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My eldest (15) seems to be getting into photography which is something we would like to encourage.
Up until now he has been using his iPhone.
What is the current thinking on a beginner DSLR?
Are bridge cameras still a thing? I have an old Bridge camera with full manual control but it appears to have died whilst in the drawer.
if they want to get into it a DSLR is a good approach, lets them buy lenses and play with it as they develop (whereas a bridge camera is probably a better option for someone who's never going to buy another lens).
At this point you're buying into a system - I'd probably err against the mirrorless systems as I think (my knowledge might be outdated) there are fewer old lenses that fit them, so upgrading lenses is harder. If you get a bottom-end dslr second hand from somewhere with a warranty you'll be grand for a year. Places like CEX are knocking out old bodies for pennies these days
a 400d is very outdated and newer stuff will produce marginally better quality photos, but its so cheap as to be effectively disposable if your kid is likely to drop/lose it/lose interest at some point
Whatever second hand canon body fits budget plus the 50mm f1.8 lens
It has been done recently. But, are we looking at new or second hand?
I would go for second hand from a reputable shop, rather than new.
The total 'system' cost will depend a lot on what sort of photography your eldest is into. Street/general/landscape photography will probably be cheaper than something that needs a long zoom lens, like nature or sports.
It would be best to try and have a play with a few cameras if possible. I have a Nikon D80, which is now a dinosaur. When I fiddled with that camera body & the equivalent Canon, I instantly felt at home with the Nikon. I had no experience of either previously, but found the Nikon much better suited to me.
Nikon D7000/D7100/D7200 would be an excellent starting point, if he decided Nikon was the way forward. Pretty chunky though, so a more compact body might be preferred.
Lenses - perhaps start with a general jack of all trades zoom & then once he has spent a bit of time using that & know what he is into, you could buy something a bit more specialist (erm, focused).
I have the 18-135 Nikkor zoom, which is a good overall range for getting started.
I've also got a Sigma 90mm macro, 70-300mm zoom & a 50mm 1.8. They all have their moments, but the 18-135 zoom gets stuck on for the everyday lens.
Whatever second hand canon body fits budget plus the 50mm f1.8 lens
My daughter has just started GCSE photography - she's got a Canon DSLR that we treated her to, I then sold off a whole load of older stuff which gave us enough for an IS telephoto (all via Cex) but at £50, that lens is next on my list for her.
I've personally never got the hype behind the 1.8 lens. Its too long for cropped bodies, the quality isn't noticably better than, say a 18-50 f2.8 lens. It is small cheap and light, but that's about it
I like Canon due to the cost and availability of second hand lenses. Something like a Canon 7D MK2 body can produce great image quality and has a quality autofocus system for moving stuff. Should be able to get a body used for £300+. Combined with some like a Sigma 17-50 F2.8 (£100) is a great starting combo.
It is small cheap and light, but that’s about it
There you have it, these are three excellent qualities in a lens!
There you have it, these are three excellent qualities in a lens!
they are good qualities, but people talk about it like its the second coming, and will change your world compared to a kit lens, when in actual fact a kit lens has a bunch more overlap with a lens like that (in the kinds of photos you can take), compared to, say, a long zoom.
its a reasonable first prime, sure, but there are a 2 or 3 other lenses I'd buy when starting out before it
I have a couple of 1d bodies and a bag full of quality lenses which i enjoy using. I also have a 20d which is now donkey years old, however the sensor is real quality and gives a lovely creamy image especially for portraits. So look at older bodies as well as new ones. Also the 50mm is over rated ( in my very humble opinion), 35mm is much more of a challenge and produces fabulous results when you get it right.
All depends if you want/need the 1.8 rather than the 3.5 to 5.6 of a kit lens. A big difference if in low light or want low depth of field.
Regarding the 50mm 1.8 comments, I agree with the comments that it is perhaps over-rated & of potentially of limited use.
I bought one, as everyone on photography forums was banging on about them, I fancied a prime lens to 'test' myself with and when I left my last job I got an Amazon voucher as a leaving gift that was almost exactly the cost of the lens. I figured it would be a nice momento, rather than just spending it on 'stuff'.
It is a very sharp lens & can be good for trying things out & pushing your creativity. But, I always found it was a bit too short, or a bit too long. Perhaps on a FX body it would make more sense? I feel like I would have been better off with the 35mm version.
The depth of field at 1.8 is so shallow that, you need to be very careful when using it, and if you want to make the most of it's sharpness you need to stop it down a bit anyway. I tend to use it nearer f4 most of the time.
The only lens I have is a 50 1.4 and I just live with it but then I do only ride a fixed gear bike so I like simple things that are not always ideal.
The hype around most manufactures 50 1.8 is that the sharpness/cheapness ratio simply cannot be beaten. You can pick them up used for £50 and for that money they are very good but a lot of the time a slightly wider prime is more useful on a crop sensor but they don't tend to be £50 for a large aperture lens.
I can recommend the Fuji X system. All the features you could want and lighter than SLR.
An XT1 is still a great camera, an XT2 gets you the joystick to shift the focus point. The lenses are worth the money, even the cheap ones are very good. You can also get an adapter for a lot of vintage lenses.
