Im sure this forum gets flooded with noobies wanting info but i really know nothing. Im looking for a cheap but decent camera for my girlfriend. Shes always liked the idea of photography but has never gotten to get into it. she even wanted to go to school for it but couldn't. SO i want to surprise her with a camera and see what she does. that being said i dont want to spend too much since i dont know what will happen from there. Anyone have any good suggestions? probably dont even want to put $200 down on one if i dont have to. Any Help appreciated BESIDES saying i need to spend a thousand dollars. that doesnt help. THANKS
Your question is, of course, as broad as the American tourist in Rome asking a local where to find good food.
Liking the idea of photography and learning the rules, theory and concepts of photography tend to be very distinct intentions.
You can be an interesting photographer with a smart phone or a $75 point and shoot.
I always go back to my education and the minimum requirements of arts such as music, theatre, sculpture or poetry. They are simply that there must be three elements; a performer, a space and an audience. You don't need a script or a song, you can improvise. You need not be on a stage with lights and a set, you simply need to be somewhere. You do, however need an audience and the audience will decide whether your performance managed to ascend beyond the merely mundane.
Photography is much the same, if your audience finds your world view interesting and they want to see more, that's all that is required. If your audience doesn't feel your work is interesting, it doesn't matter how technically sophisticated your equipment is.
On a photography forum you're likely to find most contributors suggesting a fair minimum of a pre-owned or refurbished DSLR such as an older Canon or Nikon;
Amazon.com Canon Rebel XTi DSLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f 3.5-5.6 Lens OLD MODEL Dslr Camera Photo
Both lines provide more than sufficient selections in lenses that you can grow with such a kit at a moderate cost. The 6-8 Megapixel count is enough to provide high quality prints up to 8 X 10's. Features are sparse when compared to today's models but sufficient to learn photography. A digital camera such as this will be inexpensive to operate as a student deletes many shots to make way for new.
There is also a category of cameras aimed at the "enthusiast" photographer who wants to have a carry around camera for day to day work. Less expensive than a traditional interchangeable lens system, this is a group of cameras a student can find inviting.
Canon more or less invented this category with their "S" series cameras. The most recently discontinued S110 can be found on Canon's direct sales pages on line. A refurbished S110 can be had for about $125-150 (when it's available, which isn't always) with a one year warranty. It's quality and versatility are more than good enough to carry a student photographer through several years of work.
Canon PowerShot S110 Black Refurbished Canon Online Store
This category has seen other manufacturers produce similar cameras and you can easily shop "enthusiast cameras" with any search engine. Look to last year's model to stay in your price range.
If your girlfriend indicates she wants to learn photography, buy a camera with a reasonably low f-stop value for the lens - a lesser value than, say, f 2.8. Learning the technical aspects of photography will require a camera with some manual controls so look for a control dial with P-S-A-M positions on the control dial. A built in flash will suffice for learning and a LCD screen for framing the shot will be all she needs. A more traditional viewfinder is nice but not required.
If your friend is not that interested in the mechanics of photography and only wants to take some pictures of what see finds interesting, start with any moderately priced point and shoot. If, in a year's time, she becomes frustrated with the technical limitations of such a camera, come back and ask for another suggestion.
I wouldn't be looking for a "perfect" choice at this point. There are simply too many good choices for any one to be perfect for a student. A student simply needs to get a camera in their hands and go from there.
) but some stuff on the side she'd love anyway.
