Best dslr for 12 year old beginner

Cyvad

Hi everyone. My daughter wants to get into photography and as its something I know nothing about, I said I'd ask here. She wants a proper dslr camera but I've no idea what's good or bad or how much to to paying. Obviously the cost needs to be kept down to minimum. Any help or advice greatly appreciated.

Sheeps

second hand 1000d?

allfred

Nikon 3100d, Canon 1100d are now at a good value for price.

You should be able to get them with the kit lens which is a fair starter lens. It will be an 18-55mm which is good for Landscaping and Portrait.

Maybe you could even get a Nikon 3000d or Canon 1000d, a bit old old but plenty of tutorial for those cameras.

As you see Canon 1xxx and Nikon 3xxx are the basic models. The second digit is the model recency, higher is the number, more recent they are. For example Nikon 3300 is the latest model nowadays.

Don't get confused with Canon xxx or Nikon xxx (3 or less digits) as they are the higher end models.

What's your price range?

Have a look at the video: youtube . com/watch?v=NcrQzfwCSxE

But there are plenty of other options and other makers.

Some reviews:
dpreview . com/reviews/canoneos1100D/
dpreview . com/reviews/nikond3100/

Cyvad

I was hoping to get away around €200. I'm reluctant to spend more than that in case it's turns out to be just a notion she has. I will check out those models. Thanks for all your replies

amdgilmore

Cyvad wrote: »

I was hoping to get away around €200. I'm reluctant to spend more than that in case it's turns out to be just a notion she has. I will check out those models. Thanks for all your replies

This guy is willing to accept 220+ postage for his 1100d kit.

http://www.adverts.ie/5220648

It's a good starter kit.

PS For your wallet's sake you'd better hope she doesn't get into it. Long term, it would probably be cheaper to buy her a pony.

Lyaiera

Be sure to ask her about video. I have a cousin (a bit older than 12 but still a teenager.) She wanted a DSLR which she eventually got but video was important to her. I know a lot of teenagers now like making youtube videos with their friends, there's some really creative stuff out there so be sure to ask her how important that functionality is to her.

Cyvad

YouTube videos have been mentioned alright!! She has seen a Canon sx170 and a Polaroid is 2132 in argos and likes the look of them. I like the price of them! Any views on these models?

daithi1970

..just be aware that both of these are what is known as "bridge cameras" ie they come between the routine point and shoot and the DSLR cameras.

While they usually have good optical zoom and manual controls, they will not have interchangeable lenses, which will limit them compared to DLSRs.

That said, maybe it might be better for her to use a cheap camera to start with while getting herself educated on the theory of photography..Understanding Exposure" and "The Photographer's Eye" by Michael Freeman are good books for photography theory.

daithi

Cyvad

Both these cameras are around €100 so if it turns out to be a passing fad then it's not the end of the world. Are they good enough for her to get a feel for "proper" cameras should she decide to take up photography