My wife's been demanding a new camera for her birthday/Christmas. She's never had anything beyond a point & shoot or a cellphone, but every time we've gone to Costco lately she's hinted at wanting a Canon Rebel T5i which they have on sale ($800 this month?) with 18-55 and 55-250mm lenses. (It doesn't help that her mom and a few friends each have a T3i) Would it be a good camera for a novice? I'm also looking to sign her up for a photography class at the community college so she'd get more out of it than just clicking away.

Kharn

It would be a perfectly fine camera.  A lot of Internet snobs will decry it simply for being a rebel, but unless she's shooting for Sports Illustrated, there are awfully few things that it won't do, and do well.

Keep in mind that in most photography, it's 99% Indian, 1% arrow.  And the t5i is, despite not being the top of the line, a perfectly good arrow.  

Love the Canon line. They really made an effort to make good quality cameras with a reachable price point. I think we have the base model Rebel XS. Got a deal on a refurb for around $300 with the kit lens. I'm not sure if the 55-250 that comes with that kit is the IS version, but if it is, that's probably an ok price. We have the 55-250 IS lens and it's a GREAT lens for the money. Sure, you could pay 2-3x more for a better one, but it will do everything you need from a telephoto lens. Between that and the 18-55, the only thing you'd be lacking is a great prime lens.

If you don't want to spend $800, keep an eye out on Canon's website or SlickDeals.net for when they put their refurbs on sale. You can save a lot that way and to be honest, if you only had the 18-55mm kit lens for a while, you would be just fine.

I always laugh at my MIL because she'll shoot with her T3i and then complain that my dad's pictures he took with a random point and shoot from the same event look a ton better, when the problems are all composition and lighting.
My dad had his own darkroom back in the day, she's just throwing money at it and hoping to get good pictures.

Kharn

I always tell people that photography is easy.   With the exception of lighting, posing, and composition.  

Go here

shop.usa.canon.com

Canon cameras own store
If she is going to do video , You should look at packages with the IS STM lenses
Take a look at the refurb deal and look at the SL-1

Here are the lenses the pack I'm looking at come with: "EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM and EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Lens"

Kharn

It's a fine camera. It's lacking some of the features of the higher end Canon's, but a beginning DSLR user probably won't notice them anyway.

I shoot a 5Diii, one of my friends recently bought a T3. I have a hard time using his camera because it's lacking some of the things I use on a regular basis, or they are buried much deeper in the menu structure and are not as quickly accessed. On the other hand, he picks up my camera and his eyes glaze over. Both camera will take great pictures, but they are each designed for a specific type of photographer. I think the lower end Canon's are fantastic for beginner shooters, and offer lots of growth potential.

Those are good enough starter lenses, and really they are just fine for any amateur, unless you are planning on something specialized.  The only thing that you may eventually want for supplementing those lenses may be a 60mm or so macro lens in the future unless she ends up .  I have the T1i that i picked up right when it first came out, and it has served me just fine.  Im not sure of the exact upgrades or specs on the newest one, but I'm sure that its just a bigger sensor, larger image, faster processor, better video, and a few extra bells and whistles.

You should definitely sign her up for some classes if she has never gone past a point and shoot, unless she is a really good self starter who will read the manual front to back, and read/watch a lot of tutorials.  It has been my experience that most people in similar situations that buy a DSLR spend about a grand on it, then set it to automatic and never learn a single fundamental.  On top of the wasted investment, they would have actually had better photos by just buying a much simpler point n shoot.

SL1

It's just fine for a beginner.  She should watch some tutorials.  There are some good beginner books as well.

I would recommend getting the 40 mm or the 50 mm prime lens which will simplify things a bit and she will learn a bunch about shooting/composition without complicating things with focal adjustments.

Convince her to remove the automatic settings unless she really needs them. Keep it on manual (M).

Good video on those as well.  It's not as good as the 5D Mark III, but you can get some good video with the T5i.

