Canon SLR plus photography course, wife's 40th. Help please.
Discussion
Sarah is 40 in October. For her main present I would like to get her a secondhand Canon digital SLR. She loves the out doors, animals, and she is always taking snaps. I'm adamant that I want to go for Canon. I'd also like to get her on a course or the like, to help her understand the camera, how to get the best out of it, and of course the best shots.
The budget for the camera is maybe £500
I only know the basics around SLR's, so can anyone please educate me on a number of points?
A suggestion of the best model. Likewise what lens's will be required/ desirable?
Any must have accessories, EG flash, tripod, bag?
Is home photo printing economically viable, or a faff where you may as well leave someone else to do your prints?
Any advice RE what to look for from a course, or any pointers on a specific tutor, Mansfield/Chesterfield/Newark/Nottingham/Peak District areas.
Any pointers of where to buy, is eBay as good a starting point as anywhere?
Any must have photography books.
Anything else I may not have even thought about!
Many thanks in advance.
NB, I may or may not be too active online this evening, so don't think it's a poster who asks then buggers off. I shall reply accordingly in due course.
The budget for the camera is maybe £500
I only know the basics around SLR's, so can anyone please educate me on a number of points?
A suggestion of the best model. Likewise what lens's will be required/ desirable?
Any must have accessories, EG flash, tripod, bag?
Is home photo printing economically viable, or a faff where you may as well leave someone else to do your prints?
Any advice RE what to look for from a course, or any pointers on a specific tutor, Mansfield/Chesterfield/Newark/Nottingham/Peak District areas.
Any pointers of where to buy, is eBay as good a starting point as anywhere?
Any must have photography books.
Anything else I may not have even thought about!
Many thanks in advance.
NB, I may or may not be too active online this evening, so don't think it's a poster who asks then buggers off. I shall reply accordingly in due course.
Edited by Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah on Tuesday 15th May 20:27
Surprises are good but this might be a case where pre-surprise discussion might lead to a more fruitful/cost-effective outcome. You want to buy her a Canon, for reasons uncertain, but she may prefer the control layout of a Nikon, or something else.
That aside, if she's not done serious photography before, I'd start with a 'kit' lens - ie the one that the camera often comes with, such as an 18-55mm, and let her find her own way forward. The next thing might be a flashgun... but she may prefer ambient... you see my point...
NB: Get prints online, no point faffing about with expensive printer cartridges and papers.
That aside, if she's not done serious photography before, I'd start with a 'kit' lens - ie the one that the camera often comes with, such as an 18-55mm, and let her find her own way forward. The next thing might be a flashgun... but she may prefer ambient... you see my point...
NB: Get prints online, no point faffing about with expensive printer cartridges and papers.
Simpo Two said:
Surprises are good but this might be a case where pre-surprise discussion might lead to a more fruitful/cost-effective outcome. You want to buy her a Canon, for reasons uncertain, but she may prefer the control layout of a Nikon, or something else.
That aside, if she's not done serious photography before, I'd start with a 'kit' lens - ie the one that the camera often comes with, such as an 18-55mm, and let her find her own way forward. The next thing might be a flashgun... but she may prefer ambient... you see my point...
NB: Get prints online, no point faffing about with expensive printer cartridges and papers.
I'm an ex Canon Product Manager, for their number one disty, but for IT products, printers, scanners et all, very little in the way of cameras. I trust their stuff. 18-55mm is a popular lens (I saw so on the sales data) but I have fThat aside, if she's not done serious photography before, I'd start with a 'kit' lens - ie the one that the camera often comes with, such as an 18-55mm, and let her find her own way forward. The next thing might be a flashgun... but she may prefer ambient... you see my point...
NB: Get prints online, no point faffing about with expensive printer cartridges and papers.
k all clue what it even means!My concern would be that (and I see this a lot) you buy a Canon DSLR because that's the thing people insist on when they're not sure what's what (often because it's the most popular or safe option), when really there are more suitable options out there. I know quite a few people who bought DSLRs because they could, only to either leave them at home half the time because of the bulk and just leaving them in one of the Intelligent Auto modes when they do use it, so basically all of the downsides of a big camera with very few of the benefits.
In terms of the lens something along the lines of an 18-55mm lens makes sense as it's kind of a 'do it all' lens that allows you to shoot wide landscapes to portraits. It basically gives you a view twice as wide as the average phone camera through to twice the zoom, for many people it's all they'd ever need, so certainly as a starting point a very safe option.
