Since coming to Norway, I began getting more into photography after years of only a cellphone and a basic point-and-shoot camera. Some of my older photos here are just from my cellphone (Pixel) or with a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX10V, which I bought on eBay to get into concerts.
Before flying out, I grabbed a Sony Cybershot DSC-RX100 VII to test the waters as it is much more capable than my HX10V. The worst-case being if I suddenly hated it, I would have it for concerts as professional cameras are not allowed in venues. While I was in Hawaii, I did like photography but felt like I didn’t have a good camera to capture the island of Kauai the way I wanted. I took the plunge after just a month and purchased the Sony α7R IV, a mirrorless 61MP camera.
With it, I snagged two lenses with landscape photography in mind – a wide-angle 24mm and a standard 50mm. Both are prime lenses with a large aperture which is the main reason I picked them. The third lens I got primarily for wildlife is a 200-600mm telephoto. I’ll use each lens for everything as needed, but that’s at least my thought process for picking them. I will eventually get some lenses between 50mm and 200mm, but this is a nice starting place.
This is a big step up from a phone or the HX10V, which only shot JPG images which means there’s plenty to learn. To go with the camera, there’s also software like Adobe Lightroom. Thankfully Lightroom is pretty easy and has plenty of tutorials online to get going. So far, I’ve only used the CC version as I’m traveling light and don’t have my PC to learn Classic until I get home.
I am pleased with my purchase so far! It’s something that will last a long time and preserve plenty of memories better than just a cellphone!
