My Love Affair with This Camera - Let the Photos Do the Talking!

Hello everyone!

I'm finally sharing my thoughts on my first-ever mirrorless camera, the Canon EOS 1300D.

This is my first-ever DSLR and despite being semi-professional, it helped me finish my photography courses and start getting paid for personal shoots.

So, THE BASICS

The Canon EOS 1300D 18–55 IS features a high-tech DIGIC 4+ processor and an APS-C sensor with excellent light sensitivity. This setup delivers crisp, well-colored shots in any conditions.The camera isn't full-frame, it's a crop sensor, so the image is slightly cropped compared to a full-frame shot. There's plenty of info on this online, including visual examples.The camera has a 18.7 megapixel sensor.The maximum resolution is 5184x3456.The body weight (camera without lens) is 485 grams.This thing is super lightweight and easy to hold, perfect for a woman's hand - it just feels at home in your palm and hardly noticeable when hanging from the neck strap. The lenses are basically weightless.

Kit lenses:

In my case, I got two lenses in the box - a standard zoom lens with a focal length of 18-55 mm and a portrait lens 50 mm.Wi-Fi connectivity

Full HD video

Price

I bought this camera on sale at an electronics store in August 2018, along with two lenses, for 150,000 tenge, which is roughly 25,500 rubles. The price for the camera with one kit lens is similar on online store websites now.

Artistic modes

I've gotta say, even though this camera has all these advanced modes, I think they're mostly just for beginners. I'd recommend playing around with them for a day or two, but then getting back to the manual mode with priority on shutter speed or aperture. It's just more natural that way.

The problem is, in these creative modes, you can't avoid the built-in flash, and it's just not great. It can make objects look unnatural and shiny, and it's hard to get a good shot. I only use the flash when absolutely necessary, so I wouldn't recommend relying on these modes.

BUNDLE WITH THE CAMERA:

Along with the lenses I mentioned earlier, the camera came with:A charger for the camera's battery.A neck strap.A USB cable.I've had the neck strap for almost a year now, and it's been pretty convenient. However, I'm thinking of switching to a hand strap, as I find it more comfortable to hold the camera in my hands during shoots. The neck strap does get in the way sometimes, especially when I'm trying to get a shot from above. In those cases, I have to wrap it around my hand or hold it with the other hand to avoid it getting in the way.

I've got a story to tell about this product. At first, it worked like a charm when I connected it to my camera, but after a few uses, it stopped working altogether. My computer wouldn't even recognize the camera, so I had to buy a separate card reader for my flash drive. I've got to say, I prefer this method way more, as I don't have to constantly unplug and replug the camera every time I want to transfer photos. With the card reader, I can just pull out the flash drive and transfer all the content to my computer in one go.

There's another way to transfer photos to my laptop or smartphone via Wi-Fi, using the Canon Camera Connect software. I've barely used it, though, as I don't have a laptop and see no point in transferring photos to my smartphone only to process them on my computer later. Still, I think this software is a great tool, especially for travel when you can't transfer photos to your computer right away and need to display them immediately. It's a lifesaver in those situations.

WHAT I HAD TO BUY:

A camera bag. I bought it on AliExpress for around 500-600 rubles, but I'm not entirely sure. It's not perfect, as it can only fit the camera body and one lens, but not two. You can fit a cleaning cloth and a lens filter in the side pockets, though, which is a nice touch. Overall, it's fine for my needs, as I usually know what lenses I'll be using and can plan accordingly. If I do need a second lens, I just stick it in my backpack.A built-in Flash. I've found this feature super useful, especially when shooting people, especially for paid gigs. It's made my photos look more professional and of better quality in terms of lighting. This is a game-changer for indoor shoots where there's not enough natural light. I've got a non-Canon flash, but this Chinese alternative is surprisingly just as good and cost me a fraction of the price. I bought it for 20,000 tenge, which is around 3,500 rubles. It works flawlessly and I've never regretted the purchase. My photography teacher even recommended this exact flash on my 'Basic Photography' course, and even he, with all his experience, can't see a huge difference between this and more expensive options, let alone for amateur photographers.Polarizing filters for lenses. I'm not gonna lie, these filters aren't a necessity, but they do give me peace of mind. For one, they protect the lenses from scratches, and two, they make the pictures look better to me – they're a bit more saturated.A Memory card slot. I've already mentioned this above, and it was a major reason I bought this camera. It's a feature I really needed.Of course, when I first bought it, I was clueless – I didn't know the first thing about mirrorless cameras or how to use them properly. I started with the creative modes, and I didn't really worry about the settings – I'd just pick the mode that seemed right for the situation. I didn't touch the manual mode, to be honest, because I had no idea what I was doing.

My first shots:

I started learning to work in Photoshop at the same time, adding contrast, boosting colors, and removing unwanted objects - sometimes I overdid it.My first photoshoot for a friend was in a creative portrait mode, and of course, I messed up the flash right in her face - plus I was shooting her on a bright sunset, so I ended up with a face that was way too bright, but it was still a valuable experience. To make matters worse, I had no idea how to adjust the focus, and her face was often out of focus.

I decided to push myself a bit more and try to figure out the M mode on my own with some help from Google and YouTube. But after three months, I realized it was time to take a leap and sign up for photography courses. Those two months were an unforgettable experience, with hands-on practice in a studio and learning new skills that I really needed. Plus, being on courses helped me develop my 'eye' for good composition.

Photos taken after the courses:

I've been working with girls who are masters of barter, and it started with me offering photography in exchange for nail or lash services. As I progressed, I decided it was time to start getting paid for my work. My pricing is nowhere near what professional photographers charge, but I'm getting a ton of experience from the shoots and editing process.I've been getting more comfortable with this camera, but I can confidently say that you won't be making a fortune with it on photo shoots. Down the line, when you're ready to level up, you'll likely need to swap it out for something more serious. But for now, it's been a solid choice, and I've enjoyed experimenting with it. The 18-55mm lens is a great all-rounder, and the 50mm shots look sharp. I've been impressed with the build quality, and it's been easy to use – even for a beginner like me!

For amateur shoots, family photos, or travel, this little camera is just great.

So, why isn't it suitable for more serious shooting levels?

Noise. She's not immune to it, but if you're shooting at minimal ISO (100, 200) in good lighting, the image turns out quite decent. However, from ISO 800 and up, you start to see grain. That's not the most pleasant fact, as you can't always shoot in good lighting. If you're shooting in the evening and increasing the ISO, the image is pretty noisy.No Image Stabilizer. However, since the image stabilizer should be on the lens, not on the body, I'm not really blaming the camera here. The lack of a stabilizer in the kit or on the 50mm lens is a bit of a letdown. It's impossible to shoot with a decent shutter speed handheld, as the image is all smudged. I've given up on the priority mode altogether and always set the shutter speed to a short 1/250 or higher.Other than these two drawbacks, I have no complaints about the Canon 1300D. I'm really happy with the camera!

I love the image quality, color reproduction, and the vibrant, saturated colors. After buying it, I only regret one thing – not getting it sooner!

One thing that really stands out about this camera is how easy it is to use. I picked up photography skills with Canon 1300D in no time, the interface is super intuitive, everything is laid out in a way that makes sense, and if you want to get the most out of it, you can learn all the features in under a day. I've had Nikon cameras in the past, and they're nowhere near as user-friendly. Even our photography instructor said that Canon is the perfect choice for learning, and I'd have to agree - it's also way more intuitive to use in the long run.