Whilst it may not show in sales figures yet DSLRs are essentially old tech compared to mirrorless cameras, which will more than likely wipe out entry level DSLR sales in the next few years. The best camera is the one you have with you so I'd really have a good think about whether a DSLR is the best option.
I have no allegiance to a particular brand but if I had to buy my wife a camera with a £500 budget right now I'd probably buy a Fuji X-E2S and 16-50mm lens. A few quid under budget on MPB (link below). That, or this twin lens Olympus kit on Jessops which would more than likely be all the kit you'd ever need: https://www.jessops.com/p/olympus/om-d-e-m10-mark-...
eBay is risky considering it's a big important gift, for used stuff I'd highly recommend https://www.mpb.com as you have the safety net of a warranty etc. Although if it has to be a Canon DSLR there is little reason not to buy new as there are so many options and most will be bundled with an 18-55mm lens. For example a Canon 4000D with 18-55mm lens can be bought new for around £350 from the likes of John Lewis, Amazon etc.
In terms of the lens something along the lines of an 18-55mm lens makes sense as it's kind of a 'do it all' lens that allows you to shoot wide landscapes to portraits. It basically gives you a view twice as wide as the average phone camera through to twice the zoom, for many people it's all they'd ever need, so certainly as a starting point a very safe option.
Whilst it may not show in sales figures yet DSLRs are essentially old tech compared to mirrorless cameras, which will more than likely wipe out entry level DSLR sales in the next few years. The best camera is the one you have with you so I'd really have a good think about whether a DSLR is the best option.
I have no allegiance to a particular brand but if I had to buy my wife a camera with a £500 budget right now I'd probably buy a Fuji X-E2S and 16-50mm lens. A few quid under budget on MPB (link below). That, or this twin lens Olympus kit on Jessops which would more than likely be all the kit you'd ever need: https://www.jessops.com/p/olympus/om-d-e-m10-mark-...
eBay is risky considering it's a big important gift, for used stuff I'd highly recommend https://www.mpb.com as you have the safety net of a warranty etc. Although if it has to be a Canon DSLR there is little reason not to buy new as there are so many options and most will be bundled with an 18-55mm lens. For example a Canon 4000D with 18-55mm lens can be bought new for around £350 from the likes of John Lewis, Amazon etc.
Edited by ukaskew on Wednesday 16th May 05:35
" I'm adamant that I want to go for Canon."
Is this a present for you or for her? :-)
It need not be an SLR. There are a stack of options out there, including Fuji and Olympus compact system cameras. It's no longer the case that you need a bag full of lenses when there are 50x zooms around. Let her choose her own, plus a tripod.
A3+ printers will produce poster-size full bleed prints and also 4x6 postcards. The recent Canon Pixma range tend to have heads which don't dry out, and they produce stunning B&W's.
Something like LightRoom/P-Shop etc is needed to get the best out of them, adding stroke borders, adjusting print margins, and so on.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-8746B008AA-PIXMA-iP...
Is this a present for you or for her? :-)
It need not be an SLR. There are a stack of options out there, including Fuji and Olympus compact system cameras. It's no longer the case that you need a bag full of lenses when there are 50x zooms around. Let her choose her own, plus a tripod.
A3+ printers will produce poster-size full bleed prints and also 4x6 postcards. The recent Canon Pixma range tend to have heads which don't dry out, and they produce stunning B&W's.
Something like LightRoom/P-Shop etc is needed to get the best out of them, adding stroke borders, adjusting print margins, and so on.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-8746B008AA-PIXMA-iP...
As far as the course aspect of your thread, my suggestion would be to find somebody local who knows about photography to take her through the basics. The problem with books and online course, YouTube etc is that they can't, in real time anyway, react to the student and what their preexisting level of knowledge is, and more to the point, how they are reacting to, understanding and absorbing the new info they are receiving.
Being taught one to one is pretty much always more effective than any other means. Especially with women as men will, if they are interested in a subject, pick the ball up and run with it. Women, in my experience, not so much.
Being taught one to one is pretty much always more effective than any other means. Especially with women as men will, if they are interested in a subject, pick the ball up and run with it. Women, in my experience, not so much.
Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:
Anything else I may not have even thought about!
