I've accepted that I should spend between $500-$600 for my wife's bday on a camera

[rstevens82]

Hi all,

Posted last week with a lower budget in mind, and now realize I have to pay more for something decent.

As mentioned; we have a new baby, and she constantly uses her iphone to take photos of her but I know she wants something better. She actually knows something about photography and took a class in college several years ago. She does a pretty darn good job with her iphone and I'm hoping this camera is something she can grow with and is not just a simple point a click camera. She still has an interest in photography and has mentioned taking another class once she gets a new camera.

I know other new mommy's have even asked her to take a few photos of their babies because they like her iphone photos. So to begin, she would be mainly using this camera to take photos of our baby and maybe a few others.

I know nothing about cameras but it sounds like DSLR is the way to go. I get the feeling my wife would be ok with a used camera if deals are to be had. Knowing her; she would want the biggest bang for the bucks.

I figured I'd ask the forum for advice before doing anything.

Thanks

Thanks in advance

 

[robbins.photo]

I'd probably take a look at a D3200 with the kit lens and a good external flash, my recommendation there would be a yongnuo 565ex. That should give you all the capabilities you'll need to start with at least.

 

[SnappingShark]

$699 after rebate: http://www.costco.com/.product.1000...categorypageHorizontalTop|CategoryTopProducts
From Costco - Canon t3i, 2 lenses - awesome lil kit for her to start with and decide if she wants to grow the hobby.

 

[Designer]

I still think she should use the one she already has.

What is the reason she will not consider using her existing camera?

IMO you're going to spend $600 and purchase something that is not significantly different from her existing camera.

 

[pixmedic]

I still think she should use the one she already has.

What is the reason she will not consider using her existing camera?

IMO you're going to spend $600 and purchase something that is not significantly different from her existing camera.

Her "existing camera" is an iPhone

 

[Dao]

As far as I know, camera is quite person. Some people like Point and Shoot, some prefer mirrorless, some cannot shoot without big and heavy gears and some only use medium format camera gears.

Have you ever go to a store like Bestbuy, Costco or Sam's Club with your wife (not letting her know about buying a camera) and just browsing and play around with different cameras and see if you can get some hint on what she really like?

If she always hold the DSLR type cameras and play with them at the store, then a DSLR maybe a better choice. Or if she feel the DSLR setup is too heavy, then Point and shoot or Mirrorless setup is better.

I just bought a Sony RX100 III (point and shoot) for my wife and received it last Friday (B-day gift as well) to replace her old Canon G11. She do not like big camera and sometimes she still think G11 is too bulky for her so the RX100 III is perfect especially it works with her Smartphone (remote control and image transfer via NFC/Wifi) since she share a lot of her photos with friends and relatives. Is a DSLR camera better than the RX100 III? Well, in some ways it is, but for her, the Sony is way better simply because of the weight, size and connectivity with Smartphone. And the image quality of that little camera is quite good. For a half body type head shots, the photo shows tiny hairs and skin pores (at ISO640).

So knowing what she prefer will definitely help deciding which camera to pick.

 

[ibrahimbeno]

best DSLR camera for beginners in photography world is Nikon D3200 (24.2 MP, large sensor, great image quality, low price, Guide mode , easy to use ....).
you should know that :

• The DSLR Cameras are nothing without their lenses, so you should make certain that your budget allows you to have at least one lens, a bag (to protect your camera when you travel or don't use it), and a memory card (giving you enough memory to save your images and videos).

think about that, low price of Nikon D3200, don't mean that it's bad camera, it can be better then all Canon camera under 700$.see this article, is Nikon D3200 best DSLR camera for beginners ? for more info and comparison.

 

[Overread18 6]

I agree with Dao - you want to get an idea if she really wants to use a DSLR setup. A DSLR is very different to a small purse camera or even one of the higher end bridge cameras (look like a DSLR but smaller and no interchangeable lens). IT might be that she just isn't interested in a big bulky DSLR and would far prefer and enjoy using a smaller point and shoot camera. It's a personal choice and when money starts to get into larger values I always advise trying to get a much infro from the person as possible; or even letting them make the final choice. You could take her out for a meal and then visit a few camera shops and let her know the budget and what to choose - let her make the choice rather than giving her a very nice, very expensive gift that might just not be what she's after (that's not to say in any way that she'd be bitter about the gift; just that it would be a point of guilt for her if she didn't use it, whilst at the same time being something that she just doesn't feel like using all that much).

 

[Ido]

Here are the cameras you should consider, in this order:

1. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
2. Sony Alpha NEX-6 with 16-50mm lens
3. Nikon D3300 with 18-55mm lens

#1 is the smallest and #3 is the largest. In good light, all of them work very well. In low light, they still all work very well, but #1 is not as good at that as the other two. Still, all are very, very capable cameras.

 

[Designer]

Her "existing camera" is an iPhone

No, she owns a "big clunky" something-or-other. She just doesn't use it. It's either a film SLR or an entry-level DSLR, which exactly it is has not been offered. And since it cost $500, I'm guessing that any new camera he gets will not be significantly different. Newer, yes, but not WAY DIFFERENT.

 

[pixmedic]

All I see in this post is a mention of an iPhone.

Improvements will depend on what her other camera is, and what she wants to do photography wise.

 

[Designer]

Last week's thread informed us of the "big clunky" one. It currently resides at her mother's house.

I see this man is set on spending some money.

 

[pixmedic]

Last week's thread informed us of the "big clunky" one. It currently resides at her mother's house.

I see this man is set on spending some money.

Well, I totally missed that.

To be honest, pretty much all DSLR's are "big and clunky".
For something less so, look at mirrorless or smaller bridge cameras.

You will have to eventually make some form of a compromise between size, function, and quality.
I would recommend finding a camera store and having her try out a few and see what size she is comfortable handling.

A question though....
If she isn't using the dslr she has now, why do you think she would use a newer one? Is it just the size she is adverse to?

 

[minicoop1985]

Last week's thread informed us of the "big clunky" one.

My wife is like this. Drives me nuts. "I WANNA UPGRADE BUT EVERYTHING WEIGHS MORE THAN 3 OUNCES AND THAT LENS IS TOO HEAVY AND I WANT A BETTER LENS BUT IT CAN'T BE HEAVY." Grrrrrr.... I've been known to carry two heavy ass film cameras AND a DSLR on hikes. Whining about weight (when the thing isn't even REMOTELY heavy) drives me nuts.

Anyway, I'd take a look at the mirrorless systems. They're compact, light, and generally have a lot of the features of a DSLR including interchangeable lenses.

 

[rstevens82]

I still think she should use the one she already has.

What is the reason she will not consider using her existing camera?

IMO you're going to spend $600 and purchase something that is not significantly different from her existing camera.

I got more info regarding her existing camera. She bought a camera with her mother at Costco around 10 years ago and spent $400. Don't know the model or specs and it is somewhere in storage. However, she was not fan of that camera and it may have been 3-4 megapixels.

You may be right that it is ok for her cause, but she keeps hinting at wanting a new camera. So regardless of the logic, I want to make her happy for her b-day.

As for recommendations:

Nikon D3200
Cannon t3i

keep coming up (in other threads I read here too). are they the heavily favorites for beginners?

Also, it sounds like the smartest thing is to let the wife pick out her camera. She likes a surprise and hates the hassle, but do you think its worth ruining the surprise by making her go to a store and pick one out herself?