Help me choose a camera please!

[Bakingmamma]

Wise MNetters! Please help me choose a camera.

I want to look at possibly starting up some photography as a side line and am looking for a good starting camera.

Not sure what the major difference is between these two!

All advice appreciated!

1.NBD 4K Digital Camera Vlogging Camera 48MP Cameras for Photography,with 32GB SD Card&16X Digital Zoom, Wide Angle Lens &Macro Lens ，Video Camcorder amzn.eu/d/9lU3R80

1. NBD Digital Camera Vlogging Camera for Photography 4K/30FPS Video Camera Camcorder Ultra HD 48MP 16X Digital Zoom Compact Camera for Beginners Photography amzn.eu/d/81oPKmD

Those links both seem to be the same product!

What sort of photography will you be doing? With cameras you tend to get what you pay for, and that one might seem to be a little bit too good to be true (and I've not heard of the brand). If you want to learn photography, you don't need to go all-in on an expensive camera, but you would probably want something with a few more physical controls so that you can experiment with settings.

I got into photography by helping my DD learn (she won multiple awards as a young wildlife photographer). She now does have expensive photo kit, but she really learned the ropes with a Panasonic Lumix FZ330.

I’ll be photographing a mixture of bakery products and children!

@Bakingmamma I think you'll want at least two things, which that camera doesn't seem to have but pricier ones do:

1. Saving photos in RAW format. This allows for a lot more editing than standard JPEGs (there are free programs that let you do this).
2. I know this sounds ridiculous, but for product pictures and portraits, a screw-hole in the bottom of the camera so that you can put it on a tripod! You'll want to hold the camera as still as you can for as long as you can to get good food photos.

Sorry if that sounds negative! But you might want to consider spending a little bit more.

I wouldn’t touch those with a barge pole. If money is tight, look for something secondhand from a maker with a good reputation: Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Sony or Panasonic etc.

I can’t afford more at the moment, just wanting something to experiment with!

That's understandable, but I agree with @Bakingmamma that finding something second-hand from a good brand is the best approach. Photographers update cameras frequently so there's a good second-hand market. If you are near a branch of LCE or Wex (two chains of camera shops which also do used equipment) you could talk to someone and try some things!

Sorry, meant to tag @Oakbeam there!!

what phone do you have, it might be better than some cameras for now until you can afford something decent

i should clarify, depending on your phone camera, it might be as good if not better than some digital cameras if you are only wanting to shoot basics at times
unless you are really wanting to go into pro modes it should do the job

@chipsandpeas is right that a lot of phones will probably outperform a cheap camera, especially for food/product stuff. Maybe spend the money instead on getting a tripod for the phone and some good lights? Just a thought!

I have an old iPhone SE! Photos are okay but nothing special. 🙈

I (and my DD) love the Panasonic Lumix brand. You could get a second-hand FZ200 on your budget (google it!), and I guarantee it would last you longer, teach you LOADS about camera settings, and take better pics. (Other camera brands are available...)

I was looking for something similar a few months ago and found some good comparisons and simple explanations on technology.org. It helped me figure out which features actually mattered for how I planned to use the camera. I didn’t get lost in the jargon either, which was a big win for me. Worth a look if you’re feeling swamped by all the options.