There seems to be no shortage of bad advice when it comes to photography. Or just in life, now that I think about it.

I saw someone in a boudoir photography group ask “What camera should I buy? I’m thinking of getting the Canon R5.” A startling amount of people told her to get it.

With respect to the fact that camera gear does make a difference, this is probably not the best advice for her.

Here’s a good rule of thumb. If you have to ask people which camera you should buy, you shouldn’t be buying the most expensive camera in the line. I’m sure the Canon R5 is an amazing camera and I would love to shoot with it. But I wouldn’t put it in the hands of a new photographer.

Those top-of-the-line cameras sure do look awesome. They have all these amazing functions and massive megapixel file sizes. But as cool as all that sounds, its completely worthless if you don’t know what you’re doing.

For one thing, no one needs an R5 or a Sony a1 for boudoir photography. Boudoir doesn’t require you to shoot in poor conditions or have any sort of special requirements. Using an R5 is a complete waste of money. You honestly don’t even need a full frame camera for that.

Additionally, you have to consider the cost of lenses in your budget. If you buy the highest end camera and then put cheap glass on it, you are not getting the value out of the camera. A Canon RP is a much better purchase for a new photographer. Particularly Canon photographers, since Canon glass is super expensive and they don’t have third party options.

When I bought my Sony a7iii, I knew why I was buying it. As much as I would have liked an a9, it was too expensive and was overkill for someone who (at the time) was focused solely on portraits. And even now that I am expanding my interests, I still don’t need more than what I have.

Look, if you don’t have to worry about money, get whatever you want. But even after you buy it, you still have to spend more time learning how it all works.

Start slow. Buy what you need and learn how to use it. And then when you’ve advanced, you can better understand those big, fancy steroid cameras.

For more discussion on camera suggestions, click here.