Need some advice

poopsiega · Sep 2, 2011

My daughter wants to get into photography. The only experience she has is with a digital camera she got for Christmas a few years ago. It's ok, but doesn't do "serious" photos. I want to get her a new camera for her birthday so she can explore and see if this is something she's really interested in but I don't want to invest thousands of dollars right now. What would be a good camera to get her started? She's looking at the Nicon CoolpixL120, but I don't think that is a serious enough camera. I was looking at the Canon Rebels and I think she would be happier with that even though the price is a little steep for me right now. I forgot to mention, she's the middle child and when she makes up her mind, it's made up. So if I try to steer her to something else, it better be a good sell. Any suggestions?
Allen

Infinite_Day · Sep 2, 2011

How old is she? Middle child can still be a pretty wide range. If she's on the younger side I might shy away from spending too much - it's possible she'll move on to something else next month. You might look into a used mid-range SLR in good condition. You'll save a lot of money and will be able to sell it at less of a loss if she decides she doesn't want to continue with the hobby at some point. Also, take into consideration that once you move into the SLR range she'll proabably start wanting more lenses if she sticks with it which is really going to be your biggest expense. The kit lens should suffice to get her started into learning for a good while, though. I shoot Nikon myself so I don't know much about the Rebels. I would say look at a D50 through a D80 used. Something like this, maybe Used Nikon D80 SLR Digital Camera Kit with 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G Just a suggestion.

KenC · Sep 2, 2011

You could start a little lower with a used Rebel XT, XTi or XSi. All very nice cameras for a beginner and should be available at lower cost since the "T" series Rebels have been out a while now. If she outgrows the camera, then she can move on to something higher with the same lens or lenses and not much lost on the cost of the Rebel body. These cameras will do anything someone would want to do for quite a while with the exception of low-light high-ISO work without a flash, where the noise level will be higher than with the newer cameras.

pen · Sep 2, 2011

I'm certainly no pro but a father of an artistic daughter and an amateur photographer.

If she is showing true interest and really wants to try learning more then she would be best off with a camera that has more control. Rebel XS and D3000 (I believe) are the start if the DSLR cameras for Canon and Nikon respectively. There are other makers of cameras how ever and all will have some thing in that range. Some thing to consider in brand is if you shoot with a Nikon she could be using your lens.

The advantage of cameras like this are the quality of image that can be attained and the control she will have to get the shot right. The CCD will be larger and the piece of glass larger as well. All the purists here are going to tell you that kit lenses are no good but I would think that they are better or as good as what is on a coolpix. The advantage is the lens can be changed. A 50 1.8 is cheap and is a great lens, you can't change the lens on the coolpix. So if she does start to really get into it the body can be replaced with a higher end one and the lenses (which really mater the most) can be used on the next body.

I you think it is another passing fad then the coolpix is a great portable camera and will get you really nice photos on vacation.

Have a look around at photography courses or programs. I'm in Uxbridge, Ontario and I found out the other day that there is a program that two professional photographers put on where they had a group of teens shooting with them. Their images would then get critiqued and the best ones printed professionally for them. They looked like they were having fun and learning from pros. It was like a summer day camp for photography.

Just my 2cents

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analog.universe · Sep 2, 2011

I'll second the suggestion for an older rebel. They can be had really cheap these days, and any lenses you get for it will work on newer more advanced bodies if she's into it enough to upgrade eventually. Lenses will also hold their value should you decide to sell them, if she ends up not pursuing it. Also look into the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II lens for it. It's a perfect inexpensive starter lens that holds its own compared to pricier lenses, with much better image quality than a kit zoom lens. Build quality isn't fantastic, but that's why it's cheap.. you can't get better optics without spending 3 times as much. And remember that resolution (megapixels) isn't everything. 8 or 10 is just fine, you only need more if you're going to be printing large, or heavily cropping, not really issues for beginners. It's probably a good instinct to stay away from point and shoot type cameras... it's not that they're low quality (not all of them anyway), they're just not particularly conducive to learning the ins and outs of photography.

anth_333 · Sep 2, 2011

Yeah Rebel is the way to go for sure

BJF · Sep 2, 2011

Any entry level DSLR will satisfy your expectation. Recommend T1i or T2i for your limited budget and an article: Know Digital SLR before You Buy.

Canon T1i + market price
Canon T2i + market price

poopsiega · Sep 2, 2011

Thanks for the info folks. She's 20 years old and seems to be really interested. Just had a bad break up with her boyfriend (who she was supposed to marry) and she needs something else to focus on. She's always been interested in photography so I'm glad she's trying to channel her energy artistically.

Infinite_Day · Sep 2, 2011

Heck, for a 20 year old I would definitely go with a dSLR. Maybe even something a bit above entry level. Good luck and I hope it serves as a good distraction for her to channel her energy into.

Edit: Wow - had to change that one. Sounded like jibberish thanks to the autocorrect on the cell phone. I would still look at used cameras - just a little bit better used camera depending on your budget.