Tips and Advice for New Camera Owners

First Entry: 09/02/2026
Last Updated: 09/02/2026

I still vividly remember getting my first digital camera, the Nikon D40, back when I was a student. It was both exhilarating and stressful at the same time - while I was excited to be using it and experimenting with different genres and shooting styles, there is just too much information scattered all around and there was much that I wished I could have known earlier to avoid some of my earlier mistakes.

That pretty much is the motivation for me writing this article here - as a simple one-stop general guide and advice for new camera owners embarking on their photography journey, and also those planning to get their first camera. Please bear in mind that the tips, while sorted into sub-sections for easier reading, are in no particular order of importance or priority.

Just take note that the opinions in this article are solely my own, which I think would help budding photographers (or at least I know would have helped me). I totally understand that some may have different opinions on the issues listed here, which is fine but please keep things civil around here (ie no flaming please)

General Tips and Advice

  • There is a saying amongst photographers - the best camera is the camera you have with you. While it may be tempting to buy the latest and greatest, it does not help if you do not bring the camera out because it is bulky or heavy, so this is a point to always keep in mind - a basic model that would get more use is more valuable than a higher end model that stays at home.

  • Shoot in the JPG+RAW mode. Unless you are using compact point-and-shoot cameras, most advanced cameras allow you to record both JPG and RAW images at the same time. While this increase the amount of space used, it would give you the flexibility of both world - JPG for immediate usage and sharing, and RAW images for you to learn about post processing. Even if you are not keen on post processing now, in the future if you get more comfortable with post processing and editing, you can come back to your older RAW photos and edit them.

  • The fully automatic exposure mode may look very tempting, but I highly recommend moving out of it as soon as possible, and use either Manual exposure mode or Aperture Priority mode. Manual exposure mode may sound scary, but it would definitely pay off in the long run as it will help you learn about the exposure triangle. Aperture Priority mode would relegate some settings calculations to the camera and can be taught of as a semi-automatic exposure mode, but you would need to understand the metering controls of the camera to use it well. Alternatively, you can also use the camera in Manual exposure mode with Auto-Iso enabled for another form of semi-automatic mode.

  • It may be a slight chore, but do at least go through the camera’s manual or reference guide at least once to understand what it can do. At the very least, go through the section on the camera menu items to know more in depth of the different settings available.

  • The basic kit lenses are usually very good tools to experiment with different shooting styles, which will allow you to realize a particular area or photography style which you enjoy or use more frequently. Upgrading may seem tempting, but I do recommend against it until you can identify what your current tools are lacking in.

  • Always format a card in camera as cameras are quite particular about their file systems. I highly recommend formatting the card before the start of an important shoot (say before a trip somewhere). Once the data is copied and backed up to a PC, you can keep the memory card somewhere (for example in a memory card case) as a second form of backup, but once you want to use the card again I highly recommend formatting it before usage.

  • It is often not necessary to buy the best of everything, unless if you have unlimited budget, as at some point diminishing returns occur. As tempting as it is, you should figure out what are your own priorities and requirements, and together with adequate research you should be able to better spend your funds on equipment that works best for you.

  • Buy accessories, especially batteries and memory cards, from authorized retailers to avoid counterfeits.

Advice for Memory Cards

  • Unless you shoot lots of videos and/or long videos, it is generally better to get several smaller capacity cards than one huge capacity card to prevent electronic wear ( and in turn, data loss) by spreading the usage across the cards. As of writing, generally 64GB or 128GB cards are placed at the best value for price performance ratio.

  • Similarly, if you do not do videos or shoot long continuous bursts frequently, the fastest cards are usually not required. A good quality V30 UHS-I SD card can usually handle short bursts of still shots well. Look for information on the sustained write speeds, which can give an indication of the cards’ performance.

  • Preferably get memory cards that are approved by the manufacturer, or get cards from reputable brands. As mentioned in the general tips section, to avoid counterfeits, always get them from authorized retailers which offer return policies in case cards are bad upon arrival.

  • The contacts of the memory cards are a weak point, and try not to get them dirty or damaged by keeping in card cases or memory card wallets.

Advice for Batteries

  • Get at least one spare battery for your camera. Nothing is worse than heading out with your camera and finding out that the battery inside is totally flat.

  • I highly recommend getting only genuine batteries, as they have a chip inside which communicates with the camera to indicate battery life and health. Third party batteries may be cheaper, but apart from safety issues, they also run the risk of not being able to be used in future camera models or being disabled by firmware updates, leading to additional purchases and expenses down the road.

  • Get an external battery charger for your battery type (like the MH-25a for Nikon EN-EL15 series batteries). This gives you the freedom to continue using your camera while charging a spare battery since the camera itself is not hooked up to the USB charger.

Advice for Cleaning

  • I highly recommend getting a blower (the Giottos Rocket Blower is a very good start), a good microfiber cloth, a pack of good quality lint-free lens tissue, and lens cleaning solution as an essential cleaning kit.

  • My general rule of thumb is not to clean the glass surfaces directly unless absolutely necessary. The rocket blower usually will remove 99% of dust and debris on the lens surface and around the exterior of the body. Only when there are stubborn stains (like water or pollens) on the lens, I would then either lightly dust them off using the lens tissue, or add a drop of lens cleaning solution to the lens tissue and do a wet cleaning of the lens surface. I personally do not like using microfiber cloth on the lens surface since they might contain other dirt particles and damage the lens surface, and only use the microfiber cloth to clean the body and lens barrel.

