Starter SLR for 12 year old

[scmindseye]

In my experience I would suggest this... Olympus evolt-e500 with a 14-45 mm lens... and if she gets better than you can add a 45-150mm lens unless you want both for her for focal range. I have photographed thousands of things with this camera and find it is better in preferrable image quality than the $1900.00 worth of professional canon gear I just bought. you can get a kit used for $250.00 and that is the best money could probably buy at her age. It had simple to use funcions and when she learns more she can shoot fully manual with it. and the camera can be completely set up the way she likes. if she likes moving animal type photography, than the burst mode is a plus... bar none the lenses combined with this body have been endearing to me personally technically and emotionally. it is rugged despite a plastic shell, not leinent on amount of controls, and will be photographically and equipment wise 100% totally effecient and dependable... I wouldn't use anything else. except for portraits and sports, that's where I use my canon.

 

[Petraio Prime]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Alpa-10D-2-8-35...=ViewItem&pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item563dbd2074

I have a daughter that seems to like taking photos with a point and shoot. She entered her photo project into the 4H fair and it appears many of the kids have camera's that are far better than my daughters Samsung point and shoot and skills better than hers. She could see the difference as well.

I think she has the desire to learn SLR, but I don't know if she is mature enough to take care of one, either way I am asking for opinions.

What is a good starter digital SLR that is easy to use, learn on and durable. I have a D90, but I am not hard that she has to have a NIKON. I also am open for used camera suggestions.

Good starter SLR for a young kid:er:

Oh, an Alpa:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Alpa-11e-SLR-Ca...=ViewItem&pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item20b175a577

http://cgi.ebay.com/Alpa-10D-2-8-35...=ViewItem&pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item563dbd2074

 

[Derrel]

Oh, an Alpa:

Alpa 11e SLR Camera - eBay (item 140416230775 end time Aug-10-10 22:25:56 PDT)

Alpa 10D + 2,8/35 mm Alpa-Curtagon - eBay (item 370402992244 end time Jul-30-10 07:38:04 PDT)

An Alpa? How about something that will still work? And which is more modern and mechanically sophisticated?

Nikon F Photomic T 1967 SLR camera 35MM - eBay (item 300445510143 end time Jul-18-10 17:00:27 PDT)

 

[Petraio Prime]

Oh, an Alpa:

Alpa 11e SLR Camera - eBay (item 140416230775 end time Aug-10-10 22:25:56 PDT)

Alpa 10D + 2,8/35 mm Alpa-Curtagon - eBay (item 370402992244 end time Jul-30-10 07:38:04 PDT)

An Alpa? How about something that will still work? And which is more modern and mechanically sophisticated?

Nikon F Photomic T 1967 SLR camera 35MM - eBay (item 300445510143 end time Jul-18-10 17:00:27 PDT)

Irony seems lost on you....it was a joke!

 

[franco stacy]

Thanks to all for taking the time to respond.

I have not made any final decisions. I have not ruled out a good P&S. I am leaning toward a used older Nikon DSLR. That way its somewhat compatible with my stuff and I will somewhat know how to operate it. It would give me a back up if I need one or one to carry in rougher environments.

So if somebody would still want to respond, if you don't mind maybe provide either good P&Ss of any brand and suggested DSLR Nikons that would be good or models to avoid.

How do you feel about ebay for finding a DSLR?

Some questioned how much she would use it, that's true. On that subject...my wife could use it as a P&S if she needed to ( I hate for her to borrow my stuff or even tough my stuff). In the couse of my kids, good or bad, I have bought them many things they have not used and some things they have used that I never bought for them, so who knows how this will play out

Thanks

 

[usayit]

So if somebody would still want to respond, if you don't mind maybe provide either good P&Ss of any brand and suggested DSLR Nikons that would be good or models to avoid.

For someone who is serious about photography, the following P&S cameras are what I would consider:

* Canon S90 (very compact for what it is capable). Here's a thread from a member (JeremyZ): http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...14-canon-powershot-s90-photographers-p-s.html

* Canon G11 (the G-Series for years has been the bar from which high end P&S cameras were measured against. Older G9, G10 are also good) Search around.. there are several threads regarding the G-series camera. If when in doubt, I always recommend this camera when someone is looking for a high-end P&S camera. Its a bit bigger in size if that matters.

