The Best Intermediate Photography Gear
- What is Intermediate Photography Gear?
- Intermediate Photography Gear - Camera and Lens
- Accessories as Intermediate Photography Gear
- Get the Most from Your Intermediate Photography Gear
- The Next Steps
- Other Recommended Photography Gear
- Digital Camera Features You Need to Know
- Four Used Canon RF Lenses to Consider
- Should You Get a Full Frame or Crop Sensor Camera?
- Family Photo Ideas
- Why the Canon EOS R is a Great First Full Frame Camera
- Why You Need at Least Two Cameras
Photo by Frankhuang via iStock
Are you thinking about moving up from entry-level photography to something more advanced? You’ve come to the right place! Intermediate photography and intermediate photography gear are options available to you.
Or maybe you were involved in film photography, and now you want to get into digital photography with a more capable camera than entry-level since you are already an experienced photographer. You could also be a serious smartphone or small camera photographer desiring more features, lenses, and capabilities.
Whatever the reason you’re considering intermediate photography gear, I have some ideas that can benefit your move, including investing in pre-owned gear from a trusted online platform like MPB. Buying new-to-you gear allows you to enhance your kit without blowing your budget.
Let’s get to it!
Table of Contents:
What is Intermediate Photography Gear?
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The answer to what is intermediate photography gear is tied in with the question of what makes a person an intermediate photographer…
An intermediate photographer definitely knows what they’re doing photographically. This photographer is comfortable with learning new things and pushing themselves for improvement.
Making it personal, the intermediate photography gear you might want should allow you to grow, try new things, and break out of the basics of photography. This generally means that you will start to see limitations in cameras and other equipment meant for beginners. At the same time, professional photography gear may still be somewhat out of reach, for whatever reason.
Photo by ArisSu via iStock
Another term I like to use for describing a person who can benefit from intermediate photography gear is “photography enthusiast.”
Does that describe you?
If so, the type of cameras and lenses you enjoy will have more advanced features than entry-level gear, be made a little more rugged, and the lenses you lean towards will be faster, sharper, or have more range.
Photo by structuresxx via iStock
The accessories for intermediate photography gear are also a step up from the things found in entry-level kits. You want better options, more usefulness, and even more comfort since you’re using your camera more often.
Lastly, as an intermediate photographer or a photo enthusiast, you’re comfortable sharing what you've captured and created, so you may be more likely to display your photo art in your home or office as enlargements or specialty prints.
You might also easily transition into some paid photography gigs, so you may want more options for fulfilling your client orders. You want the prints you’ve made to do your excellent photography justice, so searching for a good printing company takes on added importance.
Intermediate Photography Gear - Camera and Lens
What type of camera and lens qualifies as intermediate photography gear is a very mixed bag of possibilities.
Some intermediate-level photographers are happy with an entry-level camera in a crop format or Full Frame. I have used entry-level cameras and kit lenses in many situations and never found them lacking in the quality of images. It’s some of those special features like bracketing or having an extra amount of ruggedness to the build that pushes me toward intermediate, prosumer, or pro cameras.
Many of the camera makers have kind of blurred the lines lately in what may be considered intermediate, prosumer, or pro. Considering the formats as well - Micro 4/3rds (MFT), APS-C, and Full Frame - are all viable contenders. The same goes for mirrorless cameras vs DSLRs for intermediate photography gear.
A fine example of a Full Frame camera that could be your next intermediate-level camera is the Canon EOS RP with the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM all-around zoom lens. You might also upgrade from the basic kit lens to something like the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM or Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM zoom lenses, both of which are the higher grade L-Series lenses.
It’s a Full Frame format camera with a 26.2MP sensor, articulating LCD screen, and an eye-level viewfinder. It has 4779 AF points and can record in 4K video as well.
The three lenses listed above are complemented by a full range of Canon RF lenses in focal lengths from 5.2mm to 1200mm, primes and zooms, including some with f/1.2 maximum apertures!
I also like to recommend purchasing pre-owned intermediate photography gear from the online retailer MPB to gain a price advantage on upgrading your gear.
MPB specializes in high-quality used photography equipment and adds the advantage of offering thoroughly inspected items with clear and accurate condition descriptions. You also get a six-month warranty and seven-day return/exchange period on most of what they sell.
Check them out! They can save your budget quite a bit of money on cameras and lenses that are still in current lineups, recently discontinued items, and they have an abundance of intermediate photography gear from all the major brands in stock right now.
If you want entry-level, prosumer, or full-fledged professional gear, MPB has that too.
Learn More:
Accessories as Intermediate Photography Gear
Two items I love to recommend as upgrades from a basic kit to intermediate photography gear are a versatile camera mount and a better strap option. I’ll list each below, along with where you can get them.
From the “We have everything” online retail website Amazon, the Octopad Universal Camera Mount is one of the most capable items of intermediate photography gear around. All levels of photographers and videographers can make good use of this camera mount.
Octopad is a small weighted disk with a ball mount on top and a non-slip pad underneath. It can be placed on virtually any surface, including those angled up to 45 degrees.
It holds a good amount of weight very securely and is inexpensive enough to keep several on hand for adding lights or mics, in addition to holding your camera rig stable and motionless.
From HoldFast Gear comes the Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo camera strap.
Replace that thin, uncomfortable strap that came with your camera with something that really works! The Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo is extremely comfortable, holds your camera securely, provides instant access for taking photos, and is good-looking to boot.
While you’re browsing HoldFast Gear, check out their amazing line up of practical as well as beautiful leather bags, lens quivers, and other specialty items you can use as intermediate photography gear that can give you an edge up in convenience, protection, and practicality.
Get the Most from Your Intermediate Photography Gear
After all of your improvement as a photographer, it makes perfect sense to show off your images to others, or perhaps to consider starting in some form of paid photography, either as a part-time event, portrait, or real estate photographer or by selling physical prints and enlargements of your photos.
You want to do your fine images justice, so choosing a high-quality photographic printing company is a top priority. You also want the most value for your money, so finding a printing company that is reasonably priced and provides excellent work is another priority.
Artbeat Studios fits all those criteria, offering a huge array of options for displaying your photo art.
They make very high quality (professional quality actually) paper prints that can be mounted and framed or put into photo albums such as a wedding album or a model’s portfolio. Some of the other processes they offer are Metal Prints, Canvas Wraps, and Acrylic Prints.
The Next Steps
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The next steps are to use your intermediate photography gear in a way that improves your photography. What good is it to have more advanced camera and lens capabilities but not know why, how, and when to use them?
We have several photography courses right here at Photography Talk. Plus a forum to trade ideas and knowledge with other like-minded photographers that can help you take your best shot!
