First DSLR for Son?
Discussion
Hi guys, looking for advice on the first DSLR. I have little interest in photography other than my phone but he's been doing a course and has developed quite an interest so I'm now looking for a second hand camera for him, budget no more than £150 but could stretch to £200 if it's a huge improvement.
Looking at local Gumtree I found some options such as this Nikon D60 with a 18-55 Lens (VR kit it's called? Like Virtual Reality?) for £120 and there's also a Canon 350D again with 18-55 Lens for £60. I have no issue spending the extra on the Nikon if it's worth it, but I'd also need a memory card to go with it but they're not expensive. Also a Canon 400D for £100. Thoughts gratefully accepted photo type people!
Also a Nikon D200 with 18-70mm lens for £120.
Looking at local Gumtree I found some options such as this Nikon D60 with a 18-55 Lens (VR kit it's called? Like Virtual Reality?) for £120 and there's also a Canon 350D again with 18-55 Lens for £60. I have no issue spending the extra on the Nikon if it's worth it, but I'd also need a memory card to go with it but they're not expensive. Also a Canon 400D for £100. Thoughts gratefully accepted photo type people!
Also a Nikon D200 with 18-70mm lens for £120.
Edited by MissChief on Monday 22 October 13:12
Might I suggest that it would be worth you and your son going to a bricks and mortar shop rather than rely on Gumtree / Ebay.
I'd recommend Camera World (London, Stevenage or Chelmsford) but plenty of others out there all selling second hand gear. You'll pay a bit more but will come with at least a few months guarantee and the advice of the staff too.
I'd recommend Camera World (London, Stevenage or Chelmsford) but plenty of others out there all selling second hand gear. You'll pay a bit more but will come with at least a few months guarantee and the advice of the staff too.
StevieBee said:
Might I suggest that it would be worth you and your son going to a bricks and mortar shop rather than rely on Gumtree / Ebay.
I'd recommend Camera World (London, Stevenage or Chelmsford) but plenty of others out there all selling second hand gear. You'll pay a bit more but will come with at least a few months guarantee and the advice of the staff too.
Am in Central Scotland so a bit of a trek LOL but you weren't to know. Thanks for the recommendation. I don't want to spend a fortune as it may just be a passing fad.I'd recommend Camera World (London, Stevenage or Chelmsford) but plenty of others out there all selling second hand gear. You'll pay a bit more but will come with at least a few months guarantee and the advice of the staff too.
The 350D is very old (Feb 2005 according to Wiki), the 400D looks quite a step up in quality as it was released 18 months later, and has a bigger screen which will help seeing the photo he has just taken. Bear in mind neither of these have a screen that lets you take a photo using the screen (you have to look through the viewfinder, something not many youngsters will have experience of I guess), you'll have to look at newer cameras to do that.
A big advantage of DSLR over a normal compact camera is the ability to change lenses, if you can add on something like the 50mm f1.8 lens ( link to a used one from the WEX shop for £63, I'm sure you can find one much cheaper on eBay/gumtree) that will help an awful lot with the learning how the camera works as it allows you to manually change the settings (eg. to blur the background) a lot more than the lenses that come with the cameras.
I have no idea about the Nikon cameras.
A big advantage of DSLR over a normal compact camera is the ability to change lenses, if you can add on something like the 50mm f1.8 lens ( link to a used one from the WEX shop for £63, I'm sure you can find one much cheaper on eBay/gumtree) that will help an awful lot with the learning how the camera works as it allows you to manually change the settings (eg. to blur the background) a lot more than the lenses that come with the cameras.
I have no idea about the Nikon cameras.
MissChief said:
Also a Nikon D200 with 18-70mm lens for £120.
That would be my choice; I did my first weddings with that combination. The D200 has the important controls on the outside not in menus. I still have one.Simpo Two said:
MissChief said:
Also a Nikon D200 with 18-70mm lens for £120.
