Best camera for a keen teenage photographer

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Mumofbuddingphotographer

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Emma
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Hi
My 15 yr old daughter is very interested in photography. She is wanting to go into college to study photography. She has asked for a camera for Xmas to upgrade her old canon DSLR one she has had for years think I paid £150 refurbished for it. The problem is that I don't have a clue where to start. My budget was £300 , looking online I can see this will be a challenge as I hadn't appreciated the range and cost! Could anyone please recommend a camera between £300 - £400 please. She is keen but I would say still at semi beginner level. She likes taking pictures of landscapes/ nature , this may change as she becomes more experienced. I'm afraid I am ignorant to all the specifications cameras come with and totally lost as to where to even start.
Many thanks in advance
E
 
Hi and welcome to TP

These questions do come up intermittently and these thoughts occur to me:-

1) What model is the "old Canon dSLR" and specifically what lenses does she have already? This may help "inform" the sort of pointers folk here at TP could suggest.
2) How far off is the college course, because I have read some (all) colleges have a bias towards makes/brands............this may not be the case but might be worth bearing in mind. Though Canon being a leading brand could well be it or one of the course recommendations.
3) When you say 'nature' do you mean in general of that she likes to take pictures of wild birds such the a Robin in a tree?

Hope that has helped rather than confused but as you can see a little more info might help you get the guidance you seek :)
 
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At a guess, if she wants to go to college to continue education, she will probably be doing A level photography? If so, you should bear in mind that she will not only need an ok digital camera but also a cheap 2nd hand film SLR. The latter can fairly easily be bought for £40-£60 including a lens or two, but this maybe should be included in your plans at least for Xmas 2019 or next birthday.
Have a look on https://www.wexphotovideo.com/ and https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equipment/used-photo-and-video/used-digital-slr-cameras/ for used Nikon or Canon dslr/lens combos in your budget. For instance, I see on Wex there is a Nikon D5100 body for £160, and a Nikon 18-105mm lens, for £118. That would be a good outfit and I personally have used that camera and think it good for this task.
Good luck (my 16 year old neice is just embarking on this journey)
 
On reflection, I forgot you said she had an old Canon dslr, better to stick to Canon for familiarity I guess.
 
Emma

Go up to 500 and a bit and THIS is an interesting bit of kit for a 15 year old girl going pro. A beautiful little Olympus with two lenses (the big lens comes in silver too). I think it's been out 3 years now. There is a newer version of THE SAME KIT for more £££.

But maybe there's more serious considerations and advice here on this thread.
 
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I did an A-Level in photography (Surprising I know given some of the garbage I churn out ;) ).

We were provided with SLR's and DSLR's with a range of lenses and as much film you could want. I wouldn't worry about buying what she thinks she might need for college cause they will have everything covered. Look at what she's going to want for herself and get the most out of going forward.
 
Which camera has she got?

Lenses are more important than the actual camera.
 
What lenses does she already have for the Canon? also which model is it? No point buying similar again if the one you have is already working.

If it's something more up to the minute she wants, the Canon 200D [aka SL2 if you want to look it up] is a nice camera that is right up to date. It's got the same 24mp sensor as pricier models like the 80D, it has a fully articulating touch screen, built in wireless, you can remotely control it via smart-phone - reckon she'd like these features. Can be had for £339 new here: https://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/canon-eos-200d-body-8038-p.asp And you could grab the 50mm 1.8 prime lens from the same site for £89 - assuming she already has a kit zoom lens?
 
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Only if the existing dslr is truly too old for its results to be anywhere close to those from a modern version, need you think of buying another.

If another's needed, then she'll likely grow out of it anyway, so I wouldn't spend too much. I'd look for APS-C (known as 'crop' frame), used and in good nick from a dealer.

Best to have one that she finds good to hold and good to look through.

It's not just about equipment either - it's about learning how to use it (which includes user intervention, so more than 'point and shoot'). This also applies to the image files - so software and something to run it on are a parallel requirement.
 
Thank you so much for all your replies everyone. I have found her camera. I'll just list the info on it. Apologies again for my lack of knowledge.
CANON POWERSHOT SX410IS
20.0 MEGA PIXELS
HD 40 X OPTICAL ZOOM

Does this help at all?

