15 yr old needs help buying dslr

frank

frank

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My nephew is wanting to get into photography and want's to buy a dslr...well his parents have reluctantly agreed to pay :lol: My nephew and his parents have asked me to help with the choice because I used to do a bit photography so they think I know more :help: So I am putting my problem on you guys Because you lot know better than me.

The budget is £400.00 and no more. I spotted a used Canon 1000D for sale at a reasonable price, I don't know the camera as I used to have the Canon 40D. My thoughts were he could buy this and with the change maybe get a second lens to accompany the 18-55 IS that comes with the 1000D.

Or should he use the money for something else, Nikon or Canon, Camera must be DSLR as he will eventually get other lenses. He is a very very fast learner, quite a clever clogs so I don't think it will take him too long to learn the in's and outs of the various camera settings.

Any suggestions for his price range would be much appreciated.
 
I think a clever 15 year old will pretty soon find a 1000D quite limiting - I would be tempted to get something older but with more controls like a 40D or a Nikon D200.
 
Direct access to all the controls he'll no doubt know about even before the camera turns up.

Thinking about it, I'd go for a D200 and the 35mm f/1.8 which you may just be able to do with £400.
 
frank said:
I spotted a used Canon 1000D for sale at a reasonable price, I don't know the camera as I used to have the Canon 40D. My thoughts were he could buy this and with the change maybe get a second lens to accompany the 18-55 IS that comes with the 1000D.
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You should check that it is with the IS if it is being sold bundled. Many (most?) 1000Ds were sold with the inferior non-IS lens. MBP photographic has a number of 1000Ds for 229 and 18-55IS IIs for £74 (the non IS lens is £39 for comparison). That's second hand dealer prices, so that'll help you judge whether your 1000D is a good deal or not.

A used 40D is £360-£390 on MBP...
 
Nawty said:
Direct access to all the controls he'll no doubt know about even before the camera turns up.

Thinking about it, I'd go for a D200 and the 35mm f/1.8 which you may just be able to do with £400.
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In which case, he will already know exactly what camera he wants and no need to ask.

With £400 there are lots of options if you include used. To be honest, pound for pound they're all much of a muchness, so I would just get whatever you like the look and feel of at the right price.

I wouldn't get any extra lenses at this stage. There's plenty of learning and good photography to be done with a kit zoom, and he can save up for extra stuff as and when he knows which direction to move it. Could be a longer zoom, or a wide-angle, or a low f/number prime, or a decent flash - anything really.
 
If you go for canon, make sure that the kit lens (18-55) is the IS version, not the III version. The image stabilising is useful, but also the IS is an optically superior design.
 
I'd go for a secondhand 40D! Loads more features and will be a bit more future proof when he starts to develop his skills and get abit more creative! Lucky starting out with a cam like that lol! :P parents would never buy me one haha!
 
Used used used. I was about 17 when I got my dSLR and knowing what I know now my £~500 would have gone on a used body not a brand new one with fewer features.
 
Thanks for all the opinions/suggestions folks it certainly give food for thought, I'm tempted to try and persuade him to go down the 40D route since I had the 40D myself and I know what it's capable of. If I could just manage to squeeze them for the 17-85mm IS lens it would be a perfect start for a youngster.

The Nikon 3100 with kit lens is also looking good too since it is new and in his price range at Jacobs, unfortunately I don't have any experience of Nikon cameras to offer sound advice.
 
srichards said:
http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon_EOS_40D-vs-Nikon_D3100

Lack of built in focus motor in the Nikon might be an issue as it reduces your lens choice.
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I'd never trust anything on that site, any site that says stuff like

"14.2 MP vs 10.1 MP = Capture more than 40% more detail in your photos"

Isn't really worth paying attention to.


r.e. the 40D vs D3100, the D3100 has newer technology (like video and a newer sensor) and will be more compact, but the 40D will offer more external controls (it may sound silly, but I found it's easier to learn how to use things properly when they have an assigned button rather than a menu option) and faster performance for moving subjects.

I wouldn't worry about the lack of built in focus motor too much, it's often used as a negative point on the entry level nikon's, but there really aren't that many lenses you miss out on, especially since nikon released the 50mm f/1.8G AF-s (previously I would have said the biggest gap for entry levels was the fact their 50mm f/1.8D didn't have a focus motor).

Personally in his position I would look at getting something like a 20D or nikon D200 (old now but still terrific bodies) and spend the rest of the budget getting a decent kit zoom and a 50mm f/1.8 (the kit zoom for practicality and the 50mm for being able to experiment with fast apertures on the cheap). But that's just my preference, something like a D3100/1000D might be more attractive since it's more portable and modern.
 
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The D3100 is a cracking little camera but like the 1000D it may be a little limiting in terms of direct access controls (perfect for a 2nd camera though :D).