That would be my choice; I did my first weddings with that combination. The D200 has the important controls on the outside not in menus. I still have one.MissChief said:
StevieBee said:
Might I suggest that it would be worth you and your son going to a bricks and mortar shop rather than rely on Gumtree / Ebay.
I'd recommend Camera World (London, Stevenage or Chelmsford) but plenty of others out there all selling second hand gear. You'll pay a bit more but will come with at least a few months guarantee and the advice of the staff too.
Am in Central Scotland so a bit of a trek LOL but you weren't to know. Thanks for the recommendation. I don't want to spend a fortune as it may just be a passing fad.I'd recommend Camera World (London, Stevenage or Chelmsford) but plenty of others out there all selling second hand gear. You'll pay a bit more but will come with at least a few months guarantee and the advice of the staff too.
Do nurture his interest. It's a wonderful, immersive hobby and you live in one of the most photogenic parts of the world!
I would go with something like a Nikon D3200/3300. You should be able to get lens, bag and body for £200 all in from somewhere like mpb.com
If you have access to a shop that has that camera in stock then great, but if you can't then I don't think you will go far wrong with the Nikon or maybe a Canon 500/600D., especially as its a first time camera.
If you have any change left from your £200, then I recommend a 35mm prime lens. You can get them new for about £70 on or Amazon but that is a Youngnuo one. The Nikon ones are about £130 used, however if you hunt places like Facebook Market Place, then you can get them cheaper. I paid £85 for mine
Keep it all in a good state and you won't loose much money when you sell. Yes, mirror-less is getting cheaper as teh technology advances, but not everyone has the budget to spend north of a £1k on a mirror less body plus new glass so I think the demand is still there for traditional DLSRs.
If you have access to a shop that has that camera in stock then great, but if you can't then I don't think you will go far wrong with the Nikon or maybe a Canon 500/600D., especially as its a first time camera.
If you have any change left from your £200, then I recommend a 35mm prime lens. You can get them new for about £70 on or Amazon but that is a Youngnuo one. The Nikon ones are about £130 used, however if you hunt places like Facebook Market Place, then you can get them cheaper. I paid £85 for mine
Keep it all in a good state and you won't loose much money when you sell. Yes, mirror-less is getting cheaper as teh technology advances, but not everyone has the budget to spend north of a £1k on a mirror less body plus new glass so I think the demand is still there for traditional DLSRs.
It might also be worth asking them if they have a preference of Nikon or Canon or even one of the other makes (other people make DSLR's too!).
As you are buying into a lens system and often lenses will cost as much or more than the body does. So you often retain lenses and buy a newer body to go with them.
All of the makers have pros and cons and fanboys of each.
It might also be worth considering what they want to use the camera for. Do they have an interest in landscapes and or wildlife photography or are they more into portraits.
As you are buying into a lens system and often lenses will cost as much or more than the body does. So you often retain lenses and buy a newer body to go with them.
All of the makers have pros and cons and fanboys of each.
It might also be worth considering what they want to use the camera for. Do they have an interest in landscapes and or wildlife photography or are they more into portraits.
300bhp/ton said:
It might also be worth asking them if they have a preference of Nikon or Canon or even one of the other makes (other people make DSLR's too!).
As you are buying into a lens system and often lenses will cost as much or more than the body does. So you often retain lenses and buy a newer body to go with them.
All of the makers have pros and cons and fanboys of each.
It might also be worth considering what they want to use the camera for. Do they have an interest in landscapes and or wildlife photography or are they more into portraits.
More landscapes rather than portraits I think, and I've heard about the Nikon/Canon tribalism, but I suspect some of this comes from the lenses rather than any real preference or lack of experience of the other brand. No one wants to spend hundreds or even thousands and then change manufacturer.As you are buying into a lens system and often lenses will cost as much or more than the body does. So you often retain lenses and buy a newer body to go with them.
All of the makers have pros and cons and fanboys of each.
