Affordable SLR camera for teen

My 15-year-old daughter wants a digital SLR camera for Christmas. She said she prefers a Canon or Nikon, but that's about all she said about it. She wants to do hobby photography. Neither one of us really knows much about DSLRs. Suggestions?

I'd prefer to stay under $500 for a body and lens, but would maybe go up to $650 if quality is a lot better. I don't want to spend more than that because I doubt she's going to use it as much as she thinks she will. Had been looking at Cannon T3i for $650 at Amazon. Might wait for Black Friday, but I don't really know enough about cameras to pinpoint good deals imo. Thoughts?

Quote from dmorey : My 15-year-old daughter wants a digital SLR camera for Christmas. She said she prefers a Canon or Nikon, but that's about all she said about it. She wants to do hobby photography. Neither one of us really knows much about DSLRs. Suggestions? I'd prefer to stay under $500 for a body and lens, but would maybe go up to $650 if quality is a lot better. I don't want to spend more than that because I doubt she's going to use it as much as she thinks she will. Had been looking at Cannon T3i for $650 at Amazon. Might wait for Black Friday, but I don't really know enough about cameras to pinpoint good deals imo. Thoughts?

How serious is she about a D-SLR? Any photography classes or workshops?Does she already own a few Pt. and Shoot cameras?


If she is really serious about photography and has a collection of pt./shoot cameras, look at the $400 Nikon D3000 or D3100 as a starter DSLR.


If she is less serious about photography and money is tight, the $150 Canon SX150 IS (Non-DSLR) is a good "hobby "camera for sports and mid-lux indoor photo. SLR are great in low-lux lighting conditions.


It seems like she really needs something like the $150 SX150 and wants the $400+ DSLR for her wishlist.

Thanks. She has a couple of point and shoots. She's never had a photography class or anything. My opinion is that this is a passing fancy -- hence, no way am I buying one for $1,000. But she's been asking for one for about a year so seems like she wants to learn.

Quote from dmorey : Thanks. She has a couple of point and shoots. She's never had a photography class or anything. My opinion is that this is a passing fancy -- hence, no way am I buying one for $1,000. But she's been asking for one for about a year so seems like she wants to learn.

Spend the money on a 1-time fun photography workshop and class instead. They're $25-50 each , don't require a SLR and an imagination helps too.

I suggest letting her prove herself in a few workshops before investing in an $400 SLR . If she takes good photos, she can make a few dollar selling printed goods online.

I don't think it's a bad idea to get her a more serious camera. You can't go wrong between the various brands of DSLRs (Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax). However, being a capricious teenager, it may be a good idea to get her the brand she wants. People say to go to a store and see how the camera feels, but I don't agree, because every individual DSLR has its own feel. So, really it's just something to get used to, the various nuances of a specific camera (again, none have really asinine aspects to them). Plus, the controls are going to vary between a lower-end model and a mid-grade model, so while she may slightly prefer the cheapest Pentax, she may like the midgrade Canon the best, which means that all the lenses/flashes/etc that she bought for the entry-Pentax will be a waste of money. Third, DSLRs at the end of the day are just computers, and they change just as fast. So whatever you like now, cameras are likely going to change in a few years.

You don't even have to get her a DSLR, you can get her a mirrorless camera that has comparable image quality, but is smaller and easier to use. However, a DSLR leads to better shooting habits. Also, again, that Nikon/Canon thing. The mirrorless cameras to look at are ones like the Sony NEX-F3, the Olympus E-PL5, and the Panasonic DMC-G5. The downsides are that with DSLRs, they track motion better, they have better battery life, and you get noticeably better performance for your money.

Okay, with that little rant over, one of the better deals right now is if you don't mind a factory-refurbished camera from one of the authorized dealers. For example:
http://slickdeals.net/f/5257888-R...FS-Adorama
http://slickdeals.net/f/5091144-A...40-shipped

Otherwise, yeah, just get any of the lower-end cameras, and they'll work fine.

I MyselWas Only 15 When I Bought My First Dslr, The Nikon D90. I Personally Think I Went A BIt Over The Top With ThIs First Purchase. IflI We're You, I'd Get The Nikon D3100 OR D5100. I Think The Stock 18-55 Is Enough To hold Them For A While. About A Year After I Got My camera With The 18-200 Nikon Ii, I Bought A 35Mm Prime And A tokina 11-16 For Wide Angle Shots. I Think It's Up To Her On How Serious She Gets. If She Likes Photography, Get A FeW New Lenses After A Year Or Two. when I Bought My Camera, I Stick With Nikon Because I Felt The Controls Were The Simplest. Message Me If You Need Help With Anything ! =)

I say stick with the basics to begin with - you can get a refurbished Canon T3 kit direct from Canon for $439 [canon.com]. I'm sure there's a similar deal for Nikon if you prefer, but I'd stick to one of those two brands.

If she's serious about it (and good at it), she'll figure out the limitations of a lower end camera & will know when & what she needs to upgrade.

if she didn't give you any more detail than "nikon or canon", I would tend to agree with the FAL and just get a low-end/budget DSLR, and maybe save the extra money for a lens once she decides what kind of photos she likes to shoot the most, but she should be giving you more precise information as to what she wants / do some research by herself first - only then will she really appreciate it and use it properly

Go with a Canon T3 or T1i
Get either w/ kit lens. Down the road, her 2nd lens should be the 1.8 50mm (Normally around $100, less if used)

Both are entry level but still good cameras.

Thanks for the help! Just wanted to make sure I wasn't buying garbage if I paid $500 since all I personally use is point and shoots.

Quote from dmorey : Thanks for the help! Just wanted to make sure I wasn't buying garbage if I paid $500 since all I personally use is point and shoots.

Nope, image quality is pretty comparable among the models, if not identical. By paying more, you just get more features and controls that would be useful to an experienced photographer. Buying yourself a bottom-end DSLR is the best way to go about it; I'd say that about 70% of people have a camera too good for them. Beginners won't miss the advanced features, and by the time your daughter is ready to use them, these cameras will be obsolete anyway, so might as well not waste your money. I see so many people buy a D7000 or a 7D, and then just shoot in Program auto, never using wireless flash or anything. Complete waste of money, but it's good for people like me! I upgraded to a D200 a few years ago for peanuts.

I would get the T1i or D3000/D3100 and not take lessons. Everything you need to know is on YouTube anyway so don't waste your money on classes. Also think about the idea of her wanting extra accessories in the future like an external flash(I recommend just getting a $40 chinese knockoff if she's not doing any pro work b/c it does the job), a tripod, and ultimately a new lens. I think the last part is the strongest thing that made me decide to switch to Canon from Nikon because of all their older L lenses that I've wanted to try. Lately though I've noticed that both Canon and Nikon have pretty much the same prices in lenses nowadays but maybe you can research more about that.