Looking for a camera for a gift.

[snickels]

My girlfriend loves to take pictures and is really good at it. She has been using her phone since we have been together and has mentioned a few times how her next "spoil herself" buy will be a real camera. I don't really know much about them but I want to get her something that has some pro type settings but not anything too advanced. She knows whar she is doing but is by no means a pro so I feel like before I shellout 500 or more for a DSLR I would like to get her something a little cheaper to play with for awhile. So basically I am looking for something respectible for between 100-200 that will make her feel a little more professional but not kill my wallet until I'm sure she will use it. Any help would be fantastic thanks all.

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

look for a used canon 450d kit on ebay

 

[Designer]

..before I shellout 500 or more for a DSLR I would like to get her something a little cheaper to play with for awhile.

Don't do that.

An inexpensive camera with limited capability will only serve to frustrate her more. Even with a budget of $500, you're still going to have to compromise with an "entry-level" kit. Look for the best used kit that fits your budget, and before you purchase, show the deal to your GF. If she is like the rest of us, she will already have formed her own opinion of what camera she would want, and with your generous offer to pay for it, she will be overjoyed.

Don't be dismayed if she selects a different deal. Don't argue about it, just go with it.

 

[table1349]

Gift card.....Gift card.....Gift card!

Wars have been started over things like Nikon or Canon etc. Cameras are personal choice for a variety of reasons, from spec's to ergonomics to for some even color. You want to make a hit with her get her a Gift card and plan a day to take her shopping for a new camera complete with lunch. Trust me she will thank you and more importantly she will have a camera SHE wants. The very best camera is one that the person will use.

 

[dunfly]

I don't think you are going to find anything in the $100-$200 price range that will be significantly better than a cell phone. At minimum, you would need to get a camera with aperture, shutter and manual control settings in order for her to advance her learning. There are point and shoot cameras with those features, but you are in the $350+ price range unless you can find a used or refurbished deal.

Buying her a camera is like buying her a dress, the disaster potential is astronomical. If you are limited to $200, I would either forget the idea or give her a gift card to apply toward and entry level DSLR kit.

 

[greybeard]

Like dunfly wrote, if all you are wanting to spend is $100-$200, unless you find a super deal on something used, you will not be able to buy anything that will be much if any of an improvement over her cell phone.
I would suggest something like this:

Amazon.com : Canon EOS Rebel T6 Digital SLR Camera Kit with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II Lens (Black) : Camera & Photo

or

Amazon.com : Nikon D3400 w/ AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR (Black) : Camera & Photo

or maybe

Amazon.com : Sony Alpha a6000 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 16-50mm Power Zoom Lens : Camera & Photo

 

[Derrel]

Some good advice in the above posts. $100-$200 cameras are often not all that good, unless you buy something at a LOW-cost reseller's store, like a pawnshop for example, and go with something a few generations back. Older d-slrs with a kit lens can be had at or under $200 in my region, at pawnshops.

 

[David_S09]

You need to up your budget a bit. If you don't know if your girlfriend will carry on or not I would suggest looking for a used DSLR camera. There are loads of used entry level dslr cameras around (just check out that popular auction site) so you will get one for a good price, and if your girlfriend decides photography is not for her you can always sell it on and will get back most of what you paid for it. Canon and Nikon are the most popular brands and you won't go wrong with either brand.

 

[TCampbell]

Can you stretch your budget to about $400? Many options open up when you get to that point.

DSLRs range in price from around $400 up to about $6000 or more. The entry range cameras are typically all under $1000 for both the camera body and at least one starter lens (often referred to as the "kit" lens because it comes with the initial package.)

However, even in this sub-$1000 range, there's a subrange of the entry-level bodies and they're typically around $500 or less.

On the Nikon side you'd recognize them because they have the letter "D" followed by a 4 digit number that starts with a "3". E.g. "D3000", "D3100" are very old, but you can still find the "D3200", "D3300", and "D3400". The "D3400" is what you can think of as "this year's model". Nikon also has a D5000 series (D5100, D5200, etc. etc.) and those are still in the entry range, but higher in the entry range. Of course Nikon also has mid-tier and pro-tier bodies as well.

