Looking for a camera *n00b alert*

[levaz]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking for a camera for my wife for Christmas as she's been saying all year she thinks she'd like to get into photography and tbh her point and shoot is getting on a little now.

Now the problem I'm having comes about as I know very little about cameras.
I don't trust salesmen and thought i'd ask the fountain of knowledge here.

She has it in her head she wants a 'real' camera with changeable lenses, although I think that will change when she sees the prices of lenses.
I've looked at various compacts, bridge cameras and DSLRs but i'm a little lost with it all.

If anyone has any advice or tips as to what I should be looking for, or advice on things they've used it'd really help!

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

A budget would help.

So that aside, get her a Nikon D4

 

[Dan...]

I'm sure some the others with a lot more experience and knowledge will be along to point you in the right direction, but in the meantime I was in a similar situation last year. There are loads out there to choose from, have a look online and read plenty of reviews on the cameras first.

I guess it all comes down to your budget at the end of the day, how much are you looking to spend?

In the end I settled for the Nikon D3000 as it was ideal for beginners and affordable for me. If I had a bigger budget I would have got something newer.

 

[levaz]

lol, a quick google and heart palpitations later.

I had around £350 in mind as a budget, but then the Nikon L820 caught my eye as argos have it on a (nearly)half price special @£120

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Budget will help .. but expectations will also help. What does she actually want ?

Perhaps, as you're not 8 years old (I assume so as you're married) you can be a grown up and take her shopping ?! In the nicest possible way .. I'd rather get something I wanted than what someone thought I wanted.

If she wants interchangable lenses, a DSLR or micro 4/3rds is the way to go.

Not trusting sales people is your first problem IMO .. go to a proper camera shop (are there any left?) not Currys .. get some real advice.

When I got my first DSLR I went to Jessops and tried a few in my budget. If someone had bought me one of the ones I didn't like, I'd feel awful rejecting it, but equally bad having to use it.

If she wants to get into it properly, get an SLR (be it Nikon/Canon/Sony etc) and if you can choose one that friends have to be able to swap lenses... that's a real bonus !

 

[levaz]

Budget will help .. but expectations will also help. What does she actually want ?

This is problem no. 1
She doesn't actually know what she wants, if you start talking technical she switches off and just nods and agrees

Perhaps, as you're not 8 years old (I assume so as you're married) you can be a grown up and take her shopping ?! In the nicest possible way .. I'd rather get something I wanted than what someone thought I wanted.

I have considered this option, but then I haven't used my own initiative, apparently (woman logic)

If she wants interchangable lenses, a DSLR or micro 4/3rds is the way to go.

Not trusting sales people is your first problem IMO .. go to a proper camera shop (are there any left?) not Currys .. get some real advice.

this is good advice, especially as I see Jessops attempting a comeback from the brink, i'll have to check my local branch and see if they sold up shop or not yet.

When I got my first DSLR I went to Jessops and tried a few in my budget. If someone had bought me one of the ones I didn't like, I'd feel awful rejecting it, but equally bad having to use it.

If she wants to get into it properly, get an SLR (be it Nikon/Canon/Sony etc) and if you can choose one that friends have to be able to swap lenses... that's a real bonus !

I would actually like to get her an SLR, but again we're back to question 1 and what will it actually get used for.

 

[planetx]

Invest in some 1 to 1 photography tuition also, http://www.woodyx100.com/2013/11/1-to-1-tuition.html comes highly recommended apparently.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Invest in some 1 to 1 photography tuition also, http://www.woodyx100.com/2013/11/1-to-1-tuition.html comes highly recommended apparently.

Nice plug Steveo Defo a good shout. What he doesn't know about photography isn't worth knowing.

Levaz - look for something like a 500D on eBay .. never have to change the lens if you don't want to .. or if you do, the world is your oyster !

 

[levaz]

I will have an investigate!

I'm going to scoot over to Jessops in the morning while she's at work.

 

[planetx]

Jessops still open?

 

[levaz]

Yea, that guy from dragons den saved the chain, it appears all but one branch in kent has closed, and thats in bromley