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Digital-Camera-18-55mm-55-200mm/dp/B00I6TC6XG/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1412091321&sr=1-1&keywords=Nikon+D3200+24.2+MP+CMOS+Digital+SLR+Camera+with+18-55mm+and+55-200mm+Non-VR+DX+Zoom+Lenses+Bundle

I offered the T5i to my wife, saying if she chose the camera it would be her Christmas, Birthday, Valentine's, anniversary, etc, present for the next 12 months. She said no as she'd rather get something at each of those occasions (even though the camera package would far exceed what I'd normally give her). I think she's gambling that I'll buy the camera for myself.

Kharn

Sounds like instead of a camera you need a new gun in the safe. And sounds like she gets a Snickers bar for each holiday for the next year.

If you have Canon and lenses already, then go with it as both can share lenses.  If not, look at something with better sensors like cameras with Sony sensors; check mirrorless  with interchangeable lens system as well.

IMO there are too many good deals out there used to go with a T5I. I picked up a 70D body recently for $919 shipped off of digitalrev. I would have picked up a significantly cheaper body used if I didn't do so much video.

Well put.  

99% of the people who WANT a DSLR, actually NEED a nice point and shoot.  

 

As another guy looking to buy a DSLR for his wife, I recommend looking at either a Nikon D5300 or a Canon SL1.

I have borrowed my sister's Nikon D7000 and we have friends with Canon T3i, 40D, 50D, and 60D that we have looked at.  She (we) thought that we wanted either a D7300 or a 70D.  Then she saw how heavy they are and said that she wants something lighter.  She didn't like the idea of carrying a heavy camera and lenses (even though we all know I would be the one that gets saddled with the pack)

We have been looking for a while and not settled on one yet.  The D5300 and the SL1 have most of the same features as the other DSLR cameras mentioned here, but they are also the lightest.  They are cheaper than the others, too.  I suspect that both price and weight are benefits of the lighter, plastic body instead of the metal bodies of the larger models.

Before you buy one, go into a camera store and actually use the menus on the cameras.  Play around with the ISO, aperture, shutter speed, and white balance.  Which ever camera feels better in her hands AND is easier for her to navigate the menus......that's the one I recommend!

Good Luck!

On this point, we recently bought an Olympus XZ-2.  It is a great point-and-shoot!  Very easy to make quick changes to the features you expect to find in the bigger cameras, and also takes GREAT macro pics.  I have been able to get some great macro shots on our bee hives, and set the shutter speed and flash value to get pics of the honey flying off the frames in the extractor.  It even works as it should in auto, although I try to force myself not to use auto....

My wife loves the quality of the pics and is willing to grab this little camera when we leave the house (meaning that she actually carries it to get pictures).

It should work fine.
Take it out of auto and use it.   Do not be afraid of taking a bad shot.   Its digital, its not going to cost you a $0.50 every time you click the shutter like Film will.
This was a t1i.  

I know Kharn said his wife said no to the deal, but imma jump in anyway.


First off there is nothing wrong with the rebel line.  They are great cameras and are very capable. I have seen various generations of Rebels do some cool shots. But they aren't for everyone and they they can be a pain if you are more geared to making actual adjustments and running in full manual or AV or TV modes.

My personal thought is that the majority of people who buy rebels can be devided into two groups. People who want to learn and get into photography on a budget, and people who want more from a camera that a point and shoot.


The second group would often be served better with a mirror less with interchange lenses or one of the new high end point and shoots with manual over ride.

The first group would be better served by a used enthusiast or prosumer grade camera.  The 30-50D's are cheap on eBay these days, even with a kit lens and low shutter count. They are just as or more capable as the t3 in a composition sense, and it is easier to learn the adjustments and controls, allowing you to grow faster. And the lower price means you can buy a couple of prime lenses.

as someone who has owned a T3 for the last 2 years, yes it will serve her just fine.

that and some education on things like Exposure, etc. etc.

eta: thats what i get for not reading the thread.

I just picked up a d5300 a month or two ago. Very happy with it so far. Now if I could afford some more glass!