Help choosing camera for the wife

jediTT

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Feb 8, 2014
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I know absolutely nothing about cameras. I'm looking to get my wife a camera for a v-day gift. I really want to get her a nice one that can get her going with digital photography as a hobby. I think I should be looking for a DSLR camera? A bit of light googling told me to look at the Nikon D3300, is this a suitable recommendation? I know the world of cameras goes pretty deep depending on budget and user level. I'd like to get her something that's kind of versatile but it would mostly be for taking family photos and things like that. Max budget is around $500. Any help is much appreciated.
 
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It's not about "good camera" vs "not good camera" (and it's $450 from reputable places, with only a cheap kit lens), rather something that will help with learning vs something that will hinder it. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikon-d3300/3 tells you right there that the grip is uncomfortable, and as a photographer, I can tell you how a camera feels is usually more important than how "good" the camera is. If you think...

fcnealvillangca

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samsung nx1 has 30+ megapixel a non photographer will be amazed with mega pixels :D or go with eos m3 which is very portable with alloy body I shoot with eos m3. or go 760d if you doesnt mind the weight. then get a 50mm 1.8 lens
 

jediTT

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I think the Samsung and the 760d are out of my budget. I'll give the Eos a look over. Thanks.
 


Is she interested in actually learning photography or just taking pictures of other hobbies? If the latter, any high end bridge camera will be great. If the first though, I highly suggest a 5300/760D (rebel T6s) and a starter lens like the 18-200 STM.

The $500 budget isn't enough though, at least not for a serious camera. The entry cameras in that price range will be very small, and you might deal with complaints about hands not fitting on it unless she has tiny hands and short nails.
 

jediTT

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I think she's interested in learning photography which is why I was hoping a decent camera could encourage her to explore it a bit. After looking around at all the prices I didn't realize $500 buys so little with digital cameras. Is the Nikon D3300 not a good camera? I've seen it around $400-ish with a kit lens.
 


It's not about "good camera" vs "not good camera" (and it's $450 from reputable places, with only a cheap kit lens), rather something that will help with learning vs something that will hinder it. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikon-d3300/3 tells you right there that the grip is uncomfortable, and as a photographer, I can tell you how a camera feels is usually more important than how "good" the camera is. If you think she's very serious about it, $1000 is about the starting point for a decent setup that will last you years and not hinder learning. If it's just a phase and you want a decent present, any of the cheap mirrorless cameras (or lowest end cameras like the D3300) will save you some money now and you won't be disappointed when the fad ends.
 
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bicycle_repair_man

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As basroil said, how a camera feels (especially an SLR) is far more impotant then its vital statistics. I shoot with a Nikon D90 (which is almost eight years old) because it feels solid and I can adjust certain settings without lifting my eye away from the viewfinder. My wife shoots with a Nikon D80, which is a decade-old camera, for the same reasons.

If your wife is serious about photography then you should consider buying a second-hand camera and putting the money you save towards a lens or two. A good combination would be a D3100 and 35mm f1.8G. Any photographer worth their salt will priortise the lens over the camera.

Remember, when you buy a camera you're also buying into a system of lenses, flashguns and other accessories, so it pays to plan ahead. Switching from one camera brand to another after you've built up a collection of lenses can be hugely expensive.