend to 18 lens or sigma 17 to 70 because they're both decent lenses and moderately easy to replace.

Then comes the Black Magic Pocket Cinema six K.

Now this camera is a beast with beautiful image quality, but takes quite a bit of work and a little bit of knowledge to use and no auto focus or stabilization and massive final sizes means I tend to use this camera for stationary shoots in Mork controlled environments, often paired with lights and another camera and all that.

But with all the adventures and everything, the camera I probably get the most questions about is the GoPro.

Now this camera is pretty much always on me.

It is small, it's light.

It's got decent image quality.

It's also less than half of the price of the 90 d.

So I typically use it for any situation where I think there's a risk of dropping the camera or losing or destroying it.

Obviously great for movement and action stuff.

The newer models have image stabilization, and the audio is passable.

It is definitely not made for low light situations.

My biggest beef with this thing is that it could be really temperamental, like sometimes it doesn't even want to turn on.

You gotta keep pulling the battery in and out just to get it to start, especially the hero nine GoPro.

I don't really need five K and my action camera.

What I do need is reliability would be great if it would just turn on when I push the button like right there.

It's got a fully charged battery and just there we go.

It only took three tries.

But I will say that, man, can this thing take a beating?

Pretty much all of my GoPro end up severely beat up or potentially even destroyed.

Some are just missing.

So if you're looking for something durable, definitely go for an action camera.

But if you're looking to have some fun, I recommend going with a 3 60 camera 3 60 cameras.

They're just an absolute delight to use.

Albeit there is a slight learning curve.

But I almost always have one on me.

No matter what project they record 360 degrees, everything all at once.

And then you just go and reframe it in the app later.

My current favorite is this one here, the insta 3 61 x two.

In fact, I like this one so much that I think I'm going to give one of these away in our next video.

Make sure those notifications are on heads up has been given.

Now, if I was forced to choose between 3.

60 camera and an action camera and I didn't really need full four K capabilities.

I would go for one of these because they don't miss anything.

You never know what's gonna happen around your knees.

Catch it all now.

It may not be as indestructible.

In fact, with the lenses bulging out like this, it's it's probably the exact opposite.

But if you don't destroy the camera, you'll definitely get the shot and probably have a lot of fun doing it.

Also a quick note on lighting equipment, both for on the go and in the office.

I used aperture for pretty much everything from lights two domes to you name it and now onto gear purchases because I've gotten a weird number of Dems from people asking if they should wait until they come to Japan to purchase a camera or if it's better just to bite in their home country.

And for the average person, I would say there's no need to wait until coming to Japan unless there's a very specific Japan Onley item or camera that you're looking for.

You can buy in Japan if you want to, and there are plenty of great shops, but and these are the big ones.

It won't necessarily be cheaper.

It may even have a different model name like the Cannon M 50 which is called the Kiss Em here in Japan.

And some, like the Sony, for example, may not even have access to English menus.

Most, if not all, of the Sony cameras that you buy in Japan on Lee have Japanese menus that you can't change over unless you, for example, flash the firmware and then basically void your warranty.

They're basically region locked, and a lot of people don't realize this until they come to Japan.

And unfortunately, some realized it too late after they've already purchased the camera.

Now, if you're here less than six months, you may be able to go duty free and save a bit on tax.

But between exchange rates and the fact that a lot of big box stores will inflate their prices so that they can give you points to spend in the store, you may not be likely to really find it all that much cheaper.

Also, returns aren't really a big thing in Japan.

Most places won't even accept them unless the item is defective and even if it is defective, more often than not, you need to bring the box with you.

Hence the shelf of boxes.

Now my go to for buying camera gear has always been moment, mostly because they're just really good people.

And they've managed to ship me things here in Japan that other companies were like story.

We can't ship this to Japan.

So while a lot of my friends were having their families pick stuff up and send it to them, I was just ordering on moment and boom here it was right in Japan.

No one important.

I'll be a kind of obvious note is what you can find in Japan would be Japan Onley or vintage items that may be difficult to find overseas.

But chances are the average person isn't looking for a super niche Japanese camera from the fifties or sixties.

But I hope at the very least, this helps give you a decent starting point or answer some of the questions for beginners out there.

I know a lot of you have some amazing knowledge as well, so I would love to see you down in the comments, helping and supporting each other, answering questions and building on that community we have and if you miss the upcoming giveaway announcement it was hidden in there.

You're gonna want to make sure all those notifications are on.

And I mean, like all of them, this is gonna be the year of giveaways.

A lot of them for the notification squad.

Another huge thank you to serve shark VPN for sponsoring this video.

They are linked down below.

Thank you guys for watching.

And you know, I will see you again real soon.

Yeah.

Mhm.