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gift for newb gf

drbrock

drbrock

Golden Member
Hey everybody I post mostly on console games and gadgets but my gf wants an DSLR camera for her birthday. I am poor accountant so I can't blow the $600-800 on a new one. On ebay I have seen the Canon 300D or 350 in the 200-300 price range. Are these cameras any good by today's standards?

Keep in mind she has no idea whats she doing with it and neither do I. My point and shoot has 14 megapixels and the 300D has 6. Would my point and shoot take higher quality photos than the 300D? I don't want to invest in an SLR if our point and shoot will blow it away.

Any tips would be very helpful. This is not for photography class. Just something for her to take to europe or out on the boat sometime.

Thanks in advance!
 
drbrock said:
My point and shoot has 14 megapixels and the 300D has 6. Would my point and shoot take higher quality photos than the 300D?
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I'd say no, megapixels have little to do with image quality. Most P&S images fine details get smothered away from the in-camera processing to reduce noise.

The advantage of a DSLR over a P&S come in many forms beside Image Quality, too numerous to list here.

If she's interested, go for it.
 
I'd look into Craigslist for maybe a T1i or T2i kit...

Type 'Canon T1i; Craigslist' , or 'Canon T2i; Craigslist' in your search bar and you should get some results. If you find one in your price range, simply respond to the ad and see if they would be willing to ship.

Good luck!
 
I looked for T1i in craigslist and have not seen anything under 395. Maybe i will come across something cheaper in the next few days. I sent some offers out maybe I will get a hit.
 
Look for a used Rebel XS (1000D). It's newer than the 300D/350D and it has a larger LCD, newer generation "processor", and it uses SD/SDHC cards instead of Compact Flash. It's definitely a "starter" DSLR so it doesn't have all the features of the more expensive models, but it is plenty of camera for a total noob. It is very capable of taking nice photos.

Canon sells them refurbed for $400 (or less with a trade in discount), but I have seen them on Craigslist for $300.
 
the pentax k100d or k200d are also good options. They both use AA batteries, so if you have rechargeable batteries (eneloops/NiMH low discharge) that's a +
the k200d is weather resistant, and with a weather resistant lens you won't have to worry about taking it out in the rainy, humid or dusty/sandy areas (beach, hiking, etc although i'm not sure if florida gets as dusty as california)
if your gf doesn't mind/wants to learn manual focusing the k100d supports a lot of older (and often cheap, though there are some ridiculously expensive awesome ones) lenses without requiring an adapter (many of which are manual focus).
the k100d tends to be about 200$, and the k200d about 250-300.

you can also probably find a nikon d40 or d60 in your price range.

the sony alpha 330 often goes on sale, refurbished ones for 330$, it's a pretty nice basic dslr


fyi: if your wife wants to be able to record hd video with the dslr, you probably won't be able to find a DSLR in your price range. cheapest might be the pentax k-x at ~$400 used, or one of the olympus ones (G2?, GH2?), i forget...

one good thing about dslrs is that you'll have lots of options for future presents for your gf (if she decides she likes photography) such as flashes, lenses, tripods, cleaning kits, carrying equipment options, etc for a while 😛 (some of which can be cheap)

//i own a pentax camera (K100D) that's why there's more information listed here for them, hopefully some people will come by to add information on some nikon and other budget DSLR camera options//
 
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I'll second the 2nd hand Pentax idea. If you can get her one with a prime lens instead of a zoom, you'll be doing her a favor (contrary to what she might think). Being a newbie, she'll learn a lot more that way.

Megapixels are HUGELY overrated. I've gotten really good 8x10 photos from a 2.1 megapixel SLR before. Anymore than 6 megapixels is unecessary (but ok) for any SLR unless she will be making enlargments bigger than 11x14.
 
300D is really getting old at this point, i wouldn't recommend one anymore

you can look on keh.com, they sell a lot of used equipment.
 
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Most people recommend sticking with canon or nikon just for the main reason that they are the two biggest companies (for a good reason)and will have the greatest second hand supplies.

With canon any entry level camera such as the ti1 or the t21 would be great.
With nikon im not terribly familiar with them right now but do know that they make good cameras and lenses.

As for a lens purchase I would stay away from primes just because it is so limiting and a zoom would be so much more enjoyable. I know many people (including smittbrett) who believe that a prime lens makes you think more which prob comes the book understanding exposure, but I really dont see how it makes you think more. But like I said i really dont think you could prove it eithor way so you can just think it through and decide for yourself on that one.


Also on the flip side of things there has been more than once where i have needed to travel and would have loved to take a camera but do to my dslr and lens(es) are both heavy and big i decided against taking my camera. But if I had a pocket camera I would have been more than able and happy to have taken it.
 
I'm a Pentax user myself (K7 body). Besides the fact that the body I got was fully weather-sealed, another one of the other main reasons I opted for Pentax was due to their K-mount on the lenses. The K-mount has not changed in like 30 years, so there are a ton of cheap/older lenses to choose from that will fit modern day DSLR's.

