The Hidden Costs of Buying Your First Camera

The price of a camera is never the final cost.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase qualifying items, I may receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. For more details, check out my disclosures page. Thanks for your support!

So you've decided to buy your first camera and you've begun to research all the different options and sift through all the conflicting advice. Overwhelmed yet?

Unfortunately, most folks who have been on this journey seem to forget what it was like and will pretty consistently forget to mention that the cost of a camera is never the cost of the camera.

In this video, I explain what I mean and share some things you need to know, and accessories you need to buy when buying your first camera so that you can avoid the frustration that will come with finding out there are "hidden costs" once you've already made your purchase.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel to be notified of new videos!

Relevant Links/Stuff mentioned in this video:

-- 🔋 Camera Power --

► Batteries I use (Sony) - https://geni.us/sony-zbattery

► Sony Official Single Charger - https://geni.us/sony-official-charger

► Sony Official Multi-Charger - https://geni.us/sony-multicharger

► Much Cheaper Dual Battery Charger - https://geni.us/dual-sony-charger

-- 💾 Memory Cards --

► My Favorite SD Cards - https://geni.us/sony-tough-card

► The other SD Cards I use - https://geni.us/prograde-cards

► If you prefer SanDisk - https://geni.us/SanDisk-SD-cards

-- 🖥 Card Readers --

► Cheapest - https://geni.us/anker-card-reader

► Much Faster/Better Quality - https://geni.us/prograde-sd-reader

► If you need to read SD Cards and CFexpress type A cards - https://geni.us/jTog9

-- 💻 Hard Drive Options I use --

► Super Fast SSD - https://geni.us/super-fast-SSD

► Tons of space, but slower - https://geni.us/WD-elements-10TB

► Portable, rugged option in the slower/cheaper category - https://geni.us/LaCie-rugged

-- 📷 Lens and Sensor Cleaning --

► Best lint-free wipes to absorb water - https://geni.us/kimwipes

► Pre-moistened lens wipes (great for travel) - https://geni.us/zeiss-lens-wipes

► Zeiss Lens Cleaning liquid - https://geni.us/lens-cleaning-liquid <<— a note on this, check with your lens manufacturer to see if their coatings are compatible with some cleaning solutions, but not others. This lens cleaner is generally considered a pretty safe bet, though and good for eyeglasses, too (yes, I used to wear glasses before I had lasik).

► Blow out the dust bunnies (they make smaller versions of this, too) - https://geni.us/rocket-blaster

► Microfiber cloths - https://geni.us/microfiber-cloths

► Remove fingerprints and grease - https://geni.us/lens-pen

► Sensor swabs (these are for full-frame cameras - make sure to get the right size for your sensor!) - https://geni.us/sensor-swabs

-- 🎙 External Mics I mentioned --

► RØDE Videomic Pro Plus - https://geni.us/rode-vidmicproplus

► The special dead cat that fits it - https://geni.us/rode-deadcat-vmp

► The Shotgun mic I use most for indoors stuff - https://geni.us/deity-vmic-d3pro