The first of many

[Unregistered]

Re: The first of many

My daughter is very interested in getting into photography. She is taking a couple classes in High School(what little they offer) and hes an interest in going into photo journalism or another related field. Since her birthday is coming up and in a very short time she will be graduating and moving on to college I was thinking this year I wooould get her a GOOD camera for her birthday and maybe some accessories. Then keep adding thing for other holiday gifts. Would make it easy for me to get her some thing she could use and would like. Could anyone give me a starter camera in a moderate price range that would get her started in the right direction.

Digital? maybe I'm not a camera person so I don't have a good back ground for this kind of stuff.

Thanks

[AAFO_WSagar]

Re: The first of many

My daughter is very interested in getting into photography. She is taking a couple classes in High School(what little they offer) and hes an interest in going into photo journalism or another related field. Since her birthday is coming up and in a very short time she will be graduating and moving on to college I was thinking this year I wooould get her a GOOD camera for her birthday and maybe some accessories. Then keep adding thing for other holiday gifts. Would make it easy for me to get her some thing she could use and would like. Could anyone give me a starter camera in a moderate price range that would get her started in the right direction.

Digital? maybe I'm not a camera person so I don't have a good back ground for this kind of stuff.

Thanks

Unregged.. you're a great dad to be thinking along these lines! First, most newspapers are digital now so that would answer that part of the question.. Obviously, you're going to want to get her a Digital SLR so that she can change out lenses and be on a par with her peers..

That said, next part would be which brand. Realisticaly, you have a choice between Canon and Nikon as these are the brands she'll use as a pro. (sorry if I insult any other brands)

That brings you to which model... I'm a Nikon guy, so my advice would be to go that way but, some of the "lesser" Canon models are VERY good also.. Nikon has the D70 which seems to produce very good results, I believe it will be replaced with the D70s very soon...

Some of the Canon guys are going to jump all over this thread, I'm sure, so I'll leave you to a google search for Nikon DSLR and Canon DSLR and the rest of the "dogpile" that this message will probably start..

Wayne

[T. Adams]

Re: The first of many

Canon digital Rebel XT would be good. Cheapest of the new Canon DSLR's. It is tiny, but most women have smaller hands, so it would probably be a good fit. I don't know if I would call it moderate in price. But it's the cheapest at $789.95 here, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ughType=search

B&H is the best place to buy new if you don't want to get screwed.
If you want to go used (which is not a bad thing to do), www.fredmiranda.com has by far the most active Buy/Sell board on the internet.

[jarrodeu]

Re: The first of many

Does B&H include USA warranties? Is a USA warranty needed?
Jarrod

[T. Adams]

Re: The first of many

B&H sells both USA, and grey market stuff. They usually have not sold any grey market bodies though, all USA models. I have bought grey market lenses from them. If you have a problem within the first year you send it back to B&H, then they send it to Canon. If you buy the USA version, you send it right to Canon.
Once it is out of warrenty, Canon USA will still service grey market items. I have read many, many times however, from Nikon owners, that Nikon flat out refuses to service grey market items of any kind. So buyer beware when it comes to Nikon. If you buy grey market, and the warrenty expires, your going to be SOL.

If you go to B&H website now, all the digital SLR's are USA models. You have to look very hard to find a grey market Canon digital SLR. If you do find one, it is probably being sold by someone you don't want to deal with. B&H does however carry almost all of Canon's EF lense line in both USA, and grey version. There is no difference between the two models, just the USA warrenty card in one, and the B&H warrenty with the other.

[ignomini]

Re: The first of many

I was a dyed-in-the-wool Nikon guy until I went digital. Wanting to buy "factory" glass, I prefered Canon's lens offerings to Nikon's, so made the switch. I realize all the aftermarket lens makers offer the same lenses in both mounts, but if Canon or Nikon branded glass is important to you, have a look at their lens offerings as well as the bodies.

I too use B&H. Good prices and excellent reputation. All my lenses are grey market from them. Never had a problem yet.

Buy as high end a body as your budget will allow. If she loves photography, she'll have good equipment. If she decides to give it up, better equipment holds more of its value in the used market.

[Unregistered]

Re: The first of many

Thanks for all the information it was very helpful. I will look at all the options you have all given to me.

One thing thought I am her mom not her dad. I realize most post are by men but not this one.

[CoastieAux]

Re: The first of many

???????????????
Stopped props are a huge, no no in aviation photography.
It is one of my pet peeves. If I wanted a picture of a plane that looks like it's on the ground, or going to fall from the sky, then I'd take it like that, otherwise, 1/250 max, 1/200 for most airborne stuff.

I have won awards for my photography in the military and I can tell you that photographic beauty is in the eye of the beholder. One judge may like a certain aspect while another may hate it. It may be one of your peeves, but not someone elses.

You like this, I like that. Personally, when the background is fuzzy, I am less inclined to like the photo. If the prop is totally stopped, I am not happy either. I like a clear background and a very little prop motion.

Your comment "If I wanted a picture of a plane that looks like it's on the ground, or going to fall from the sky, then I'd take it like that" only expresses your own personal likes and dislikes and cameras have many hundreds of settings to please the many individual photographers.

[T. Adams]

Re: The first of many

Well, we agree to disagree, and I'll leave it at that.

[Aeronut7]

Re: The first of many

Two years ago, my mom and I went camera hunting (I can trace this obsession back rather precisely). We ended up buying a Canon EOS Rebel Ti (Oh! What a sweethearted camera! ), which still serves faithfully. I don't regret starting out with film (there's just something awfully cool about holding up a slide to the light ), but then again, I didn't pay the film processing costs. My mom maintains now that she should have just bought a digital camera right then and there (at the time, the original DRebel was just being released at ~ $900--over twice the cost of the film Rebel). The price difference between digital and film shouldn't scare you away. The money we saved by buying the film Rebel has been more than used up on film costs.

I happen to be a very lucky and blessed person--I've been loaned a digital camera. In a month, it's rolled through almost 400 shots (no airshows or I'd have to at least triple that number), the majority of which I would have never taken with film (for fear of processing costs ). I'd say that digital is a great learning tool and now wonderful cameras are available at great prices (the D30 I have on loan, for instance, was a $3000 camera in 2000 when it was new--with 3.25 MP). How much will I use film in the future?? Who knows? The quality is ahead of the D30 (you can change "resolution" in a film camera with different film, but you have to buy a new digital camera to get more MP), but digital has come a L-O-N-G way in the past few years!

Overall, getting a camera was one of the greatest gifts. The only problem with photography is that once you're addicted, you're consigned to drooling over rather expensive gear for the rest of your life. I'm ok with that. And as for adding to the camera setup bit-by-bit, that is what my mom has been doing so it works well! Good luck!

[Victor Archer]

Re: The first of many

The only problem with photography is that once you're addicted, you're consigned to drooling over rather expensive gear for the rest of your life.

Canon 600mm f4 IS USM
Will I have one soon

[Stevo]

Re: The first of many

You'd let me borrow it right ?

[FlyinLo]

Re: The first of many

The only problem with photography is that once you're addicted, you're consigned to drooling over rather expensive gear for the rest of your life.

If you think that's bad, try getting addicted to air racing. Makes my photography hobby look like a bargain!

[Peashooter]

Re: The first of many

If you think that's bad, try getting addicted to air racing. Makes my photography hobby look like a bargain!

In every game, ya gotta have all the giz! (gizmos)