Personally prefer a 35mm lens over a 50mm. The equivalent fuji 23mm f1.4 is great.
The Nifty Fifty is ~£50 and you won't find anything remotely approaching that aperture without sticking at least one zero onto the price. That's why it's popular.
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As an owner of a dSLR and a pile of glass, it's something I would be hesitant to recommend for a 15-year old who "seems to be getting into" something. The whole point of a dSLR is a) interchangeable lenses which gets expensive fast, used bodies can be had for buttons but lenses hold their value, and b) creative control which may be offered by cheaper solutions like what we used to call bridge cameras as you suggest. But they're bulky, heavy, a lot of faff and easy to **** up. Taking them out is an active decision, you go out with a dSLR when "taking photos" is the primary reason you're going out. Something that can just live in a rucksack or pocket will see a lot more action, the best camera in the world is the one you have with you. Out of everything I've owned from phones to film cameras to dSLRs, the one that's seen the most action is my old IXUS.
I'd be looking at something like a Powershot. If he gets into it as a hobby and wants a dSLR then that would be a natural progression, and the Powershot would still have value as a backup due to portability.
Also, as per the previous thread, the "Understanding Exposure" book is pretty much the bible here IMHO. I'd buy him that ahead of the camera.
The Nifty Fifty is ~£50 and you won’t find anything remotely approaching that aperture without sticking at least one zero onto the price. That’s why it’s popular.
for an extra £100 (yeah thats tripling the cost, but its a long way short of adding a zero) you can get something like this which has a more usable length on a cropped camera and a wider aperature (letting in 60% more light).
https://www.wexphotovideo.com/sigma-30mm-f1-4-ex-dc-hsm-lens-canon-fit-used-3135122/
The old Minolta 'nifty 50' f1.7 that fits older Sony A mount cameras is one of my favourite lenses
The Nifty Fifty is ~£50 and you won’t find anything remotely approaching that aperture without sticking at least one zero onto the price. That’s why it’s popular.
for an extra £100 (yeah thats tripling the cost, but its a long way short of adding a zero) you can get something like this which has a more usable length on a cropped camera and a wider aperature (letting in 60% more light), plus a hypersonic motor so it'll focus faster and be usable with video.
https://www.wexphotovideo.com/sigma-30mm-f1-4-ex-dc-hsm-lens-canon-fit-used-3135122/the canon lens is fine, for sure, but its not the panacea some make it out to be
Cougar
The Nifty Fifty is ~£50 and you won’t find anything remotely approaching that aperture without sticking at least one zero onto the price. That’s why it’s popular.
Is it? Are we talking used?
£159 on both these sites.
https://www.castlecameras.co.uk/nikon-af-50mm-f18-d-lens/p681
https://www.wexphotovideo.com/nikon-50mm-f18-d-af-lens-12869/
I bought mine in 2012 & it was ~£75, I think.
Although Canon one looks like it's nearer £110, which I suppose if you squint is ~£50 ;o)
(yeah thats tripling the cost, but its a long way short of adding a zero)
I really meant "extra digit" but yeah, that's a fair shout.
I have one and the sole reason I bought it was the price. It has its place and when I do use it it's fantastic, but that's rare.
The lump that is the 17-85 is my daily driver generally. The original 18-55 kit lens melted (thanks, Florida) the 55-250 is very much special use case also, and I don't yet own anything particularly wide or macro. The 17-85 is a great do-almost-anything lens.
If it's a crop sensor camera then the equivalent of an old 'nifty fifty' is actually the 35mm suggested above.
If it's a full frame then a 50mm is nice to have.
Crop sensor Nikon user here, used to have film cameras back in the day. Didn't think about it and bought a 50mm lens then sold it quickly after. As mentioned, too long for a crop sensor. Got a 35mm instead but don't use it that much to be honest - I've built up loadsa lenses over the years, so probably use my 18-300 more, then my 10-20 then my 150-600 Sigma. Horses for courses obviously.
So my suggestion would be mid range used consumer body from Nikon / Canon / Pentax? And then a couple of used lenses, see how they get on.
Anything from the Sony A6000 series. I've only recently discovered/converted to them and there's no going back from me. I have a whole bunch of Canon and other brand lenses, that with the appropriate converter, work just great.
Since buying my R6 my favourite lens is my 70-200 f4. Sometimes I fancy the 2.8 IS version.
My 17-40 used to get a lot of use on my 60D with landscapes but kids have put paid to that.
I love my Pentax k5.
Cheap,dust water resistant
All the manual lenses work. Many are dirt cheap.
I have ended up mostly using a manual 50mm 1.4, an automatic sigma 50mm f1.4 and sigma 18-50 f 2.8.
It would have been a ton of money to get all that for a cannon/ Nikon
My wife did wedding photography professionally for a while. You can give me an amazing camera and her the crapest phone camera and she will get a better shot standing right next to me.
So never mind £££ on stuff I'd suggest £££ on an evening course.
This book is one of the few self help books tha have helped me. It has a segment where they talk about how to do a thing, a wee assignment, then a bunch of pros have done it and there is a discussion about why stuff works. I worked my way thought it on a week's holiday in Paris with a cannon g9. Lots of stuff to shoot, lots of time to try things, think about what worked and then try the next chapter the next day
Www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/3334569