It might also be worth considering what they want to use the camera for. Do they have an interest in landscapes and or wildlife photography or are they more into portraits.
Ffordes are in Inverness. Is that close by?
You should be able to buy an entry level Canon xxxD of some flavour, with an 18-55 'kit' lens and a Canon 55-250 IS lens for £ 150
The two lenses should give him a fighting change of taking photos of most subjects and can grow his equipment from there. If he doesn't take up the hobby seriously, it could be resold without too much of a loss. A couple of memory cards and a basic bag is pretty cheap.
If buying remotely, other camera shops such as MPB, Camera Jungle or Wex offer warranties.
You should be able to buy an entry level Canon xxxD of some flavour, with an 18-55 'kit' lens and a Canon 55-250 IS lens for £ 150
The two lenses should give him a fighting change of taking photos of most subjects and can grow his equipment from there. If he doesn't take up the hobby seriously, it could be resold without too much of a loss. A couple of memory cards and a basic bag is pretty cheap.
If buying remotely, other camera shops such as MPB, Camera Jungle or Wex offer warranties.
Edited by andrewcliffe on Tuesday 23 October 13:54
Simpo Two said:
As you can see, OP, everyone has their own favourite suggestions so its losing focus (lol).
How about involving your son in the decision-makng process?
I probably wouldn't do that. You want a DSLR camera, here is one. Son could get carried away with specs and thinking that they need the latest and greatest DSLR camera and before you know it you are spending £600 on something they could give up within a year.How about involving your son in the decision-makng process?
I certainly wouldn't get hung up on Canon this, Nikon that. I have a Nikon and its fine. Probably tied into Nikon for a while as I now have four lenses!
Yes other brands of DSLR are available, but I would still steer towards the big two for variety of used lenses available.
bakerstreet said:
Simpo Two said:
As you can see, OP, everyone has their own favourite suggestions so its losing focus (lol).
How about involving your son in the decision-makng process?
I probably wouldn't do that. You want a DSLR camera, here is one. Son could get carried away with specs and thinking that they need the latest and greatest DSLR camera and before you know it you are spending £600 on something they could give up within a year.How about involving your son in the decision-makng process?
I certainly wouldn't get hung up on Canon this, Nikon that. I have a Nikon and its fine. Probably tied into Nikon for a while as I now have four lenses!
Yes other brands of DSLR are available, but I would still steer towards the big two for variety of used lenses available.
andrewcliffe said:
Ffordes are in Inverness. Is that close by?
You should be able to buy an entry level Canon xxxD of some flavour, with an 18-55 'kit' lens and a Canon 55-250 IS lens for £ 150
The two lenses should give him a fighting change of taking photos of most subjects and can grow his equipment from there. If he doesn't take up the hobby seriously, it could be resold without too much of a loss. A couple of memory cards and a basic bag is pretty cheap.
If buying remotely, other camera shops such as MPB, Camera Jungle or Wex offer warranties.
Exactly what I would suggest, Ffordes are great too. If you can stretch to a Canon 20D or 30D, they are a notch above the 350D/400D, but from the same era. The main benefit being that you can control both shutter speed and aperture from dials, rather than having to go into menus. I still have my 20D and it is a good camera.You should be able to buy an entry level Canon xxxD of some flavour, with an 18-55 'kit' lens and a Canon 55-250 IS lens for £ 150
The two lenses should give him a fighting change of taking photos of most subjects and can grow his equipment from there. If he doesn't take up the hobby seriously, it could be resold without too much of a loss. A couple of memory cards and a basic bag is pretty cheap.
If buying remotely, other camera shops such as MPB, Camera Jungle or Wex offer warranties.
Edited by andrewcliffe on Tuesday 23 October 13:54
MissChief said:
Simpo Two said:
MissChief said:
Also a Nikon D200 with 18-70mm lens for £120.
That would be my choice; I did my first weddings with that combination. The D200 has the important controls on the outside not in menus. I still have one.
A flagon of ale to me too 
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