BY AUSTEN HUNTER PHOTOGRAPHY

Table of Contents...............................................................................................................................i
Introduction.........................................................................................................................................ii
CAMERAS
BEGINNER CAMERAS ($500-$1,000)...................................................................................1-2
FULL-FRAME CAMERAS ($1,000-$4,000).........................................................................3-4
LENSES
PRIME LENSES.............................................................................................................................5-6
ZOOM LENSES.................................................................................................................................7
LIGHTING
ON-CAMERA FLASH UNITS........................................................................................................8
OFF-CAMERA FLASH UNITS.......................................................................................................9
LIGHTING MODIFIERS............................................................................................................10-11
LIGHTING ACCESSORIES...........................................................................................................12
ACCESSORIES
MISC. ACCESSORIES..............................................................................................................13-14
About the Author...............................................................................................................................iii

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Hey photographer, thank you for downloading this guide! My goal is to help you
pick the right equipment for your portrait photography business. In this guide
I'll cover the basic equipment you need to get your photography business
started from cameras and lenses, to lighting and modifiers. The images and
titles of the equipment are all linked for your convenience.

You'll notice that some of the equipment is accompanied by a and a emoji.

The emoji denotes that an item is a product I personally use and recommend,
and the emoji denotes that the item has a great price point.

As a disclaimer: prices and availability of products listed here are subject to

change at any time. Also, none of the companies or brands recommended in
this guide have paid me to make these recommendations. The products in this
guide are listed solely because I have used them myself or have heard good
things about them from trusted photographers within my network. With that
said, please enjoy the guide!

You're also welcome to check out my Amazon Shop where I regularly update my
recommendations.

Godox V860iii (Sony)

$229

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➥ BEGINNER CAMERAS
$500-$1,000
$500-$1,000
➥ FULL-FRAME
FULL-FRAME CAMERAS
CAMERAS
$1,000-$4,000
$1,000-$4,000
 $500-$1,000

Canon Rebel T8i

(with 18-55mm STM lens) Canon EOS RP
$899 $999
DSLR / Crop-sensor / 24.2 Megapixels Mirrorless / Full Frame / 26.2 Megapixels
PROS: Good beginner camera, PROS: Great overall performance,
decent overall performance. good for video and photo.
CONS: No customizable settings. CONS: Short battery life.

Canon EOS 80D

$759
DSLR / Crop-sensor / 24 Megapixels
PROS: Good auto-focus system,
good battery life.
CONS: Limited video settings.
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 Nikon D3500 Nikon Z50
$799 $765
DSLR / Crop-sensor / 24.2 Megapixels Mirrorless / Crop-sensor / 20.9 Megapixels
PROS: Good beginner camera, PROS: Good price value, versatile.
decent overall performance.
CONS: No touch screen, short battery life.
CONS: No customizable settings.

Sony A6000
$720
Mirrorless / Crop-sensor / 24.3 Megapixels
PROS: Compact build, customizable inputs,
budget mirrorless camera.
CONS: Short battery life, no touch screen.

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 $1,000-$4,000

Canon EOS R Canon EOS 6D Mk. II

$1,799 $1,365
Mirrorless / Full Frame / 30.3 Megapixels DSLR / Full Frame / 26.2 Megapixels
PROS: Good price point, touch screen, PROS: Good battery life, touch screen,
eye-tracking auto-focus. large sensor size.
CONS: No customizable settings. CONS: Poor auto-focus, no 4k video function.

Canon EOS R6
$2,499
Mirrorless / Full-frame / 20.1 Megapixels
PROS: Great auto-focus, dual SD card slots,
touch screen, fast shutter.
CONS: Fewer pixel sensor.
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 Nikon Z6ii Nikon D850
$1,997 $2,997
Mirrorless / Full-frame / 24.5 Megapixels DSLR / Full-frame / 45.7 Megapixels
PROS: Dual card slot, good video properties. PROS: Good battery life, offers 4k video.
CONS: Average battery life. CONS: Expensive.

Sony A7 III
$1,998
Mirrorless / Full-frame / 24 Megapixels
PROS: Eye-tracking auto-focus,
compact build, dual SD card slots.
CONS: Dense menu system.

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➥ PRIME LENSES
35MM 50MM 85MM 135MM
● ● ●

➥ ZOOM LENSES
24-70MM 70-200MM
●
 35MM ● 50MM ● 85MM ● 135MM
Prime Lenses are a great choice for portraits. They typically have wider apertures
that create the blurry background (also called "bokeh") that is expected in quality
portraiture. These focal lengths are all great choices for Portrait Photography.

35MM
Canon 35MM f/1.4 - $1,625
Nikon 35MM f/1.4 - $1,299
Sigma 35MM f/1.4 (Canon) - $688
Sigma 35MM f/1.4 (Sony) - $689
Zeiss 35MM f/1.4 (Sony) - $998
Canon 35MM f/1.8 - $499
Nikon 35MM f/1.8 - $196
Sony 35MM f/1.8 - $748

50MM
Canon 50MM f/1.4 - $399
Sigma 50MM (Nikon) f/1.4 - $849
Sigma 50MM (Sony) f/1.4 - $760
Canon 50MM f/1.8 - $140
Nikon 50MM f/1.8 - $207
Sony 50MM f/1.8 - $217
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 85MM
Canon 85MM f/1.4 - $1,599
Nikon 85MM f/1.4 - $1,597
Sony 85MM f/1.4 - $1,798
Canon 85MM f/1.8 - $419
Nikon 85MM f/1.8 - $491
Sony 85MM f/1.8 - $556

135MM
Sigma 135MM (Canon) f/1.8 - $1,359
Sigma 135MM (Nikon) f/1.8 - $1,200
Sigma 135MM (Sony) f/1.8 - $1,399

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 24-70MM ● 70-200MM
Zoom Lenses have variable focal lengths that make them great for dynamic
photography environments. These lenses are popular with wedding and event
photographers for their versatility, and they can capture great portraits, too.

