I’m totally new to photography and want to get my first camera. I’ll mainly be using it for nature photography while hiking and traveling.
My only focus is on photos of the highest possible quality.
My budget is around $600, and I’ll also need essential accessories, but don’t know what I’d need, like a lens?
Not open to refurbished, as I’m buying in Vietnam.
For that price point, if second-hand is not an option (which I guess is what you mean by “Not open to refurbished”), you are going to be challenged to get something “good”. But…
First, do check to see if any high end smart phones can meet your needs - they probably won’t have the “reach” to get distant birds, but will be far more convenient for travelling.
Next, you should probably be looking at crop-frame cameras - lighter, cheaper, and because of their nature, their lenses have a longer reach for their technical length. There are downsides (e.g. low-light capabilities), but a reasonable trade-off in your case.
If new, you’d likely be only offered mirror-less cameras (rather than DSLR) because that’s the way the suppliers are going. Probably to your benefit (even if more power hungry), but second-hand DSLRs can be cheap, and some adore them.
I’m not sure what happens at your budget, but with a bigger budget a suitable lens is likely to be the same price as the camera body: so don’t look at lenses as accessories, but as a significant part of the package.
If you are after birds, on a crop-frame camera, a good focal length would be 400mm, but you may have to settle for less (and even 200mm might be pleasing).
You are travelling, so likely don’t want lots of separate lenses, so you might want a zoom lens to get a range of focal lengths in one item. That said, you might want something around the 35mm length for "tourist shots - two lenses also means if one gets damaged, you aren’t carrying round entirely dead weight.
As to other accessories: proper lens cleaning kit, lens hood (more to protect the lens than to stop flare), and a camera bag suitable for the conditions. Spare memory cards, batteries, etc. Work out a way of getting pictures off your camera and somewhere safe while you travel, as another form of de-risking.
I imagine Vietnam as wet and warm - neither of these is great for cameras, and you may want to seek advice on that.
Get in as much practice with your camera as you can before you set off on your travels. Take photos comparable to what you hope to take later, but locally - garden birds, a local town park, whatever. You will likely still make mistakes for years to come, but many more in the first few weeks.
And most of all, take care but have fun!
Thanks! Thoughts on Canon EOS R50?
Can strong direct sunlight damage a camera or lenses somehow?
Ah, you’re not after bird photos, so ignore my comments on lens lengths (even so, I’m sure there will be birds, and probably still interesting to see in detail - the UK has many small often-common brown birds, and most are really pretty plumage close up when you look - for that matter, I’ve even photos of crows that I think interesting).
You mention macro shots - do you mean of insects, flowers and the like? Good macro shots again tend to depend on the lens, and some lenses are much better than others. You’re looking for maximum magnification in the specification, and you might be surprised how poor that seems even for an expensive lens. It might only be x0.5 and still be “good” (even if by some definitions that’s not even “macro”). Even the top end Canon RF 100mm F2.8 is only x1.4! As a great bonus, macro lenses should also work as normal lens, usually really rather well.
I’ve not tried the R50, so can’t comment - though these days I use higher end Canon cameras and like them. Other people dislike them, especially due to their policies on their best lens mounts that mean third parties like Sigma couldn’t produce lenses for them.
While I really wouldn’t try pointing a camera at the sun without heavy filters, it’s probably not instant destruction, and through a mirror-less view finder it won’t directly blind you (DSLR view-finders might!). A significant issue is that your lenses and camera bodies will likely have a fair proportion of black plastic that will heat up fast in the sun, and then transfer that warmth to where you really don’t want it in a camera - especially during heavy use when the camera will be internally heating up as well.
Thanks a lot. What would you recommend to protect my camera in that case? Should I always avoid letting direct sunlight into the lens? But then how can I take landscape photos during the day?
Just avoid pointing your camera at the sun, and if you find yourself pointing that way, stop it :) This is more for your eyes than the camera, as I for one sometimes peer over the top of my camera to try and get it back on track. For that matter, shots broadly in the direction of the sun are likely to have a lot of shadow - the better shots will be away from the sun
As for heat - just being aware of the issue is a good start, so you think about where you leave your camera in your room, test the lens temperature by hand occasionally, etc. But a pale rather than black camera bag might be a good idea.
If there’s any Vietnamese camera clubs you know of, it might well be worth getting in contact - they will be able to give you far sounder advice.