Actually, as a thought, does your nephew have big hands?
 
duttytd said:
Iv had mine for about 9 months now, done weddings, nightclub shots, studio shots and general shots and not once have I found it limiting.
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that's cos you arent a clever 15 year old :lol:

Joking aside I agree it took me many years before i found my 300D (which was specced about like a 1000D in terms of features, if not MP) limiting - however if you (the OP) are buying second hand you can do better than a 1000D for £400

take a look at MPB photographic (second hand nikons and canons and a very good reputation)
 
big soft moose said:
that's cos you arent a clever 15 year old :lol:

Joking aside I agree it took me many years before i found my 300D (which was specced about like a 1000D in terms of features, if not MP) limiting - however if you are buying second hand you can do better than a 1000D for £400

take a look at MPB photographic (second hand nikons and canons and a very good reputation)
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Yeah get a 1000D for £200ish the 200 for tripod, lens, bag, filter ect.
 
Also take in the fact he is 15 he ain't going to spend 24/7 with his camera he will be in to going out with mates, girls ect so I'm sure he won't find it limiting straight away and with more lenses ect it will help the possibility of him getting bored with it quickly.
 
duttytd said:
Yeah get a 1000D for £200ish the 200 for tripod, lens, bag, filter ect.
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True but chrimbo is coming so he could spend the whole budget on a body and kit lens (something like a 40D) then get the other bits and bobs when the big fat man pops down the chimney
 
big soft moose said:
True but chrimbo is coming so he could spend the whole budget on a body and kit lens (something like a 40D) then get the other bits and bobs when the big fat man pops down the chimney
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Haha when I was 15 I wanted playstation games, money, clothes ipod ect for Xmas... I was 15 8 years ago so Im with the age and my guess is you was 15 about 100odd years ago so I'm sure he won't want lenses for Xmas lol.
 
If some one dropped a D300s down the chimney for me at Christmas, at the age of 22, I would believe in Santa all over again haha!
 
duttytd said:
Haha when I was 15 I wanted playstation games, money, clothes ipod ect for Xmas... I was 15 8 years ago so Im with the age and my guess is you was 15 about 100odd years ago so I'm sure he won't want lenses for Xmas lol.
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Cheeky gett - i'm only 8 years older than you , and since I dont regularly get in a cage and let people batter me senseless chances are good that i'm actually younger looking than some we might mention.

It all depends on how serious he is about the toggery - i mean he wants his parents to spend 400 notes on it so he must be fairly serious (when i was 15 i'd have wanted the 400 notes put in the 'buy a motorbike when i'm 16' fund) and a jessops voucher beats a pair of socks hands down in the 'unimaginative xmas present from great aunt flo' category.
 
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I can give one reason why you shouldn't buy a 1000D - I used to have one a couple of years ago, and a bit of the lens mount on the camera body broke off.

I hadn't realised until then, but its made of plastic! I mean the bayonet bits if you know what I mean- imagine the plastic lens mount on the 50 1.8 but on the body.

...and I'm very careful with my gear!
 
travellingcello said:
I can give one reason why you shouldn't buy a 1000D - I used to have one a couple of years ago, and a bit of the lens mount on the camera body broke off.

I hadn't realised until then, but its made of plastic! I mean the bayonet bits if you know what I mean- imagine the plastic lens mount on the 50 1.8 but on the body.

...and I'm very careful with my gear!
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Iv had a 100mm f2.8L, 24-70 f2.8L 70-200 f4L and many others hanging off my 1000D with no problem so I dont know how you managed to break yours :S
 
srichards said:
Go second hand...for £400 the new base model dslrs are often missing useful features such as bracketing, live view and DOF preview.
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I've always wondered what use DOF preview is. I've had it on one film camera, and my 450D, and have never found it any use; it just makes to viefinder/screen look darker, and you can't tell anything from that!
 
Canon 1000d is the worst camera I have ever used, its plastic and feels horrible in the hand it does not even have the thumb grip.. I am not a fan of one wheel systems you find yourself having to look at the camera more..

also remember when considering cameras that cameras such as 40d, D200 come with a faster shutter and faster AF points, worse thing you want to encounter is getting you creative juices flowing only to find out your camera is letting you down.
 
My 2p. I have used and / or owned a 40D, 450D, and a 1000D. The biggest difference in the quality of shots produced is the type of lens used. Yes an XXD series camera has more manual controls but with a a £400 budget you could get a 1000D (or 400D, or 450D) and a Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 (or Tamron 17-50mm F2.8) which will give you a lot more IQ for your money that a 40D and kit lens.
 
Hi,


Have you taken him to a camera store / used camera store to hold bodies of the cameras ?

Whichever he finds easiest to hold and possibly go through menus would be the one to look for. The used place might have the bodies you'd be interested in, Jessops or Jacobs for new bodies (ideas to upgrade into way into the future).

I'd be looking at a d80 or d90, possibly a d200 (but I am a nikon person).

Canons, 30d, 40d or 50d are meant to be good.
Handle the Sonys and Pentaxs too for comparisons.

Although new, possibly the Nex series - although thats probably cause you can get a shift on the lens for 100ukp... :D creative stuff.

Good luck hunting for the right body
 
I had a 1000d and loved it. Never had a problem with it until i dropped it...
Ive had 18-50 2.8 on it which i got some stunning shots from... ive had 18-200 and 700-200 lenses hanging off of it and never struggled.

I thought it was a lovely little camera to get me going in the world.
 
40D + 50 1.8? Then maybe a 17 - 5x 2.8 zoom of some kind for christmas?
 
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