We live on the west coast and have great sunsets so she is always out on the beach. She does like to take different shots and is quite a quirky girl so her imagination is good.she takes photos of things I wouldn't normally notice. 're nature she seems to take pics of random leaves flowers. College is still a while away, we are looking round now but she won't be going until Sept 2020. I would like to encourage her in this passion as much as I can.
I will write your recommendations down and look at them this evening.
Thanks so much again everyone
 
Mumofbuddingphotographer said:
Thank you so much for all your replies everyone. I have found her camera. I'll just list the info on it. Apologies again for my lack of knowledge.
CANON POWERSHOT SX410IS
20.0 MEGA PIXELS
HD 40 X OPTICAL ZOOM

Does this help at all?

We live on the west coast and have great sunsets so she is always out on the beach. She does like to take different shots and is quite a quirky girl so her imagination is good.she takes photos of things I wouldn't normally notice. 're nature she seems to take pics of random leaves flowers. College is still a while away, we are looking round now but she won't be going until Sept 2020. I would like to encourage her in this passion as much as I can.
I will write your recommendations down and look at them this evening.
Thanks so much again everyone
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That does make a difference, as it's not an inter-changeable lens camera. If she is after a dslr then, she will need at least a kit lens to start out with. Or would she prefer another bridge camera [dslr-like compact camera with perma-lens attached] just more up to date? She could end up disappointed with a dslr as she won't have near the same kind of zoom as she's getting with the bridge camera. For that, you'd have to factor in a tele-photo lens.

But it does mean you don't have to stick with Canon, there's no real reason to. There's some great cheap cameras in the micro four thirds system that are small, neat and light, and there's a bunch of cheap lenses available too. I think we'd need to know more about what she wants from a camera before making any real solid suggestions.

But to keep it simple, I still think the Canon 200D I linked above might be a great option, add an 18-55 kit lens to get her started, she can add a cheap tele lens later for extra reach.
 
Thank you Cagey75. Could you explain what you mean please 're what she wants to do with it? I can ask her the right questions then this evening. Do you mean landscape / people / animals ? If she could see what I'm typing I can imagine her groaning at me now! Told you I was clueless . I'm so grateful for your patience.
 
I would get a used Nikon D7000 (£170-£200), and a Tamron 17-50mm lens (£160 ish).

For the age and price the D7000 has a good sensor for low light, is an 'enthusiast level' camera with good manual controls she can grow into as she learns, and is compatible with Nikon's film era autofocus lenses. This means she can pick up a 50mm prime lens for peanuts and loads of other cheap lenses she might need.

The Tamron lens is better / sharper than a 'kit lens', it allows more light in and allows you to blur the background more than a kit lens. The zoom range can allow you to shoot landscapes at the wide end and portraits at the 'zoomed in' end.
 
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We are planning a road trip to the Scottish highlands and islands and she was overcome with excitement at the photographic opportunities so she could start building a portfolio. Perhaps this answers your question?
Thanks again
Emmq
 
Buying camera for others is fraught with difficulties. You say “She has asked for a camera...” so I would ask her what it is she thinks she needs and try to proceed from there.
 
Should you go for a nikon, I have a cosina 19 - 35mm wide angle zoom that might be of use for beach sunset-type pictures, and for someone who is just getting into photography I'd be happy to help by adding it to her Christmas stocking - let me know if you get a nikon and I'll post it to you.
All I'd ask is that it would be great to see a picture or two that she takes with it ideally on here, as it's a great place to learn.
 
Mumofbuddingphotographer said:
Thank you Cagey75. Could you explain what you mean please 're what she wants to do with it? I can ask her the right questions then this evening. Do you mean landscape / people / animals ? If she could see what I'm typing I can imagine her groaning at me now! Told you I was clueless . I'm so grateful for your patience.
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Pretty much, like if she wanted to try some wildlife [you mention she likes to shoot 'nature' in you opening post] she'll want a telephoto lens, or if she fancies doing portraiture she might be better off getting a prime lens over a kit lens. Also, will she want features such as wi-fi, touch screen, compatible phone apps etc? At her age I imagine she'd appreciate extras like that.
 
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Normally I would suggest a super zoom like she has, but one that offers full manual control and raw recording. Otherwise go for an older APS body with a wide range zoom like the Nikon Lindsay linked to.

It is very hard to recommend/buy gear w/o a specific area of interest. Buying stuff that can do everything is either a bunch of compromises (i.e. the superzoom) or VERY expensive... and when it comes down to it, photography (knowledge/skill/etc) has very little to do with the kit being used.
 