Has the good lady Sarah actually expressed an interest in taking up photography?There is a world of difference between "always taking snaps" and developing an interest in photography.
Assuming she has, cameras are a very personal thing and what one person loves another may hate. You being an ex Canon Product Manager, who at your own admission knows little of cameras, really shouldn't be the overridding factor in choosing a Canon camera over anything else for HER .... just because you trust their printers and scanners.
ETA - secondhand ... really?
If you're buying her something you think she should have, at least buy her a new one so she can return it and get something she wants.
Edited by sgrimshaw on Wednesday 16th May 12:02
sgrimshaw said:
Assuming she has, cameras are a very personal thing and what one person loves another may hate.
Couldn't agree more with this. i.e. if she has zero interest in ever using a viewfinder (like my wife) the LCD screen on a DSLR is potentially going to be a fairly serious drawback compared to a mirrorless camera, which has the full suite of features and AF abilities through the rear screen. It would also open up a whole new world of cameras without viewfinder to consider, such as the Canon EOS M series and the superb entry Fuji and Olympus bodies.
I have used a firm called Going Digital for training courses, for myself, wife and daughter. My first one was a 1-2-1 to learn about my camera, and the course was basically to get you know operate the camera effectively in real situations (we went to a National Trust property for the day). As you probably know, the number of functions on even the more basic Canon DSLR is huge, and it's so much easier learning them from an person rather than trying to read the manual. They tailor the day to your specific model, and bring "cheat sheets" along to help you out. My daughter did a street photography workshop with them (6 people in a group), and the quality of the stuff she came back with was pretty amazing. She said the tutor was really supportive and helpful - she's a beginner to DSLRs.
I highly recommend (needless to say I have no financial interest in them, etc).
I highly recommend (needless to say I have no financial interest in them, etc).
singlecoil said:
As far as the course aspect of your thread, my suggestion would be to find somebody local who knows about photography to take her through the basics. The problem with books and online course, YouTube etc is that they can't, in real time anyway, react to the student and what their preexisting level of knowledge is, and more to the point, how they are reacting to, understanding and absorbing the new info they are receiving.
Being taught one to one is pretty much always more effective than any other means. Especially with women as men will, if they are interested in a subject, pick the ball up and run with it. Women, in my experience, not so much.
Thank you. I had thought that, just another angle I was thinking.Being taught one to one is pretty much always more effective than any other means. Especially with women as men will, if they are interested in a subject, pick the ball up and run with it. Women, in my experience, not so much.
sgrimshaw said:
Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:
Anything else I may not have even thought about!
Has the good lady Sarah actually expressed an interest in taking up photography?There is a world of difference between "always taking snaps" and developing an interest in photography.
Assuming she has, cameras are a very personal thing and what one person loves another may hate. You being an ex Canon Product Manager, who at your own admission knows little of cameras, really shouldn't be the overridding factor in choosing a Canon camera over anything else for HER .... just because you trust their printers and scanners.
ETA - secondhand ... really?
If you're buying her something you think she should have, at least buy her a new one so she can return it and get something she wants.
Edited by sgrimshaw on Wednesday 16th May 12:02
I've always highly rated Canon stuff, including their cameras. Buying new (especially in light of the EOS 200 suggestion) probably is wise, plus the angle you mention of the option to swap. My logic was that good EOS's cast far more than budget new, seems I'm wrong.
sticks090460 said:
I have used a firm called Going Digital for training courses, for myself, wife and daughter. My first one was a 1-2-1 to learn about my camera, and the course was basically to get you know operate the camera effectively in real situations (we went to a National Trust property for the day). As you probably know, the number of functions on even the more basic Canon DSLR is huge, and it's so much easier learning them from an person rather than trying to read the manual. They tailor the day to your specific model, and bring "cheat sheets" along to help you out. My daughter did a street photography workshop with them (6 people in a group), and the quality of the stuff she came back with was pretty amazing. She said the tutor was really supportive and helpful - she's a beginner to DSLRs.
I highly recommend (needless to say I have no financial interest in them, etc).
Thank you. Do you know if they're national? (I can always Google) I highly recommend (needless to say I have no financial interest in them, etc).
Fermit The Krog and Sexy Sarah said:
TheLimla said:
I'd recommend a canon 200d with a kit lens. Just slightly over your budget on amazon, I think that would be a good start and not a too bulky camera for the misses!
A very good call, Jessop's have a £499 after cashback deal.Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff