DSLR for Christmas

[BobM]

My 15 year old is getting deeply into taking pictures. She is now bored with her Canon pocket point and shoot and wants a better camera to play around with. She's been stealing my Nikon D40 whenever she can and seems to have an eye for setting up interesting shots.

I've been looking at the Nikon D3100 for her for Christmas. It is probably more than I want to spend on her present though, at about $450-550 with an 18-55mm VR lens. My big question is should I just give her my D40 with my 18-135mm VR lens and look for a better camera for myself some time down the road (like the 5100 perhaps) or is there a better option. It looks like $500 is about the least I can spend on a decent camera.

Are there any other options I should consider? What about other non-DSLR's, are they worth considering or is that just a waste of time and money?

Thanks

[evan1]

Only give her yours if your going to buy her something else for Xmas

[Putz]

Get her the DSLR if she truly is serious about picture taking and takes care of her stuff. Teenage girls not always the most responsible. My 22 year old still isn't. My daughter is also serious about photography. She started about the same age is yours and ended up starting the Photography Club at her High School and minoring in photography at college.

I got her a Canon DSLR about 4 years ago with the standard lens and a telephoto zoom as a package from one of the NYC photo stores online (no tax to NJ, $10 shipping). Look for a deal with the 2nd lens if you think she will make use of it. Sometimes the price is almost the same with both lenses as for just the one.

[BobM]

Yeah, a DSLR is what I would prefer to buy her. I know there is no way to "future proof" on a digital camera since they become obsolete every 2 years or so. The Sony NEX looks good, but for about the same price going with the Nikon D3100 is a no brainer to me. And since we're already a Nikon home the Canons are not in the DSLR running.

I can try and "gift her" my D40, since I really don't use it all that much, but then it's a used present and we will need to supplement it with something else for Christmas. I think the best option right now is to ask her if she wants the D40 as a re-gift and a major part of her total Christmas gift list, or the D3100 and perhaps a pair of gloves et al, because that is about as much as we would ever spend on Christmas presents for one kid.

[Putz]

Give her the D40 plus some "new" accessories for it. Maybe a new lens.

[BobM]

We broached the subject with her and she is all for taking the D40. She agrees that by the time this becomes totally obsolete she will probably be in college and wanting something better. She agrees that the D3100 would probably also be obsolete at that point too and the D40 is more than sufficient for her to learn how to operate an SLR for a photo class she will be taking next year in high school.

Verry practical kid in some respects. We'll give her some time to think this over before Christmas.

[allenzachary]

Try to find out if the photo class will discuss film.  Two years ago, my teen took a photo class and it was exclusively about film.  Film has a lot of advantages over digital (does this statement sound eerily familiar?) Learning its art and science is a joy.

There are a bunch of options for film:

Pentax K1000 (fully manual) old reliable and bulletproof   <$50
Canon AE-1 (shutter priority auto/manual) $50
Nikon FE (aperture priority/manual)--Great lenses <$150
Canon EOS Rebel 2000 (fully auto, auto focus, auto wind) <$100

Prices are ebay completed listings...many are available around these prices.

Which one?  Depends on how much she wants to learn.

[tmazz]

Try to find out if the photo class will discuss film.  Two years ago, my teen took a photo class and it was exclusively about film.  Film has a lot of advantages over digital (does this statement sound eerily familiar?) Learning its art and science is a joy.

There are a bunch of options for film:

Pentax K1000 (fully manual) old reliable and bulletproof   <$50
Canon AE-1 (shutter priority auto/manual) $50
Nikon FE (aperture priority/manual)--Great lenses <$150
Canon EOS Rebel 2000 (fully auto, auto focus, auto wind) <$100

Prices are ebay completed listings...many are available around these prices.

Which one?  Depends on how much she wants to learn.

Be really careful about buying an old film SLR online. One of the big problems with old SLRs is that there is a foam light gasket around the film compartment door that tends to dry out and start leaking light as the camera gets older. It is not that big of a deal to replace if you can get the part. we are getting to the point where the parts are not being made any more which means they are getting tough to find and even when you do find NOS pars sometimes the part is as old as the camera and is just as dried out as the one you are trying to replace. Better you should try to pick up an SLR body from a local dealer so you can inspect it before paying for it.

[allenzachary]

Try to find out if the photo class will discuss film.  Two years ago, my teen took a photo class and it was exclusively about film.  Film has a lot of advantages over digital (does this statement sound eerily familiar?) Learning its art and science is a joy.

