Posted: 3/5/2009 11:45:58 PM EDT
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So my wife has been taking photgraphy classes at a college. She's pretty damn good with a camera. I keep telling her to buy a new one that is up to par with her abilty. But, since she doesnt work, she hates spending money on herself.
I need recommendations for a good camera. Preferably as close to professional that she can add to or upgrade as her experiance grows. |
| what line is she in now, Canon, Nikon, Pentax, or other? Does she have a collection of good glass that she'd like to keep? If so, that will constrain your choices along those lines. If not, we can open it up a little; what is she shooting with now? Medium format, DSLR, point & shoot? |
Check out the used forums at www.fredmiranda.com I'd suggest a good used Canon D30 or D20. I actually wish I had gone this route instead of dropping $800 on an XTi outfit in the fall of '07. Since then I have replaced the kit lens, so I basically dropped that much cash on a body. I eventually want to upgrade to a 1D MkIII or MKII, and there is a hell of a deal on a body for $2200 right now, but I 'ain't sellin any more of my guns!! Gotta wait until the wife is out of grad school and making that $100+ per hour  Yea...I'm a kept man, and enjoying every minute of it!
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You can find used in great shape, Nikon D50(s) or D70(s) on ebay. Both cameras are high quality pieces of work, and can be found for under $300. Your choice of Nikon will guarantee you a great selection of lenses that will be compatible with old lenses and well into the future. Canon XT or a used Canon 20D would be good too, but I would favor the Nikons for a plethora of reasons. |
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Torf gives good advice above. The D70s and D50s are both GREAT cameras. I have been shooting a D70s for awhile now (two+ years), and every time I think of upgrading, I spend the money on lenses, accessories, or travel. If I demanded more of the camera, I would upgrade, but frankly it works too well to justify sinking $1k+ into a new body to get a couple new features. The three main things you need to control:
1. White balance 2. How much light (aperture) 3. For how long (shutter speed) don't really change no matter how expensive the camera is. Good glass goes a long way. I Have a couple decent pro-sumer lenses, and I can tell you that my pictures are often head and shoulders above folks with newer, higher-resolution cameras shooting through cheap glass. Remember, the camera body loses value at the speed of sound. The lenses (assuming buying Canon or Nikon) are investments that you can live with for a long time. shooter |