* Panasonic LX3 (Fast wide-angle, better than the competition optics. Excellent IQ but a bit short on focal range). This was my P&S drug of choice. Its an excellent street shooter for its wide fast optics. Here's a thread that I put some thoughts (I just realized I never wrote a thread with a review on this camera... oh well): http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...views/182429-point-shoot-raw.html#post1741685
note: the LX3 is due to be replaced with a newer model soon.

* Finally the Nikon P6000. Unfortunately, this camera didn't appeal to me too much but does qualify as a high end P&S. You should check it out and decide for yourself.

What all these cameras have in common are advanced modes that you would commonly find in DSLRs; aperture & shutter priorities and exposure compensation with ability to shoot in RAW. The LX3 is a complete blast to have fun with.... probably one of the most enjoyable cameras I've purchased in a long time.

Now if you step it up a bit, there are the mirror-less so called "EVIL" (Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens) cameras. More importantly, they are equipped with a larger sensor which is more capable than the high-end P&S. They squeeze a lot of quality and features into a small body and small lenses. They are becoming extremely popular in Europe and Asia (Japan) and just now really taking off here in the US (bigger is better mentality). There are currently dominated by the Panasonic Lumix G1, GH1, G2, G10 etc.. and the Olympus Pen Cameras (E-P1, E-P2, and E-PL1). Samsung NX10 and the newest arrival Sony NEX 5 are also players in this space. These cameras are also popular for those that like to adapt older manual focus lenses. My EVIL camera of choice was the Olympus E-PL1.

From there, you are now going into the entry level DSLR cameras. As mentioned, sticking to NIkon will allow you to share the camera purchased. I am totally in agreement (even though I prefer Canon). The recommendation for the D40 is an excellent choice for its light weight body.

 

[usayit]

As for buying from Ebay, remember you are not dealing with ebay... you are dealing with individual sellers directly. Ebay is simply hosting webspace in order to connect buyers to sellers. So your results will vary greatly... there are a lot of scams on ebay as well as a lot of legitimate sellers as well. You just have to be careful and there is always some risk. I've done much of my shopping on ebay and so far, never had a problem.

If you want to deal with used equipment with well respected stores, I recommend:

B&H Photo Video Digital Cameras, Photography, Camcorders
Digital cameras, all other cameras and everything photographic from Adorama Camera
Buy & Sell New & Used Cameras ? Canon, Nikon, Hasselblad, Leica & More - KEH.com << big used seller and always had good results

The advantage of these stores is that they have return policies.



On a final note... your daughter won't learn photography if the camera purchased is too big or bulky for her to carry.

 

[blash]

Nikon D40 from eBay - $200-$275 depending on luck. Cheap, basic Nikon DSLR, and it will basically hold its value over time because it can't really go down much further from there.

If your daughter is interested in fine art photography - Nikon 35mm f/1.8 DX lens, $190 new from B&H (good luck finding it used). It's a fantastic lens, great image quality, and equivilates on the D40 to the film 50mm focal length that is the bread-and-butter of fine arts photography and indeed the only focal length many fine arts photographers owned back in the film days.

If your daughter is interested in photography as a hobby, I'd recommend some kind of zoom lens but then again it makes more sense to get a decent used P&S - cheaper in case the camera ends up unused after a few weeks.

 

[bigboi3]

I actually won a bid recently on a Nikon D3000 from Cameta Camera's Ebay store. It was refurbished but to Nikon's Factory requirements specs. I won it for 200 and some odd dollars. I don't know why I bought it because I have a D700. The D3000 is actually a pretty decent entry level DSLR. I don't mind throwing it around and with the 35mm 1.8 I attached to it, it actually is a very good walk around camera (I recently brought it with me to a weekend trip with my family to Monterey, CA). I highly would suggest this as a camera for the OP's daughter to use.