24-70MM
Canon 24-70MM f/2.8 - $1,899
Nikon 24-70MM f/2.8 - $1,597
Sony 24-70MM f/2.8 - $1,998

70-200MM
Canon 70-200MM f/2.8 - $2,099
Nikon 70-200MM f/2.8 - $2,545
Sony 70-200MM f/2.8 - $2,298

◈ WARNING BEFORE YOU BUY ◈

Every lens is made for a specific camera mount. These mounts are rarely
interchangeable, so be sure to confirm that the lens you want will fit on
your camera body before purchase.

Here are some notable nomenclature to help you identify which lens
goes with which camera body:
Canon DSLR - EF Mount Nikon DSLR - F Mount
Canon Mirrorless - RF Mount Nikon Mirrorless - Z Mount
Sony Mirrorless - E Mount

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➥ ON-CAMERA FLASH UNITS
➥ OFF-CAMERA FLASH UNITS

➥ LIGHTING MODIFIERS
➥ LIGHTING ACCESSORIES
On-camera flash units like the Godox V860 are great, affordable choices for those
interested in getting started with flash photography. They can also easily become
off-camera flash units with the help of a wireless trigger.

Godox V860ii Godox V860ii

with Wireless Trigger (Canon) with Wireless Trigger (Nikon)
$298 $298
PROS: Good starter flash, includes wireless PROS: Good starter flash, includes wireless
trigger for off-camera flash option. trigger for off-camera flash option.
CONS: Not strong enough to overpower CONS: Not strong enough to overpower
direct sunlight. direct sunlight.

Godox V860iii (Sony)

$229

Godox V860iii (Sony)

$229
PROS: Good starter flash, lightweight.
CONS: Not strong enough to overpower
direct sunlight.

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Off-camera flash units require a light stand or monopod to support them, but
deliver stunning images. For best results, pair them with a lighting modifier.

Godox AD200 Pro Godox AD300 Pro

$349 $499
PROS: Affordable and lightweight, PROS: Great for studio and outdoor
very portable. environments, good battery life.
CONS: Not strong enough to overpower CONS: Somewhat heavy.
direct sunlight.

Godox V860iii (Sony)

$229

Godox AD600BM
$549
PROS: Will perform well in any lighting situation
(including direct sunlight)
CONS: Requires a sturdy light stand.

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Lighting modifiers shape and contour the way your light source illuminates your
subject. Below is a list of some of my recommended modifiers.

Glow EZ Lock Collapsible Glow EZ Lock Deep

Silver 34" Beauty Dish Parabolic 38" Quick Softbox
$79 $84
PROS: Easy to setup/tear down, comes with PROS: Easy to setup/tear down, comes with
carrying case and honeycomb grid. carrying case and honeycomb grid.
CONS: N/A. CONS: N/A.

Godox V860iii (Sony)

$229

HappyGo 65" Parabolic

Deep Umbrella with Diffuser Cover
$78
PROS: Produces even, soft lighting.
CONS: Unwieldy, heavy.

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 Neewer 33" White Soft Neweer 43" Collapsible
Shoot-Thru Umbrella (2 Pack) Reflective Softbox Umbrella
$29 $77
PROS: Cheap and portable. PROS: Easy to setup/tear down, portable.
CONS: Fragile. CONS: Somewhat fragile.

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These accessories will help you mount your flash units and modifiers. They are
necessary for off-camera flash.

Neewer Heavy Duty

Itotin Heavy Duty Light Stand Steel C-Stand
$60 $170
PROS: A good compromise between sturdy PROS: Sturdy and durable.
and portable. CONS: Heavy, portability may be an issue.
CONS: May not support heavier modifiers. Godox V860iii (Sony)
$229

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➥ MISCELLANEOUS ACCESSORIES
These accessories will help you mount your flash units and modifiers. They are
necessary for off-camera flash.

Lowepro Protactic Modular

Camera Backpack CADeN Camera Backpack
$172 $33
PROS: Customizable, sturdy and durable. PROS: Good price point, customizable.
CONS: Heavy, higher price point. CONS: May not support heavier modifiers.

Manfrotto Advanced
Geekoto 77" Camera Tripod Travel Tripod
$90 $196
PROS: Lightweight, portable, includes ball joint. PROS: Sturdy, portable, and durable.
CONS: N/A. CONS: Higher price point.
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 Giga Tent Pop-Up SanDisk 128GB
Changing Tent 150 MB/s SD Card
$39 $23
PROS: Great for outfit changes during PROS: Large storage size.
outdoor photoshoots. CONS: N/A.
CONS: Will blow away in high winds if
not secured.

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 About the Author

I'm Austen Hunter. I'm a portrait photographer located in the United States, originally from
Los Angeles. I'm known for creating vibrant, posed, traditional photographs that tell beautiful
stories and celebrate emotional connections.

Thank you for reading through this guide. I hope you found these recommendations useful!
You can find more gear recommendations on my Amazon Shop. If you're looking to
decorate your studio or home office, consider picking up some of my artwork to frame on
your wall! Or, if you're hungry to learn more about the ins and outs of photography, check
out the AHP Store for more educational content.

I hope you'll consider connecting with me on Instagram, where I most actively engage with
my audience. My username is @austenhunter.photography. Be sure to stop by and say hi!
Alternatively, you can get in touch with me at my website: www.austenhunter.com.

Thanks again for reading!

Sincerely,

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