Beginner Camera

[tammyg]

Hello, my husband and I are planning on buying our daughter her first "real" camera as a graduation gift. She has a strong interest in photography and has asked for a "real" camera for a few years. Now that we know she truly is interested and it's not just a phase, which camera is the best camera for a beginner?

p.s. She has not taken any photography classes, however, she is looking into possibly taking a class this summer/fall.

Thanks in advance for your advice/suggestions!

Tammy

 

[rehab]

Canon rebel series or nikon d3100/5100. both great value for the money and intro cameras

 

[tirediron]

Both Olympus and Pentax make excellent gear as well. My suggestion is to give her a "certificate" saying that you will cover up to 'X' dollars for gear and then take her to a real camera store (NOT a big-box store that sells cameras) and let her choose the one she likes best.

 

[manaheim]

Best camera for a beginner is the best fully-featured camera you can afford. You get what you pay for and lesser bodies have greater limitations. This isn't saying "spend 5k!". This is saying don't spend 500 if you can afford 1000, because every dollar you don't spend will cost you many times that much later on.

 

[rehab]

^^ i dont completely agree with that post. Theres a lot of people that drive lambos that are scared or don't harness the full potential of them. Same with cameras, it is great to start out with a camera easy to control and makes you work harder to achieve some results that are easy with higher end cameras.

 

[Hardrock]

The real question is how much are you willing to spend! Then we can help spend your money accordingly.

 

[Boutte]

Just make sure sure it's an SLR. And preferably something with a good line of quality lenses. There are some great point and shoots out there that can do amazing things but they're still point and shoots.

 

[rehab]

stay away from cameras like the sony nex-3, nex-5, olympus pen-1 or whatever the name is.

 

[Ginu]

Stick to DSLR's and according to the budget there are plenty of options and go for the best you can afford... if the daughter is really inclined to photography and is willing to learn and dedicate time into this hobby, then there is no reason to get her the best you can afford.
I am not familiar with Pentax, Olympus or Sony but they make great cameras as well, but typically I would stick to Nikon/Canon as they are the brands most used.

You know your daughter best and that's why I would go with a budget 1st, then pick photography store and take her and and purchase what fits her style best in terms of ergonomics, feel and so on.

 

[manaheim]

^^ i dont completely agree with that post. Theres a lot of people that drive lambos that are scared or don't harness the full potential of them. Same with cameras, it is great to start out with a camera easy to control and makes you work harder to achieve some results that are easy with higher end cameras.

Cars and cameras are wildly different devices.

Cars can be heavily limited by specialization (think lamborghini vs Humvee), and a camera isn't going to get you killed if you take it too fast around a corner in the rain.

That said.... Assuming you are a race car driver, the Lamborghini is going to help you win a lot more days at the track than the Ford Fiesta, so the logic still applies.

 

[djacobox372]

Take your budget, divide it by half, and then buy a camera body made by nikon or canon. Then give her the 2nd half of the $$ to buy a lens of her choice.

 

[Forkie]

Anything BUT a Sony. Don't get a Sony. Just don't.

 

[Super Simple]

Best camera for a beginner is the best fully-featured camera you can afford. You get what you pay for and lesser bodies have greater limitations. This isn't saying "spend 5k!". This is saying don't spend 500 if you can afford 1000, because every dollar you don't spend will cost you many times that much later on.

+1

I find that works with more than just cameras. The only trick is to know the market enough so that you know when something is overpriced.

 

[photoGRAPHIX]

The canon 1000d,450d,500d or the others in the rebel series from canon,its reasonably cheap and easy to use made for beginner DSLR users. Nikon has some good DSLR's as well.