There are a bunch of options for film:

Pentax K1000 (fully manual) old reliable and bulletproof   <$50
Canon AE-1 (shutter priority auto/manual) $50
Nikon FE (aperture priority/manual)--Great lenses <$150
Canon EOS Rebel 2000 (fully auto, auto focus, auto wind) <$100

Prices are ebay completed listings...many are available around these prices.

Which one?  Depends on how much she wants to learn.

Be really careful about buying an old film SLR online. One of the big problems with old SLRs is that there is a foam light gasket around the film compartment door that tends to dry out and start leaking light as the camera gets older. It is not that big of a deal to replace if you can get the part. we are getting to the point where the parts are not being made any more which means they are getting tough to find and even when you do find NOS pars sometimes the part is as old as the camera and is just as dried out as the one you are trying to replace. Better you should try to pick up an SLR body from a local dealer so you can inspect it before paying for it.

Fair enough....although my point was there are a bunch of really good film cameras available inexpensively.  Since his daughter is planning to take the photo class in high school, I wanted him to consider film cameras, as she may need one.

It is always a good thing to buy locally.  Support you local camera shop whenever you can.

[BobM]

I've got my trusty old Minolta 700 35mm film SLR if she needs to use a film camera for the class. That she can borrow easily enough since it is forgotten and crying inside a seldom dusted camera bag in the closet. It would welcome the attention 

But for her personal use I want a digital SLR, because it is instant gratification and costs nothing to take thousands of pictures (until they need to be developed). Plus she can then learn photoshop and manipulate them - so a double gain there.

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

[Barry (NJ)]

I know there is no way to "future proof" on a digital camera since they become obsolete every 2 years or so.

Hey Bob, I'm going to rebut your statement above. A good Semi-Pro DSLR won't be obsolete every few years. I'm still using a Canon 10D that I bought used a few years ago, and it was a couple of years out of production when I'd bought it. It's got a 6.3 meg sensor, and a rugged metal chassis. No it doesn't have the higher resolution afforded some of the newer pricier bodies, and it may not have some of the latest gizmoes in it's programming, but it still capeable of taking damn fine images, and works with all the newest Canon lenses. The photographer has as much, or more influence on the final image, as the camera. A GOOD used DSLR is a nice gift for an entry level photographer

[Carlman]

Future proof.. ha.  It's like anything... it is what you buy and will continue to be that for a long time.  It's not like you have to worry about microsuck coming out with a new operating system that requires more from your camera in 6 months.

I have the original Canon Rebel DSLR.. I think it was the first sub-$1,000 camera.  It is entry-level but a 'real' camera.  I used it a couple of years ago for a professional catalog shoot and it performed adequately for the purpose.  I've used it for weddings and various events with no issue... This camera is at least 5 or 6 years old now and still doing fine.  I want better low-light image quality and some better flash sync options.  

I've wanted a Nikon D300 for years.. which is still pretty much the same camera it has been for years... The digital camera market matured quickly.  I haven't seen much new or interesting stuff come out for the past couple of years.  However, the 7100 looks enticing too.  The important thing is to put your hands on some bodies.  See which ones work for you...

Having had a Nikon 8008s for several years got me used to the Nikon way of doing things... The Canon isn't as easy to control for me... but I'm sure that's different higher up the chain... gotta see 'em.  Whatever you or daughter chooses will get learned and mastered.  With someone that's young, it's better to 'start somewhere' then worry too much about what will work best.

-C

[BobM]

HBere's what I mean by future proof. My wife is entering something into a magazine for consideration. They said she needs to send photo's that are no less than 8mp resolution or they would not accept them. My D40 is 6.2 so no go, even though the quality of the picture is far better than the Canon handheld 8mp camera we have. I had no choice but to use that.

I've blown up pictures from my D40 to 8x10 size and they are beautiful and crisp. I can't imagine the same quality from that little 8mp Canon, but there you have it.

[JLM]

A community ed/college photo class is a great idea.

My ex wanted to share in my photo interests, so took such a class.  I filled in for her on a couple of the classes and the teacher was great (a real purist).  He was fanatical about using the slowest film speeds/shutter exposures absolutely possible (he'd easiy trade some shake for better color).  I learned a lot, just from 2 classes.

[Carlman]

If a photo contest demands a certain resolution photo, then I'm guessing they are reselling it for stock purposes... or they are possibly retarded to have that requirement.

Photo contests have always been a great way to build a collection of stock and pay nothing for the images or their use.  You usually sign away your rights to the photos, fyi.  I'm not saying this is the case, just saying it's commonly done. 

If you are shooting for stock, the images have to be a certain level of quality.  Any major brand DSLR on the market today will shoot at an acceptable resolution for that purpose.