On the Canon side, you'd recognize the cameras because they all have "Rebel" in the name and the models are all "T" followed by a single digit number. So there's the T3, T5, and T6 (there was no "T4" - they skipped that one.) Similar to Nikon, the higher the number simply means it's a more recent model. So the "T6" is "this year's model" and the T5 was "last year's model", etc.) Like Nikon, Canon also offers a series which is still entry range, but in the higher end of the entry range, and you'll recognize those because they put an "i" suffix on the model. E.g. "T6i" instead of "T6" (and people sometimes get confused to think that the T6 and T6i are basically the same camera with some minor feature differences... they are not. They are completely different models. And of course there are also mid-tier and pro models as well.

We are just about to the time of year when Canon typically announces "next years" new entry-level camera. If they stick with their naming convention then they'll introduce a "T7i" and maybe a "T7".

BOTH Nikon and Canon have a "refurbished" section to their own online web store (so you buy the camera direct from them rather than a typical retailer). These are cameras that cannot be sold as "new" but they've been refurbished and come with the very same "new product warranty" (for Canon it's a 1 year warranty, I am not sure if Nikon's is also a year but they tend to just match each other so I expect it probably is 1 year) that a new (non-refurbished) camera would have. ... but the price is a lot less.

And while you do save by purchasing the "refurbished" version of "this years model" ... you save even more if you buy the "refurbished" version of "last years model"... or even the year before that. But at least you're getting something that is factory refurbished (so it'll like like it's brand new) and it comes with a factory warranty. This is a lot nicer and less risky than shopping for used gear where you have no idea how it's been treated and how well it works. It's one thing when an experienced photographer shops for used gear... they actually know what to look for and how to tell what sort of shape the camera is in. But since this would be a first-time purchase for you, you'd have no good way of knowing if a used camera had some significant issue until it's too late.

Often a refurbished camera never had anything wrong with it... someone bought it and changed their mind and now it can't be sold as "new".

It is generally possible to get a refurbished camera+lens combination for less than $400.

A refurbished Nikon D3200 (with kit lens) is about $350 from the Nikon store.
A refurbished Canon EOS Rebel T5 (with kit lens) is $279 from the Canon store.

See: Canon Refurbished EOS Digital SLR Cameras | Canon Online Store
And: Refurbished Camera Products | Used Cameras, Lenses & Flashes | Nikon

The camera will not magically increase her photographic expertise. It's a tool... sort of like buying a nice musical instrument... it only works if you learn to play it. These cameras can do far more than a smart-phone camera... but getting those results requires some learning. Some specific types of results require some extra gear (different types of lenses, lighting, etc.) but this is the foundation.

I typically suggest adding in a good book... such as "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson or the entry book to Scott Kelby's "Digital Photography" series (which is a series of several books). They give you the grounding of how to exploit the camera's capabilities to get more creative shots by understanding how settings alter the results you'll get.

 

[dasmith232]

...Cameras are personal choice for a variety of reasons, from spec's to ergonomics to for some even color....

^^^^ This! I can't think of how many times that the thing (camera, lens, bag, whatever) that was my favorite simply wasn't a good choice for someone else. And vice-versa. Even within a brand, different models will get a different response. My wife loves her T3i and hates (well, too strong - but doesn't like) my 6D. Too big? No, she likes my 5D3! The most subtle things will define like (or not).

And all the other things that @gryphonslair99 said about lunch and spending time together? Those sound like excellent winning options to the whole process.

 

[jtran76]

Canon Rebel T5 is a great camera for a beginner that wants to get into photography but not sure if they will stick it out. My wife bought me Canon Rebel T5 with 2 kit lens 18-55 and 70-300 came out to be under 400.00 on sale as an early Christmas gift 2 years ago and I still use the camera to this day.