a new camera for college

[youyesyou]

howdy again. haven't been here for a few months.

okay, so i'm going next year and i've decided that i want to major in photography. but ever since i've started taking picture (dude, like...this march) i've only been meddling in the realm of digital photography.

well i was looking at the course descriptions of my classes, and it said i needed to furnish a 35mm camera with adjustable f-stops and shutter speeds. i'm kind of dissapointed, cause i was looking to buy digital slr this month, but i figured i might as well put my money towards the camera i need for college.

the only problem is, i have totally no clue what to buy. i'm looking to spend anywhere between $350 and $400 but like i said, i have no clue what the best buy would be for my needs. any suggestion any of you might have would be a great help.

http://awwjeah.port5.com

 

[DocFrankenstein]

You need an film SLR. You can either get a:

1) modern auto focus one.
Pros:
You start bying lenses for that, and since you want to major in it, you're gonna need them sooner or later.
You'll be able to use your lenses on the DSLR of your choice.
Long term investment.

Cons:
Much more expensive.

Or you can go with an old manual SLR. Perfectly good for undertanding basics. Lots of opportunities to screw up. But when you learn how to use it, you'll really appreciate the AF SLR.
You're kinda "wasting" your money in the long run, cause you're probably not gonna use it commercially.
You can get quality lenses cheaply.

 

[Nikon Fan]

I just recently had to buy a new camera for college classes as well. I went with the Canon Elan 7ne which I totally love, but that may not be totally in your price range. I would suggest something in the Canon series mostly because I'm a big fan of Canon. Good luck in choosing, and let us know what you pick

 

[Jamie R]

On the otherhand, it could be heartsinking to learn of would-be photographers going into college to major in photography and not being able to tell the difference between an f-stop and a bus stop.

Maybe have a look at a good quality Contax body with a Carl Zeiss lens or two. The Aria will fit into your budget. Apparently women go kooky all over the Contax Aria it's that good

 

[usayit]

Dude... your going to college ( congrats ) and just starting... don't sink too much money into this... yet.. You will have more than enough time to sink money into equipment after you graduate. I'd look into 60s-70s manual focus cameras. All the equipment for those manual cameras are soooo affordable now a days and the quality glass rivals that of present day AF lenses. For the cost of a new AF body and a single slowish zoom, you can afford to a body and a whole bag of fast primes ( and perhaps 1 zoom to play with ).

Don't forget that you should probably purchase a tripod too.

 

[Hertz van Rental]

The Pentax K1000 is a good robust camera and cheap second hand. The Chinese have bought the rights and started making it again under a name like Seagul (I forget exactly). Can be bought for a little over £100 (what's that? $60-70 maybe). But look second hand for old manuals. They won't break the bank and they'll get you started until you discover what you need from a camera.

 

[uberben]

i picked up a Canon FT QL body with a FL 19mm 1:3.5R fisheye , FL 55mm 1:1.2, a FL 55mm-135mm F 1:3.5, Light booster, and flash for 50 dollars . All were in near mint condition. I just had to get the body refoamed and a new battery for the meter. I really like the camera and i am not super worried about it getting busted in the learning process. I have learned a lot about the basic's with this fully manual camera.

 

[havoc]

Just remember a camera just records your ideas. Its up to you to decide what you wanna photograph. As long as it has full manual mode and decent shutter speeds then you will be fine. If your really into digital photography then buy your DSLR and get a cheap AF 35mm camera that uses the lenses. Just make sure it has manual controls and is in good working order. This way you can play with your DSLR and have a cam for school. Look on Ebay and www.keh.com for good deals.

 

[tr0gd0o0r]

I'd strongly recommend a cheaper old manual focus sytem for the class. You'll learn a lot more and it really makes you slow down, take your time and think. You mentioned getting a DSLR later on this year, if you get a old Manula SLR, you coudl easily spend well under $100 and not hit yourself to hard in the savings department. I'd recommend going with whatever brand DSLR you want so the lenses will be compatable.