4.
Camera Purchase Guide for Students:
Note to parents and students:
Post the pandemic, to push mirrorless cameras’ sales, camera
companies have discontinued almost all entry level DSLR camera
production on purpose.
Hence even mid-range cameras have suddenly become expensive.
The price list provided in this document, are the cameras available in
the market at the time of writing this document in the month of June
2024.
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Which camera is essential for the module?
Entry level Digital SLR camera with a kit lens or
Entry level Mirrorless camera with a kit lens
Students who do not wish to invest in a new camera equipment, may
rent the camera and lenses from a reliable vendor.
Photography faculty offers some very economical and easy to use
DSLR Cameras and lenses as rentals at an affordable pricing than the
rental vendors.
It is okay to borrow cameras only from the sources whom you know
personally and provided they are not rough users of the equipment.
Many a times a badly handled equipment fails on location and student
are left with no choice but to withdraw from the work.
A detailed camera models and lenses list is shared in this document.
Page 2 of 7
Which camera brand is better?
A particular brand of camera doesn’t make a difference however, it is
better to select the most compatible and easy to use camera. Nikon
offers overall better cameras.
From quality output, ease of use, ergonomics and overall camera
interface, Nikon scores much higher than the other brands.
New camera purchasing tips:
Always purchase from an authorised and exclusive photography
equipment store. (E.g. Nikon Experience Zone, Nikon Authorised
Retailer, Canon Brand Stores etc.)
Avoid online retailers such as amazon/flipkart/snap deal as the
warranties offered by online retailers are not considered valid by
the camera manufacturers in India.
Avoid purchasing from ELECTRONIC SUPERSTORES (Reliance
Digital, Croma, and Vijay Sales etc.) due to poor after sales service.
These stores are notorious to sell ‘repackaged’ on-display or demo
products.
The box must be sealed while you purchase a new camera. All
contents mentioned on the box must be in the box. You can decline
the purchase if anything looks fishy.
Your new camera’s first photo filename must read as XXX_001.jpeg
or XXX_001.CR2 or XXX_001.NEF etc. If number is not 1 then then
the camera is already opened and used.
Ensure you receive valid warranty and receipt.
Page 3 of 7
Note: All the prices are MRP from the camera manufacturer’s website, actual retail
prices may be less than the MRP. Camera & lens combination highlighted in light yellow
is recommended. All cameras are mirrorless unless mentioned otherwise.
Camera body Lens/es combination Price
Nikon Z5 Z 24-70mm f/4 S 1,56,995
Nikon Z5 Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 1,34,995
Nikon Z50 Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR ₹1,06,495
Nikon Z50 Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR ₹82,995
Nikon Z50 Z DX 16-50mm + ₹1,02,995
Z DX 50-250mm VR
Nikon Z30 Z DX 18-140mm f/3.5-6.3 VR ₹97,795
Nikon Z30 Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR ₹73,495
Nikon Z30 Z DX 16-50MM f/3.5-6.3 VR + ₹94,495
Z DX 50-250mm f/4.5-6.3 VR
Canon M50 Mark II EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM ₹66,995
Canon EOS R100 RF-S18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM ₹64,995
Canon EOS R50 RF-S18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM ₹75,995
Nikon D7500 (DSLR) AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR ₹88,950
*Canon 3000D (DSLR) EF-S 18-55mm IS II f/3.5-5.6 STM ₹35,995
*Canon 1500D (DSLR) EF-S 18-55mm IS II f/3.5-5.6 STM ₹47,995
*Above Canon cameras marked in pale red don’t sync with Studio Lighting System.
Page 4 of 7
Precautions before buying/using a used camera
a) Source should be known and reliable
b) Camera should be in perfect working conditions at all settings. Battery
should not discharge easily
c) Camera and lens’s serial numbers should be legible
d) Click some photos and check if everything is alright
e) Lens should not have fungus on the optics
Page 5 of 7
List of things required for the Photography Module
(Text in bold is absolutely must)
1 Camera Body
2 Lens/es
3 LowePro Camera Bag (camera buyers, better choose a backpack
than a side-bag)
4 Zeiss Cleaning Kit (Camera/lens outer body cleaning kit – Anti
Static Brush, Cloth & Air Blower)
5 Lens Hood - only original – if you have any of the below lenses
(18-105mm/18-135mm/18-140mm/18-200mm/55-
200mm/55-250mm/70-210mm/70-300mm)
6 UV Filter for each lens
7 Battery & Battery Charger
8 SanDisk Ultra or Extreme SDHC Memory Card – 32 GBs or
higher
9 Memory Card Reader for SD Memory Cards only if a laptop
doesn’t have a SD Card slot
10 External Portable Hard Drive (1 TB) or
External SSD (500 GBs) – For back-up
11 Basic knowledge of Adobe Photoshop
12 Passion, Curiosity, Persistence, Patience & Sincerity
Caution: For all Canon camera owners or buyers
