a camera for my girl...

saltwootah · Sep 29, 2012

Hi all! ...new to the forums and all that. ...I'm in the market for a new camera and a couple of necessary accessories for a Christmas present for my girlfriend on our first Christmas together. ...that being said, I want to do something really special for her, on a budget. lol ...she LOVES to take photos, especially nature scenes. In my humble opinion, she does a fantastic job of capturing the feeling and ambience of the scene, and we are fortunate to live in an area of natural beauty and abundant wildlife. ...here's the deal: she's only ever had cheap, low end cameras, and i want to change that for her. I'm looking for a nice camera (in the 600-700 dollar range), and a few accessories, and then I'm going to enroll her in a course at the local community college. any advice on the makes and models i should be looking at? lol

Solarflare · Sep 29, 2012

Well, the general consensus for how to best start into photography is with an entry level DSLR and a kit lens.

Best option for Nikon would probably be the D3100 and the 18-105mm kit lens. Alternatively D5100 or D3200 which are newer technology and have small advantages (for example: D5100: great low light performance, swirvel monitor; D3200: Megapixelmonster, apparently best for video).

I still dont know enough about Canon to give advice about that. Maybe ask a Canonist about these.

timethief · Sep 29, 2012

what kind of camera do you want to get her?
point and shoot or dslr?

saltwootah · Sep 29, 2012

I appreciate the feedback! ...please bear with me here, but I am the novice to end all novices... I know that in some of my super-stealthy, ultra-secret inquiries ...she mentioned wanting to have a camera with interchangeable lenses, and being able to focus in on distant objects (one of the local lighthouses is about a half-mile from shore...) ...she's really the one who would understand all of the acronyms, etc. (I appreciate good photography, but sadly... I'm "that guy" ...you know the one that takes the horrible fuzzy photos with a close-up of his finger in them.) but that would ruin the surprise!

TheFantasticG · Sep 29, 2012

You could always use the "my friend wants to buy a camera, if you were buying one what would buy?" type of inquiry to find out what she wants. Or get a mutual friend or someone in her family to ninja ask those questions. Plenty of ways to go about this.

Denon · Sep 30, 2012

Sounds like a entry-level DSLR is what she is looking for. I agree with Solarflare that you should look for a Nikon D3100/D5100/D3200 with kit lens and maybe add an extra lens(perhaps 55-200mm if she want to shoot subjects far away)

If you can buy used gear you could always take a look at the Nikon D90.

snowbear · Sep 30, 2012

She should really hold each one as they feel different in your hands; the controls are different. Perhaps you should go to the store with her, let her think you are getting one for yourself. Pick them up, judging them, and hand them to her -- "What do you think about this one?" At least you'll have an idea what she thinks is comfortable for her to hold.

jaicatalano · Sep 30, 2012

Start on a entry level because you can easily get fooled into buying all the fancy stuff. I am partial to Canon but love the Nikons out there. I actually think Nikons are usually less expensive too. Here is a site for some entry level DSLR Canon Cameras. Also start with a kit lens. Good luck.

Entry-Level DSLR Cameras 2012 | Best Entry-Level DSLR Camera Comparisons and Reviews - TopTenREVIEWS

pixmedic · Sep 30, 2012

as far as entry level cameras go, there really isn't a "wrong" way to go. It wont matter whether you choose Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax, or whatever...they will ALL perform well for beginning photography enthusiasts. It isn't until you become serious with photography or have specific photographic needs that the differences in the brands really matter, and that is usually based on lens options and availability.

saltwootah · Oct 6, 2012

Hey guys... Just wanted to take a moment to thank everybody for their insight and input regarding my questions! After gathering information and input from here and other sources, I ordered a Nikon D3200 today ($654 from CompUSA via Shop.com, with $25 cashback), as well as the "Snapshots to great shots" book (Barnes and Noble $16). I WANTED to also get her a second lens, but the budget said "uh-uh", so I guess I have future gifts already lined up! Anyway, once again, thank you all for helping me out with this. This is something I believe she and I will be able to enjoy together for some time to come, and hopefully as she gets used to it amd is able to sort out the bells and whistles, she will post some of her photographs.