So, you're on a journey to become a better Momtog and wanna know what gear to start with? I'll share with you what gear I started with many years ago and what gear I use now.
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To start your venture into the land of Momtography, you certainly don't need anything fancy, but I would encourage something more than a simple point-and-shoot camera. You'll want to have a camera that allows you to change your lenses.
Camera
I'm a Canon girl, so I started my journey with a Canon Rebel. These cameras typically come in a "kit" with an 18-55 lens. I believe the most current Rebel is the T8, but if you're on a budget you can always choose a model or two prior and it costs your cost nearly in half.
Lenses
The 18-55 lens that is included with the Rebel series is fine, but it's not great so I would encourage your next investment to be a prime lens. Prime lenses are fixed focal lengths as opposed to a lens like the 18-55 which allows you to zoom in and out. The benefit of having a "prime" lens vs. a "zoom" lens is simply that prime lenses tend to be sharper and have a smaller f-stop. (The f-stop is what gives photos that dreamy, blurry background.)
To start out, I like the 50 mm lens. It is a great starter prime lens that works well for portraits and doesn't cost a fortune. Nicknamed "the nifty-fifty," this lens basically lived on my camera.
The next lens I would recommend is the 35 mm 1.8. I love using a 35 mm lens for my documentary-style photography. The 35 allows you to capture more of the surrounding scene while also having the option for a shallow depth of field. If you plan on playing around with video at all with your camera, I would highly suggest the 35 mm.
Extras
Memory Cards! These are an absolute necessity!! These are what record all of your images to your camera. There are a ton of memory card options. Memory cards range in storage capacity from 16 GB to 256 GB. The larger the GB number, the more images the card is able to store. I prefer to have multiple smaller memory cards (32 or 64 GB). Unfortunately, accidents happen and cards become corrupt. If you have your images spread across multiple cards, you won't run the risk of losing all the images should anything happen.
Extra Batteries!! Always, always, always have backup batteries. I can be a little obsessive when it comes to having extra batteries because I never want that to be the reason why I miss incredible moments. I would suggest having at least two fully charged backup batteries at all times...just in case...
This prism. I love utilizing prims and mirrors to add an additional element of interest and to capture reflections in my images.
Then, of course, you have the actual bag itself. Really, you just need one that is comfortable for you and fits your gear. I actually have three bags - one backpack style and two crossbody bags. I do love the House of Flynn camera bags, but they can be a little pricey. They do have a Facebook page where you can often find gently used versions to decide if it's something you would want to invest in.
That will get you started. The basic Momtog kit. Do you fancy yourself a Momtog? What do you keep in your bag?