Looking at a DSLR for my bride to be. Shes made comments before about how she'd
love to learn photography but she's too frugal to ever buy herself one. so thats where I come
in
I'm looking at something in the $400-700 range to really produce some high quality pictures.
My dad and brother both have nikon d3300 am have no complaints so I'm leaning towards that.

Is that a pretty solid choice?

I have a D3200, which is similar to the D3300, and IMHO it would be a fine choice for someone who wants to learn DSLR photography.

Since you already have Nikons "in the family" it also should help make the Nikon vs. Canon choice a no-brainer.

Nothing wrong with the 3300 but I find it to be too small.  The 5xxx and 7xxx series have a bit larger body size.

The 3300 is also a marginally prosumer model.  The 5xxx and 7xxx will give you easier access to functions and features.

ok thanks for the replies,
I'll check out the 5xxx models too

I just bought a refurbished D5300.  Great camera and has most of the features I wanted.  The only thing I regret is not stepping up to the D7xxx series bodies for the auto focus motor being in the camera body and the more user friendly control setup.  Scrolling through menus can get a bit tiresome.


 

ETA:  You can get a factory refurbished D7100 body for $599 from Cameta Camera.

triple6: Are you into camera, like DSLRs, if so get your bride-to-be something in the same line so that you can share lenses and accessories.

It sound like she has a pretty good head on her shoulders, once you/she gets going, you/she will need lenses and other gizmos. I would go with the base models of whatever cameras such as a Nikon D3xxx or the Canon Rebel series. Sign her up for a class at the local community college, that will be money well spent.

Personally I like Nikon, but Canons are just as good.

the cc class is a good idea, i didn't think of that
thanks

seems like the d3400 is out/going to be out.
should I stick with the d3300 or look at the 3400? what I've read says they
are pretty similar.

I would stick with the D5xxx series.  The D3xxx series has too many compromises to hold up well over the long run.

It looks like the D3400 is pretty close spec wise to the D5300.  The main thing I see missing is the tilt LCD screen.

 

You didn't say if the 400-700 dollar budget was for a camera only or camera and lenses.

Adorama has a refurb D7100 body for $599

That's what I'd get.

http://www.adorama.com/inkd7100r.html

^^yep

If body only, the 7xxx series would be the way to go.

Bodys are all well and good.. but without good glass you won't get the kind of results you are likely expecting.

I have a D80 (predecessor to the 7xxxx) and it is  fantastic camera. I really have no need for an upgrade. The only reason I would get another is to go from the DX sensor to the FX.

I have all of my 35mm lenses and they work fine with the D80. Not sure if the newer bodys will AF with older 35mm lenses? Something to consider. I wouldn't buy a DX lens. YMMV depending on how serious your girl is.

budget is 500-600 for everything
hoping to get the best bang in that price range without
spending too much.

Refurbed D5300 and a couple refurbed lenses from Adorama will get you a hair over $600.

Stay away from the "cheap" bundles on Amazon. Those are typically international versions of the cameras and carry no warranty when sold here.

thanks for that--
are the refurbs gtg? I can't swing a new 5300 at all but if the refurbs are solid...

The refurbs are good to go.  Just bought one within the last month.  You can also buy through Cameta.  They extend the factory 90 day warranty to one year.
 

+1

I've bought a SB-400 flash and a 55-300 DX as refurbs..  They both are in the regular rotation.
The SB-400 takes the place of my D7100's onboard flash.
The 55-300 DX zoom is almost always available from the usual outlets for $200 or so.

If I'm buying Nikon stuff I look for refurbs before buying new.  YMMV.

What lenses do you have?  Any full frame manual or auto focus glass?

In my very biased opinion a tilt LCD is a WAY over-hyped feature.  It assumes you will be framing your subjects by holding the camera out in front of you, looking at that LCD.  If that's going to be your framing method, IMO, just get a P&S.

Speaking of the 3xxx vs 5xxx vs 7xxx series, I was at Costco the other day and they had all three out on display.  After playing with them, my opinions are:
-The 3xxx is just too small.  Can't get a good grip.  It's also button-challenged;  very little you can do that you can't do with a P&S without wading through all kinds of menus.  This body also just feels cheap to me.  Not much heft.
-The 5xxx size is just about the same as the 7xxx, but it also lacks some useful buttons.  Even moreso, NO FRONT AND REAR COMMAND DIALS!!!  Until you've used a body with front/rear dials, where you can change both aperture and shutter with the roll of a finger, you'll never know how incredibly useful that feature is.

If you're at all serious, buy a used higher-end body over a new lower end body.  I'd rather go back to my D200 than have to use a 5xxx or 3xxx.

Wait until you find out what a more modern sensor can do in low-light situations.  I went from a D50 to a D200 to a D7100, and each upgrade was quantum levels in sensor performance.

I may be late to the party, but just in case I'll give you my two cents.

So your bride to be (congratulations) wants to learn photography (congratulation again).

From what I have read in the comments is that the solutions that were offered to you mostly direct your future purchase toward either Nikon or Canon. I, on the other hand, would suggest you to perhaps consider Pentax.

That's what I started with 10 years ago and I am still with them today. Their "beginner" cameras are good for beginners, meaning they are very good to learn the fundamentals without being buried under tons of "ultra advanced" options. So they allow you to get a good grasp of the fundamentals but also help you defining what you want to do: portrait, landscapes, macro, etc...

Another thing that made me choose Pentax, actually two other things.
-most of their cameras are weather-sealed. That was 10 years ago, I think this is now standard for all of their cameras now. So shooting under the rain is fairly safe.
-price of the lenses, and that is something I think can be very interesting. Contrary to Canon and Nikon the stabilization system is located inside the camera and the lens. Which means that, each time you buy a new lens you are not buying a new stabilization. Which means the price of a lens is way lower. Which is a good thing if your bride to be fells for the "lens-porn curse" (and that is something that happens to a lot of photographs).

So, yeah... a cheaper alternative.


But if your brother and dad both have D3000, with various lenses, it could be a good idea to go with a D3000. That way your bride to be will be able to try different lenses and find what she wants to do and/or what she wants to specialize in.