https://www.keh.com/search/list?n=128&category[]=Complete+Cameras&sort_by=priceMax-asc
KEH is a good place to pick up good used gear.
KEH is a good place to pick up good used gear.
The body is the cheap part. The glass is what costs money.
Hello,
My daughter really wants to get a digital slr for Christmas and I really don't know where to start (I still have a K1000) Trying to stay under $300 for a decent camera. Is my budget appropriate for a decent base camera that can be expanded? Thanks for the help!
Dan
Also, all this talk about lenses reminds me to say that for a beginner the most valuable lens you can get them is the nifty 50. I hear hit and miss stories with Canon but Nikon's 50mm f/1.8 ($100) is THE most versatile lens you can get anywhere near that price point. It's fast, sharp, and something she'll use for a long time.
Just make sure you get the AF-S with the built in focus motor unless the camera body has a motor built in. (D40 = no built in motor = she's manually focusing every shot, D90 = Built in motor) But yeah, I love my 50mm f/1.8. If I'm just shooting snapshots at a party or out on the town or something fun and light that's what I take.
If she is REALLY going to learn photography you cannot get a better teaching tool than that Pentax K1000
buy her some good photo books and start that way.
Also, all this talk about lenses reminds me to say that for a beginner the most valuable lens you can get them is the nifty 50. I hear hit and miss stories with Canon but Nikon's 50mm f/1.8 ($100) is THE most versatile lens you can get anywhere near that price point. It's fast, sharp, and something she'll use for a long time.
I actually just addressed this on my Facebook because people were having the same questions. I like Nikon because my friend has Nikon and it's what I learned on:
I have seen a bunch of Black Friday ads and they all have DSLRs on sale. I know a lot of people "have always wanted a real camera" and I love that! I encourage it! However, I want you to do it intelligently.
"Real" photography isn't about megapixels. It's about being able to control your camera so you can actually get the shot. That being said for the $400-$700 you can spend on a brand new entry level Nikon or Canon I make the following recommendations:
Buy used from a reputable website. I like KEH Camera and have spent literally thousands of dollars there.
I like the Nikon D40 ($125-175) with an 18-200 Nikon/Nikkor lens (~$250-350). You get the same focal range without having to change lenses and you get a solid and proven camera body. Yes, it's a 6 megapixel camera and yes it's the same money you could spend for a new 24.2 D3200 or whatever the big box stores are selling. But you're getting a lens that's much better and much more convenient.
If you're wanting to spend a bit more, then I like the D90 with an 18-200 (~$600 total). For that extra money you get increased accessibility to controls like focus, metering and ISO, more resolution and many more focal points. Not to mention the great lens and no issues shooting something far away and something close, which translates to fewer missed shots.
For the majority of what you'll shoot, that 18-200 will get it done and get it done right. It's a very good lens that will handle anything general. When you start getting into specific case use then you start buying more lenses.
The other good thing about this stuff is that the majority of it holds its value pretty well. The 18-200 was replaced by a VRII (used it's $100-150 more) the only addition is a toggle that keeps the lens from creeping in or out if you have it at your side.
Another thing I'm seeing with the BF ads is that the kits are shipping with lens that don't have vibration reduction (Nikon) or image stabilization (Canon). That makes a big difference at 200mm.
If you're still "omg the megapixelz!" allow me this:
Nikon's newest, most expensive, full frame super amazing, end all be all of camera bodies is "only" 16 megapixels. That's equal to about 10 megapixels in the bodies you'll buy at any consumer store.
At your $300 price point start cruising Craigslist. I got my D90, 18-105mm and 50mm prime for $400. Deal of the century lol.
I take the 24-70 for a night out (or 50 f/1.4 lol). I just wanted to talk about cheap and versatile though
I take the 24-70 for a night out (or 50 f/1.4 lol). I just wanted to talk about cheap and versatile though
Just ordered the D90 with 18-200 lens plus a filter from KEH. He's gonna hold order til friday and then I get $40 off! Thanks again everyone.
Just ordered the D90 with 18-200 lens plus a filter from KEH. He's gonna hold order til friday and then I get $40 off! Thanks again everyone.
Congrats! I rocked the D90 for quite a while. The "vacation" lens will serve you (your daughter) well.
If you can move up in price, for $550 you can get a package for the Nikon D3300 and an 18-55mm lens. We recently got one as my wife wanted a lighter bodied and somewhat smaller DSLR to carry. We have a few pricey Nikkor/Nikon lenses previously obtained for a Nikon D90 (a great, relatively rugged DSLR that's now discontinued), so I was a bit skeptical of the package lens with the D3300, but it's been a performer, and we've taken some really nice pics with it. I think the high ISO range and noise handling of the camera gives it more flexibility even with a basic lens.
Be careful about camera deals from online vendors that are substantially cheaper than prices at Amazon, B&H, Foxes, etc (e.g. avoid Abe's of Maine - which is really in NJ). Many will sell grey market goods whose warranties are no good in the US, and they will delay shipping orders, call buyers, and try to talk them up to buying more expensive goods.