  • While the camera does not have to be pampered too much, it is essential to routinely clean its exterior to keep it in a good working condition and prevent unnecessary damage from dust build-up or worse, fungus. As with above, using the rocket blower to quickly remove surface dust, together with a quick dry wipe-down of the body and lens barrel with the microfiber cloth is usually enough for simple maintenance after a day’s shoot.

  • Sensor wet cleaning, although not difficult, is definitely scary, especially for your first camera. If there are dust spots on the sensor, most of the time using the rocket blower on the sensor would be enough to get rid of the dusts. However if there are stubborn stains, at least until you are more confident, I highly recommend passing it off to a professional (like the service center or any other specialized camera cleaning services) to get it cleaned. Depending on your area the costs may vary, but here in Japan it is usually around JPY3,000 to get a sensor cleaned by a professional.

Advice for Storage

  • One of the biggest nemesis of camera lenses and the internal electronics is moisture, which can cause a wide range of problems like electronic components failing due to corrosion or fungus growth in lenses. Do make sure the camera is dry (especially after shooting in bad weather) before putting it away for the day.

  • Putting inside a camera bag for short-term storage (say up to a couple of weeks) is fine, especially if you plan to use the gear again soon. However for long term storage, the fabric of the camera bags may absorb moisture and in turn cause moisture related problems, so it is best to keep the gear in either a air-tight container with silica gel packs to absorb the moisture, or if you have the space, an electronically controlled dry-cabinet.

Advice for Lens Accessories

  • A lens hood does not just prevent unwanted side light from creating unwanted flare in your images, but also protects the front of the lens from accidental bumps or touches. If your lens comes with a lens hood supplied, I definitely would recommend using it (in its actual shooting position) with your lens. Some lenses have official lens hoods designed for them, but are not supplied as part of the set and only available as an optional accessory - I would definitely recommend purchasing the hood to complete the lens. However, if your lens does not have a lens hood designed specifically for them, you could buy an after-market screw in lens hood. Just test to make sure it does not cause vignetting (darkening of the corners of the image).

  • The use of protective lens filters (sometimes also known as UV filters or clear filters) to prevent dust or direct damage to the front element of the lens is a very highly debated topic, and depending on who you ask the opinions will vary. My opinion and stance on this is that a good quality protective lens filter will have very minimal impact on the final image quality, and using it to protect the front element gives a peace of mind during usage and cleaning. As with all purchases, it is tempting to get the best filter available, but at some point diminishing returns happen, so my general rule of thumb is to get a good quality filter that never exceeds 10% of the lens’ value. My go-to filters are Nikon NC filters, Nikon Arcrest filters and Marumi Exus Lens Protect filters.

  • One main issue with lens filters is the occurrence of flares and ghosts in strong backlit situations or with strong light sources in the image. Even the best filters can only reduce and minimize the effect, and cannot completely eliminate the ghosts. Hence in such situations (light night landscape photography), you might want to consider removing the filter to prevent the flare.

Advice for Camera Body Accessories

  • The supplied camera strap is normally highly functional and does its work well (even though, subjectively speaking, might not look the best). However when attaching the strap, I do recommend using the Nikon-maki method of looping - you can view the instructions here on their page (it is in Japanese but the illustrations should suffice) if you do not already know about it yet. This method of looping the strap will tighten the looped portion on the adjuster by the camera’s own weight, and will prevent the strap from loosening by itself during use.

  • The flash hot shoe of the camera body is a potential weak point of the camera, and if you do not plan to use an external flash much, it is a good idea to use the supplied hot shoe cover (or purchase a hot shoe cover, for usually just a couple of dollars, if your camera model does not come with one supplied) to protect it against the elements. If the contacts get wet sometimes shorting will happen, and the camera may react in strange ways like thinking a flash was attached when it is not.

  • A tripod is needed for certain genres of photography, like night landscape or long exposure photography. While it is not usually necessary to get the best carbon fiber tripod available, a tripod a not useful at all if it wobbles under the weight of the camera, so do definitely pay attention to its stability when fully extended. Generally speaking, a good indicator of stability is the leg’s pipe diameter (wider = more stable) and how many sections it can extend (less sections = more stable). With regards to this point, I would highly advise against buying the cheap bargain non-branded tripods since they offer nearly no stability for long exposures. Also do pay attention to the tripod’s own weight and size, and decide if you would in fact really use the tripod and carry it around.

Advice for Software

  • Every manufacturer do offer their own version of a RAW processing software, which is a good place to start if you want to try out post processing your RAW files since the software is usually supplied free. Also, a manufacturer’s own RAW processing software usually has the best color science since they can interpret their own files the best. However, unfortunately, the user interfaces of most official RAW processing software are not very intuitive, and more often than not, slow to use even on modern machines, so when you start post processing images in higher volumes you might want to look for alternative software instead.

  • Several alternative RAW processing software are available, with some being free (like the open-source RapidRAW or Darktable), and some paid options (like Capture One Pro or Adobe Lightroom). Each software works and interprets the color data from the RAW files slightly differently, so if you are going down this route you may want to try a few out first before deciding on which program to stay with.

  • 09/02/2026: Created the first version of this page.