Starter SLR

[griffter]

My son (15) and I attend car and air shows and he’s starting to show an interest in photography.

I’d quite like to get him a “starter” digital SLR for Christmas - budget say £150 but there’s some flexibility.

Is there a “go to” model for a starter?
Is the budget realistic?
Would I be better off looking at used and if so what to look for please?

Many thanks.

[StevieBee]

There's nothing close to that budget new, I'm afraid. Basic entry level ones start at around £450 or so and that doesn't include a lens.

I'd say you need to be looking at £350 to get a decent second hand starter set up:

That would get you something like this second hand: https://www.cameraworld.co.uk/used-canon-eos-500d-...

Standard lense: https://www.cameraworld.co.uk/used-canon-18-55mm-f...

He'll also need a telephoto lens: https://www.cameraworld.co.uk/used-canon-75-300mm-...

[spookly]

You could get an APS-C format DSLR body for under £150 second hand.
You'd be lucky to get something with a reasonable lens in that budget though.

Something like this is reasonable for a beginner: https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/product/nikon-d3200/sku-...
MPB give a 6 month warranty on all used gear.

But that doesn't leave much for a lens.
You could go for older DSLRs, but go too old with digital sensors and they're not as good especially with lower light..

[Tony1963]

Decide which brand you think you’ll prefer, go to the website of a respected used gear trader.

For that budget, used, something like a Canon 40D, 18-55mm and 70-300 lenses should get you started.

[Turtle Shed]

^ What he said, and with Nikon that would be the same focal lengths but a D3100 body. (Avoid the D3000).

[Simpo Two]

Turtle Shed said:

^ What he said, and with Nikon that would be the same focal lengths but a D3100 body. (Avoid the D3000).

I would steer him towards a 'semi-pro' model like the D300 because the controls are more 'knobs and buttons' than buried in menus.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/167049660347

And a telephoto lens as already mentioned - 70-300mm is a good general purpose telephoto range and Nikon have several versions - the more you pay, the better it will be. I recommend lenses marked 'AF-S' for faster focusing.

And then a 70mm lens on a crop sensor DSLR is not much use indoors so I would consider a wider angle lens too, eg 18-70mm.

[MadCaptainJack]

You and he may find that the experience of trying to photograph airborne aircraft may be disappointing if you don't splash out on some decent (and, therefore, expensive) long lenses. Photographing static displays will likely be more satisfying and, for that, I'd suggest a 50mm lens (if you get an SLR).

If I was getting into photography as a hobby now, I think I'd be looking very hard at mirrorless instead of old-style SLRs.

For your budget, it might be worth getting a cheap'n'cheerful compact digital camera to start with. If his interest in photography is genuine, you could then upgrade in due course.

[Simpo Two]

Car shows would certainly be an easier start than air shows where settings and technique become more important.

I find 50mm on a crop sensor camera too long for a lot of work; for car shows and general purpose work wide angle would be more useful.

Either way, if he's moving from a phone to 'proper' photography he's likely to be disappointed with his results to start with as he realises how much the phone was doing for him but he never knew. That's where knowing the basics of photography save you because you can see the result, decide why it's not what you thought it was going to look like, and take steps to correct it the next time.

[Tony1963]

MadCaptainJack said:

For your budget, it might be worth getting a cheap'n'cheerful compact digital camera to start with. If his interest in photography is genuine, you could then upgrade in due course.

No.

If it's a struggle, P mode makes life easy. Aperture or shutter priority are easy enough to learn. A dSLR makes using these modes fairly easy, whereas a compact makes almost everything more difficult. I really can't see a reason to not buy an older dSLR and a couple of lenses.

[7 5 7]

I picked up an original Canon 7d "well worn" from MPB (£130) a few months back, just as a spare body to literally chuck in my bag when I am on shoots with work, run this alongside my pair of 5d's - very good little camera as a backup but perfectly fine for most things, pretty quick little thing too, often use it for sporadic nature imagery with big lens!

7d was very much maligned when new, but does a pretty good job, nice and ergonomic too, still prefer full frame for my commercial ventures but this little 7 holds its own, especially with a cheap big aperture 40 or 50mm, great cheap setup.

[griffter]

Thanks all, for the reality check on budget, and for the sound advice on options.
I’ll take a look at the models mentioned and I appreciate the recommendations for retailers.

I guess an alternative would be for me treat myself, to “share” it with him, and for him to acquire it that way!

[gareth h]

I had Nikon D70 and D90 before I bought a D750, both can be had cheap and I’d say are great starter cameras.

[Derek Smith]

I've got a number of grandchildren (can't be bothered to count them all) and have tried to get some interested in taking photographs. I've loaned them my cameras, most of which had lots of dials and menus, including a Panasonic GH2. This tended to put them off. I think the problem was I was thinking what I'd prefer rather than what might get them excited. The best results I've had are with my (now theirs, it's been so long since I've handled them) Panasonic TZ25 (compact) and a Panasonic FZ100 (bridge).

They moved onto various menus as and when they felt the need. Two have had evening classes at school on photography.

I'm obviously not pushing Panasonic, but it's what I know.