Slr

[peggyfromwastate]

I know it's been asked a million times... I need to get an SLR b/c Kate (DD14) is going to be taking Photography in high school. She has a great eye... I love seeing her pictures she takes on her point and shoot. Except for the stupid ones she puts as her profile pics on facebook.



But... anyway... We need an entry level SLR that I won't freak out about her taking out to shoot. I would like one that I can use as well. I don't want to spend a lot-- but I was thinking of this bundle with a cannon rebel 10 mp camera that has an extra lens and a tripod, camera case, etc., etc. It seems to have the stuff she'd need. It's got fairly good ratings. The camera itself I can find with the lens I would prefer at Amazon for 700. I can find it as a bundle with the tripod, etc. (same camera, same extra lens) from buy.com for about 780. Is the tripod and camera case worth that much? I think it comes with an SD card, too, but I don't care about that. I have lots of 8 GB SD cards that will do the trick.

OR

should I be looking at Nikons? For entry level, I've read they are king. I've also read that the Canon lenses are *cheap construction*... ????

[SoonerTexan]

Digital SLR or film? For digital, I'd go with a Canon Rebel. I have the Rebel XTi and I love it. See if she can ask her teacher about lenses. The kit lens that comes with any entry-level SLR is crap, so if you can get one without it and buy a better one separately, she'll be better off in the long run. The problem is there are soooo many pretty lenses to choose from!

The prices you listed sound good. Also, DSLRs use a different kind of bigger (more expensive) SD card. They ain't cheap. But maybe you knew this already

I don't know much about Nikons, but I think they have a similar entry-level. Both brands are great--I really don't think one is better than the other.

I hope she enjoys the class! I took photojournalism on a whim my senior year of HS and completely fell in love with it!

[peggyfromwastate]

It's Digital SLR...

I don't know about the card. I think it's an SD card. We have SDHC cards around...

Some reviewers write about other kinds of lenses. Do you buy Canon lenses? Or from other brands?

[SoonerTexan]

PS--some good info on buying Canons and other good photo goodness collected by this wonderful lady:

http://thatwifeblog.com/photography/

The Pioneer Woman has LOADS of good photography info too (I think someone just posted a link in another thread?)

[SoonerTexan]

Sorry--another post by me. I've stuck with Canon lenses because I worry about the quality of other brands. I think there are some pretty good ones out there, though--I just don't bother with them. I actually don't know anyone who does. The biggest issue with lenses is what type she will need for the class. I love using my telephoto and 50mm 1.8 (fixed length--no zoom) for portraits, but they aren't good for all situations. To be honest, I'm not really sure what a good non-kit versatile lens would be--I'd definitely ask the teacher. I just bought my 3rd lens a week ago, and at this point, I don't use the kit lens at all anymore.

Lenses do add up quickly though (the one I just bought was $250 USED!) Maybe it would be good to stick with the kit lens for now...real helpful, huh?

I do highly recommend the 50mm 1.8 (about $100) for your own use, though. It is the perfect lens for portraits, especially indoor portraits at a close range.

I've got an older Canon Rebel DSLR -- and I love it. I do need to get a couple new lenses. I'd switched to Canon's mix of a point & shoot / slr (the 51S? I think), when the boys started to move too fast for me to haul out the big camera fast enough. But now with Mattie I'm missing the quality I had before.

[MarissaNicole]

I wanted to get a canon because I heard such great things but I ended up going with Nikon because I got such a great deal (they stopped making the D40s). And I love it. I really think you cannot go wrong with either.

You ABSOLUTELY want to get a package, the extra lense is FABULOUS! I don't know that much about how much the bag and tripod are worth but I think that a generic bag runs at least 20-30 dollars, let alone a "Nikon" bag.

[DCJenn]

Peggy- don't forget to check w/ AAFES to see what deals you can find w/ the military. We buy almost all of our electronics either at the base on through AAFES.com

Jenn

[SoonerTexan]

I forgot--I did buy my dslr with a lens package--it came with a telephoto that I used often. Cant remember what I paid, though.

I bought this bag and I love it--it's been great for trips:

http://www.tamrac.com/frame_adv.htm

[Ladybug]

You can still find Nikon D40s on Amazon for a good price, probably comparable to the Canon rebels. A lot of people still swear by the D40s over the newer Nikons. We're in the market for both a point-and-shoot for everyday hauling around and a dSLR too. I'm going to a camera store to talk with someone, hold them and and try them out. Take Kate into a store to check them out even if you end up finding a better deal online. She's going to love it!

[peggyfromwastate]

Annie that's a great suggestion-- From reviews I've read there is a big difference in the feel of certain camera.. Although I'll play with her camera sometimes, it will be hers and she needs to feel comfortable holding it.

Thanks for all the advice!!!

And Jenn-- I always forget about AAFES... Probably b/c the one we have closest to us is... pathetic. But Andrews and Belvoir aren't too far of a drive. So we'll check that out too.

[Amiens]

I have a Nikon D40x, and currently taking a photography course. Since taking the course, I haven't put on my kit lens-- it's not necessarily the construction that is crap, it is the optics are not as good as a prime or fixed lens. My suggestion would be to purchase just the body, and get a prime lens 50 mm/1.4 or 50 mm/1.8-- the 1.4 is a better investment imho. I believe by doing this you spend the same amount of money as buying a kit, but will have a better camera set up.

You also might want to check Craigslist for an entry-level body. Some people look to upgrade, and don't have a need for their entry level body. If you have a local camera store, they might have used bodies for less than a brand new one.

My favorite camera sights that have excellent customer service and prices- www.adorama.com and www.bhphotovideo.com/

Best of luck! This is exciting!

[peggyfromwastate]

my first purchase may be digital cameras for dummies... I would love to take a photography course--- maybe I can take the class with Kate. Wouldn't she love that? Would they let a parent in the classroom? J/K of course. Sort of.

[DCJenn]

Just go to the online site! I'm all about ordering online.

Jenn

Peggy, Is there any way you can talk to the teacher beforehand to find out what equipment she needs? He should be able to tell you if she needs a wide angle, telephoto, macro, prime....it'll just depend on what type of assignments she'll have.

The 50mm 1.8 is the best deal you can find on lenses. That's a great idea to have her handle the cameras. Really, you can't go wrong with either Canon or Nikon so she should just get whichever one she likes the best. One thing about Nikon is that their D40 did not have an internal focus motor and I think that's still the case with their newer entry level models (it's been awhile since I researched this so I'm not totally sure, though.) That wouldn't matter with most lenses, but the autofocus would be disabled if she ever uses a lens that doesn't have a motor. Not a huge deal, but I know that I have a hard time getting a tack sharp image when I am shooting wide open and using manual focus.

As far as third party lenses, there are some that are as good as or better than the equivalent Nikkor or Canon lenses and you can usually get them for about a quarter the price. I have a Tamron 28-75mm 2.8 that was about $300 and the photos it takes are almost as good as the ones that come out of my pro level Canon 24-70mm 2.8 which was $1300. Most folks wouldn't be able to tell the difference. The autofocus was a little sluggish on the Tamron and, since I shoot young kids, I needed to upgrade.

clickinmoms.com and Pioneer Woman, as has been mentioned, are great photography websites. Just don't look at Pioneer Woman's recipes....dangerous. shuttersisters.com is also a great site.

Oh, one more tip...whatever you do, don't buy a gray market item! It would save you some money up front, but there would be no way to fix it if it breaks.