I doubt you will find Canon/Nikon, or any other camera body that allows this sort of option.

Either way, good luck in finding something that suites your needs for the price you are looking for.

Cheers!
 
Smoove910 said:
I'm a Pentax user myself (K7 body). Besides the fact that the body I got was fully weather-sealed, another one of the other main reasons I opted for Pentax was due to their K-mount on the lenses. The K-mount has not changed in like 30 years, so there are a ton of cheap/older lenses to choose from that will fit modern day DSLR's.

I doubt you will find Canon/Nikon, or any other camera body that allows this sort of option.

Either way, good luck in finding something that suites your needs for the price you are looking for.

Cheers!
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Nikon's F-mount is backwards compatible with lenses going back all the way to the 1950's. And they have more lenses and bodies to chose from.

I would recommend Canon or Nikon because they have the most complete system available, not to mention some of the best DSLR lenses around.
 
Munky said:
Nikon's F-mount is backwards compatible with lenses going back all the way to the 1950's. And they have more lenses and bodies to chose from.

I would recommend Canon or Nikon because they have the most complete system available, not to mention some of the best DSLR lenses around.
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Yes OP, we need to know if she will be shooting high action like professional football or long range shots for National Geographic before we can accurately acertain whether or not a 2nd hand Pentax with a pair of prime lenses is appropriate for a newbie photographer.
 
Seriously, though, your GF needs to hold and feel the cameras. I used to shoot Canon throughout the 80's and 90's, but would never touch a Rebel. Had I purchased a Rebel first, I would have never shot with the A2 and 1N. The #1 factor for enjoying a camera system is how it feels in her hands. PERIOD.
 
just give her a film camera... she'll love the results 🙂 though it WILL take some time before you get them back...
 
I agree with finbarqs. A Canon AE-1 has a basic shutter priority mode, light meter, pretty much everything there is that is needed to take amazing photographs.

Oh wait, I suspect you/she isn't looking to become an actual photographer, just to buy some whiz-bang gadget.

In that case - with your budget, a used 350d is probably in the cards. It's a consumer level camera but definitely has everything needed to snap photos that you don't need to think about. It's big, heavy, and like all other dslrs you will be buying lenses till the cows come home - then you will be schleping them around for her too.

The DSLR (or any SLR for that matter) - is a tool used by creative people to make art. In the interest of profit and consumer demand they build them down to this level for folks to buy, struggle with, get frustrated because they aren't artists, and eventually put on the shelf.

My rant over - You aren't going to find much more for that budget than whats been mentioned. I currently use a 350d a I struggle to become what a non-artist can actually achieve - and act as second to a pro from time to time with it. It's reliable, sturdy, quite easy to use, and you can create some amazing photographs with it.

Megapixels are not a measure of photo quality, but simply puts a number on a measurement that basically means "this is how large you can enlarge a print without artifacts becoming apparent". In the point and shoot world its a virtual cock size. It means nothing, and too big is a bad thing. The tiny point and shoots sensor packed with that many units introduces a ton of noise.

The 350d was used to make pictures like this: (random search, not my own)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodno/5805521187/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodno/5805509439/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pvgg/5805188631/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/emprul/5804790919/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zachbonnell/5797313324/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/birashis/5785354328/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tallok/5779006871/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55915417@N08/5775322257/

My point is that old doesn't = poor. These are solid, solid cameras and that is honestly not that much of an investment if you think its something she might enjoy. THe great part about tech these days is that you are free to experiment! Back in the day - you had to spend to see your pics come out, and thats the way we liked it! You learned quickly not to take pictures of everything, but to actually compose something and make sure the exposure was right.

Perhaps a good side-gift would be the excellent book "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson.
 
Munky said:
Nikon's F-mount is backwards compatible with lenses going back all the way to the 1950's. And they have more lenses and bodies to chose from.
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though oddly enough canon's cameras are actually more functional with pre-AF nikon lenses than most nikon cameras are.


bobdole369 said:
My point is that old doesn't = poor. These are solid, solid cameras and that is honestly not that much of an investment if you think its something she might enjoy. THe great part about tech these days is that you are free to experiment! Back in the day - you had to spend to see your pics come out, and thats the way we liked it! You learned quickly not to take pictures of everything, but to actually compose something and make sure the exposure was right.

Perhaps a good side-gift would be the excellent book "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson.
Click to expand...

my thing about age is that this stuff is consumer electronics, who knows how long until it gives out. plus batteries may be getting scarce, etc. yes, my ae-1p still works but that's a rather simple system in comparison to modern electronics.
 
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nice.. you can at least start messing around with Digital Photography! Just don't expect outstanding shots right out of the camera...
 
finbarqs said:
nice.. you can at least start messing around with Digital Photography! Just don't expect outstanding shots right out of the camera...
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yeah let her mess around with it. I think it will be a great starter camera. If she gets into it, then we can think about dropping some cash into it.
 
a lot of people who purchased DSLR's first impression is: Wow, my Point and Shoot took better shots than this! But they're the kind of people who thought cameras would just take pictures for people...
 
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