Beginner Camera for a newbie

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I’m going on safari in July and my daughter has also expressed an interest in photography so I was thinking of getting a Sony a6000 with the dual lens kit.

Any comments or views on both the camera and the lenses as to suitability?
 
I'm not going to comment on the choice of camera and lenses as such but I did just wonder if it was worth mentioning that whatever she gets it's probably a good idea to take her through good lens changing practices (hold the camera down over, turn away from the wind etc...) to minimise the chance of contamination and dust bunnies on pictures and it may also be an idea to get a rocket blower and run off a test shot to look for contamination daily... if changing lenses in challenging conditions.
 
You haven't said how old your daughter is, or if she has any experience with photography (but your question implies she doens't have much).

You might find a bridge camera is a better starting camera, to avoid the complexities of lens changes (as per Alan's comments above).

The A6000 is a reasonable camera, and my 10yr old is certainly happy to borrow mine and take shots with it when we're out and about (I use mine as a 'travel camera', something small and light for when the full DSLR is not practical).
The one thing I would advise if you do go for an A6000 is to get a couple of spare batteries and a mains charger (there are a range of 3rd party options on Amazon) - the A6000 can use up a battery fairly quickly, especially if used for video.
 
I'm going to play devils advocate..... and prick some aspirations... and offer some very synical and jaded perspective.... sorry...

First up, good photographers take good photos, NOT 'expensive cameras'.

Wildlife photography is one of those genres of specialisation, in which, trawling my memory for the author I cant, but one of the top wild-life snappers once commented something like, "It takes 1/100th of a second for a camera to make a photo.... it takes MONTHS for the photographer to get to that point...." as last comment, it's the photographer that makes the picture, all the camera does is record it. For wildlife, you need to know your subject; where to find it, what time of day, how it feeds, where to be to get the best back-ground and not get eaten... etc etc etc. You dont just drive up onto the African Savanah, and have lions come up to greet you and ask "So what pose would you like today, Mr Bailey?" On a package safari, you have guides and experts on the fauna, who can 'sort' of take a lot of that planning and set-up out the game fort you; they make thier living showing folk the animals, they aught know where to find them; they probably also know where and when they make a decent snap, and set things up so all you have to do is point and shoot......

B-U-T... do that and you will get pretty much the same snaps as dozens of other tourists each season, you may as well buy the post-cards.... in the mean-time, put the chuffing camera down and enjoy you holiday! Not easy to out-run a lion when you are too busy trying to pick up that expensive 700mm lens people told you was absolutely essential to the task!

Rather cynical, But DO think about it...... good photographers take better photo's NOT more expensive cameras.... takes years to learn the basics of how to get the best from a fancy camera and start becoming a better photographer..... you have what, a few weeks? And a google-connection..... yup... my money's on the lion..... you'll have your head in the camera hand book, or be trying to find a you-tube-tutorial, when it charges! If you buy a fancy camera, and if you align expectations and dont expect to get shots like are on the cover of nat-geo.... you still have an enormous learning curve 'just' to learn how to use a new camera.... and I get sick trying to read on a coach, let alone in the back of a bouncy old Land-Rover!!!

Photo's that will have most 'meaning' to you when you get home, will be the happy-snaps of your family and travel-mates, with a bit of the scenery behind.. that begs a more generic snap-shot camera, which you probably already have, likely in your smart-phone.... a-n-d you likely are already familiar with how to use it......

Which is all to pose a proposition, that you have left it too late, and are trying to cover all your bases with one beach-towel..... and probably DONT need a new camera, and rather than a new camera 'adding' to your holiday, it's as like to detract, as you faff trying to get to grips with it and miss the gazelle bounding accross the track into the trees..... "What Camera" at this point, is quite likely a non-issue.... doesn't matter what it is or what its got or what it cost, if you dont know how to use it, or aren't pointing it at something photo-worthy when it happens...... ANY camera, that does the job, is the right camera... question REALLY is what's the job? And then, are you the right man for the job? Pro's do it for a living; they know the ins and outs, have years of practice and bags fill of gear to do it... and their photo's are cheap and widely available in the gift-shop, on post cards in the books, heck you probably already have a good number of them in the holiday brochure! So think not of the giraffe and elephant... that they can and have taken many many times, far better than you ever will, and contemplate the stuff that they cant get or wont get, like Auntie Mable loosing her knickers in the bar! (for whatever reason!)

May save you a heap of money, as well as frustration, trying to pick the 'perfect' camera to really NOT get even a fraction of what you hope for, even a fraction as good as you hope... A-N-D let you enjoy the holiday, and the scenary and actually being there, not peering at it all through a peep-hole or on a little LCD screen little different to your living room with the central heating turned full on!

As said, its devils advocate stuff... but WHY are you going on holiday? To relax? To have a change of scenary? To experience a different culture? OR... to try take pictures to impress your work-mates and neighbours? The camera should be your companion in travel, NOT your reason for travel...... back up a bit, and re-evaluate just how important getting photo's on this trip really is, and IS a fancy camera REALLY the 'best' way to obtain them.... think post-cards, think nature books, think gift shop..... and what is and isn't in them......
 
@Teflon-Mike
My impression is that the camera is for the OP's daughter to use, and that she doen's have a camera at present.

IE She will be there as well, and would like a camera to have a chance to take some photographs while she is there.
 
I’m going on safari in July and my daughter has also expressed an interest in photography so I was thinking of getting a Sony a6000 with the dual lens kit.

Any comments or views on both the camera and the lenses as to suitability?

I would suggest, that if you have a camera system yourself, you buy your daughter something similar (same make). That way you can "share" lenses, and if she gets stuck, you will know the menu system.

Jus an idea.....
 
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I agree if you have a camera system then get the same make. As also said some practise before you go would be needed to
 
Ok maybe I should have added more info. It’s me and the wife who are going to Kenya. We are going as my wife was born there but she’s not been back for a good 30+ years. We will be staying in Nairobi for a few days and then off to Mombasa where we’ll be staying in a beach resort.

Going no safari was my idea, my wife has no interest, it’s only a 3 day safari and I’m not going there explicitly to take pictures.

As we are going my daughter said she was thinking of buying a camera and that if she gets it now we can take it hence the question. I have seen other posts here where people are explicitly going to take pictures, I’m going as it will kill time in Nairobi [emoji4]

Oh and thanks for all the replies so far, very interesting the varying and differing thoughts.
 
I had a thought...

Maybe a one lens solution might be an idea?

I don't know what do it all lenses are available for the A6000 but there probably are some. I have a Panasonic GX80 which is similar to the A6000 in that it's a small range finder type mirrorless camera, I think it's a good camera and they're very reasonably priced for what they are. There's a 14-140mm (28-280mm FF equivalent) available for the GX80 and I bet there's something similar for the A6000.

A one lens solution might be something to look at as it'll avoid lens changes in adverse conditions?
 
There's a Sony E-mount 18-200mm, or a Tamron 16-300mm for Sony A-mount, if you have an appropriate converter.
 
Quick update, I’ve purchased a used a6000 with kit lens, should hopefully have it next week.

Need to buy a telephoto lens now. If I buy say a tamron with a suitable adapter would I lose any functionality?
 
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