my gf has mentioned to me that she would really like to pick up photography as a hobby (since i'm always out playing golf)... i'd like to buy her a good DSLR camera to play around with... doesn't have to be too extravagant, but i don't want it to be bare bones either.

i know absolutely nothing about cameras... are there any camera brands/models that you can point me to? i'm willing to spend around $1000, if necessary. what features are must-haves, and which ones are more for marketing purposes? i've seen a range from 8 - 12MP?... read somewhere that IS lenses are good?

any advice you can offer will be greatly appreciated.

thanks in advance.

 

If she wants to get into photography at any level more than just pointing and shooting a DSLR will definitely give here room to grow. That being said " the growing process" will likely cost some $$$ in terms of lenses and other accessories.

The good thing is digital camera technology has come so far that you really can't go wrong with any DSLR camera you choose. All the DSLR's will have manual controls and good image quality. You may find that some cameras have bells and whistles like image stabilization and noise reduction, which is a good thing, but you may not need all those bells and whistles.

I personally am a Canon shooter. I invested early in Canon so I can use my existing lenses with any new Canon bodies I get. Also if your girlfriend goes pro or wants to rent lenses and accessories, it will be easier to find Canon or nikon gear to rent than Sony or most other brands.

If it were me I would look for a kit that includes a zoom lens with a good range. That should be enough to get her going and keep here busy for a long time. In the end all these gadgets are just tools, so theoretically she would be able to play endlessly with just a single camera and lens.

by the way $1000 budget will give you many options.

 

Any DSLR is going to give her plenty of room to learn. Good, proper lenses are more important than the body. Honestly, The Nikon D40 is a GREAT camera. I would do that, and buy her a few different lenses. That is the real key.

 

As someone else mentioned, $1000 budget will definitely give you some options. Some people like Canon, I like Nikon myself. Features as between the lines are fairly similar. Above all else I think the ergonomics of the camera will dictate which one to get. So go to a store, play with the camera, and see which one fits best in your hand. Have fun!

 

Can't go wrong with Canon or Nikon.
One thing she should do is hold these cameras in her hand and see how they feel. The way the camera feels in your hands is crucial and often overlooked.

 

Go play with some Nikons and Canons and see what she likes. Personally a Canon shooter here. I think my first setup with an XTi ran under $800.

 

cool... thanks guys... i was actually going to surprise her and buy her something on my own, since she won't let me buy it for her...
but after reading your suggestions, i'll probably just take her to a store (by force... lol) to let her play around and see which camera "feels" good...

any websites/stores you can recommend for purchase?

 

bhphoto.com and beachcamera.com

 

Don't forget about adorama.com.

 

Something I found important was accessibility of frequently used features. On the Nikon models I looked at, some things that I would be using often were buried in menus, whereas on the Canon there was frequently a hard button dedicated for that purpose or it was much more easily accessed.

Other than that, others have posted good advice.

Like iStan posted, bhphoto.com is a great resource. Order a catalog and start reading.

 

I'm a Pentax fan myself, but both Canon and Nikon have plenty of great cameras.

I would take her to the store and let her test drive all the models in your price range, that way she can pick the one that fits her hands the best. Pretty much all the 18-55mm or 50-200mm "stock" or kit lenses are similar in performance so any of the major brands will serve on that front.