Something to think longer term.

With Canon and Nikon or indeed any interchangeable lens dSLR camera you become tied in to a degree to the "system" as the lenses (broadly speaking) outlast the camera bodies.

If she is now quite familiar with the buttons and the menu on the Canon SX410IS she may likely find picking up a Canon dSLR more familiar than if she was given a Nikon and its different layout and menu of settings!

Does she know you are going to buy her this kit for Xmas? The reason I ask is based on the above thoughts......................buying something as a surprise like a Nikon or Olympus as suggested may either delight her and she will get to know it quite quickly but also possibly frustrate her to the point where she loses the spontaneous camera usage. I am not saying that going from the Canon SX410IS to say a Canon dSLR such a 40D (a much older body that is in my opinion has potential as a great learning tool) will not have its challenges depending on how much control she is using on the SX.

If she knows you are buying it involve her in the decision where you can!

PS if you buy secondhand IMO buy from a shop/source that gives a warranty.
 
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Mumofbuddingphotographer said:
Thank you Cagey75. Could you explain what you mean please 're what she wants to do with it? I can ask her the right questions then this evening. Do you mean landscape / people / animals ? If she could see what I'm typing I can imagine her groaning at me now! Told you I was clueless . I'm so grateful for your patience.
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A DSLR is a camera body and you have to buy lens for it.. depending on what type of photogrpahy she wants to do depends on the lens to buy

the camera she already has is not a DSLR and has a fixed lens.. hence the initial confusion with replies you are getting ...

Probably best to read replies from after you described the camera she has ?:)

Hope that helps :)
 
I got my lad a Canon EOS 1300D DSLR Camera with 18-55mm Lens last xmas, as he used canon in school and didn't want to use Nikon :(

Argos has them on sale for £299.99
 
You have lots of options, and people often suggest the kit then know, which is what I am about to do!

I would look to buy second hand from the likes of MPB.

Assuming £300 for your budget, you could get:

A Canon 40D - £94
https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equi...digital-slr-cameras/canon-eos-40d/sku-758503/

A Canon lens 28-135 which will give a good range for general landscapes. £144 from MPB
https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equi...anon-ef-28-135mm-f-3-5-5-6-is-usm/sku-762771/

A Canon lens 50mm 1.8 for low-light for for creating background blur, very light also. £69
https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/used-equi...fit-lenses/canon-ef-50mm-f-1-8-ii/sku-769159/

The above come in at £307. You could add lenses in the future and at some point upgrade the camera.

There are many other options and combinations, but it is confusing the selection and choice, so I've offered you something above I think your daughter would like, assuming she definitely wants a DSLR.

You can get cheaper off forums and ebay etc, however assuming you want a warranty mpb or ffjordes are worth looking at.

Good luck.
 
Another way to approach this is to ask your daughter what sort of photographs she wants to take, but can't because her camera is restricting her. That will give you a starting point anyway.
 
ihasa said:
I would get a used Nikon D7000 (£170-£200), and a Tamron 17-50mm lens (£160 ish).
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Sounds good to me ...

If getting a lens and camera body separately, though, it's a thing to make sure that the lens fully connects with the camera for focussing and exposure control. Can be a minefield. Take expert advice.
 
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STOP!

Probably the best suggestion I can think of at the moment is, hold your horses! Christmas isn't here next week, or even month, it's at the end of the month after that, so you and your daughter have plenty of time to do some research, have a good think, and then (hopefully) buy a camera and lens (or perhaps a couple of lenses) that will be right for your daughter and last her a few years.

Don't worry, I've been there, I can remember when I was 15... and that was more years ago than I want to admit! :whistle: Anyway, I was very much into photography and was using an old and obsolete SLR film camera that was a hand-me-down from my Dad. Like your daughter, I wanted a new camera and something I could buy some additional lenses for (when I could eventually afford them).

So I weighed up my budget and worked out what I could buy for my money. Then I did lots of reading of reviews (buying camera magazines with some of my Saturday job money - these days you can find all the camera reviews you need on the internet free of charge!), and I worked out the most suitable and best specification camera that I could afford. Only once I was sure I'd made the right decision (and saved up enough money) did I buy it... I still remember going to the shop to get it!

So do take your time, your daughter has a good mother who wants to help her buy the right camera so I hope she appreciates this and doesn't push you to rush in and buy for buying's sake. If she wants to be a good photographer she's going to have to work hard to learn the craft, and that journey starts here! Your joint mission is to find the best camera you both can for the money you have available. (y) Have a look at different makes and models, read any 'independent' online reviews you can find about them, and remember the various pros and cons.

As a starting point, I don't think either Canon or Nikon make bad DSLRs at the moment (it tends to be something like a game of leap-frog between them as to which model is best at the time) so either of these makes should do the trick. As has been said in the posts above, if she's already used to a Canon camera, the menu and controls on a Canon DSLR might be more familiar and easier to understand, so maybe start with researching affordable Canon DSLRs?

Beware of scams though, if something is quite a bit cheaper than you've seen it at a well established retailer like WEX, it may well be too good to be true. There are also grey imports (Google this if you don't know what that is) selling stuff cheaper, but it doesn't usually come with a manufacture's guarantee in the UK - although some grey import retailers offer their own guarantee, but you'll only find out how good this is if something breaks!

You might be able to get a better spec camera if you buy second hand, but once again, is the seller reputable? Also, you won't usually get a 12 month guarantee (perhaps just 3 to 6 months) and quite often camera repairs tend to cost 100s rather than 10s of £pounds if something goes wrong after the warranty runs out!

So there you have it, don't rush in, take your time, weigh up your options and ask any questions you like once you and your daughter have done a bit of research and narrowed your choice down a bit. I hope this has been useful and helpful and I wish you the best of luck choosing the right camera. (y)
 
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wait till she starts the course as they might have cameras for the students
don't rush out to buy just yet
 
d00d said:
Emma

Go up to 500 and a bit and THIS is an interesting bit of kit for a 15 year old girl going pro. A beautiful little Olympus with two lenses (the big lens comes in silver too). I think it's been out 3 years now. There is a newer version of THE SAME KIT for more £££.

But maybe there's more serious considerations and advice here on this thread.
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Worth mentioning that hdew have grey import mk3 kits for less than £500. Way over OP’s budget of course but great vfm.

https://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/olympus-e-m10-iii-twin-kit-14-42-ez40-150-black-8058-p.asp
 
It's fine to say wait, but some people like to get things out of the way in the run up to Christmas. My sister was looking for recommendations for my niece, who is also 15, she wants a bridge camera, so I helped her out with choosing. She also wanted to get it done asap, so it's out the way while she has the few bob. I'm sure the OP knows how to manage her budget. I do agree with doing more research though, asking here is a good start but do look elsewhere too.
 
I would have said at 15, even if she is only starting her journey, she'll know what's restricting her at the moment, so I'd include her in the conversation.

Does she have a friend into the same? if so, getting something they can probably share bit of kit between them would be more important that the specs of the kit etc.
Is she finding an aspect of her current camera stopping her doing what she wants? Let her research around and come up with suggestions etc.

Certainly don't just buy a camera because someone in this thread has said so. It may be the best thing ever, but if your daughter doesn't get on with it, it may kill her enthusiasm for the hobby / vocation and waste your money. Cameras are quite personal things, and if she is jumping from the Powershot to a DSLR style camera, she will almost certainly find that the initial quality of her photo's drops from where they are now while she learns the system and the process, add to this an unfamiliar tool that 'should be better' and you can quite quickly get despondent!

My best advice to you is to let her choose, advise her to borrow / test cameras in shops - there are plenty of second hand places what will let you do this etc. She could even join up here and ask for more specific advice.
 
Yes she's 15, wanting to go into college to study photography, perhaps she never will, but she's keen, and she wants a camera for Christmas. She's planning a road trip.

I'm sure, like other 15 year olds, she wants something cool, wants to send pics to her iPhone, wants the latest tech. But she serious and creative too ...
 
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Also... When considering different makes of camera, it's not just the initial buying of the camera body and kit zoom lens that you need to consider, it's the variety, price and availability of different lenses (and other accessories such as flash units) afterwards.

Canon and Nikon tend to be the most popular makes of DSLR and have a very wide range of different lenses available, from ultra wide-angle to super telephoto, both from the manufacturer and from (often cheaper) third party makes such as Sigma, Tamron, etc. This usually makes finding a good second hand version of the lens you've set your heart on easier, and buying a good second hand lens from a reputable shop or online dealer like MPB is a good way to save money when buying a lens (or a flash, etc.) That's the reason I went with one of the 'big two' all those years ago when I was 15. (y)
 
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