My daughter wants to become a photographer. What's a good....?

Question

My daughter wants to get into photography. Her birthday is in two weeks and she wants a camera and tripod. I was looking at Target; and noticed that they don't sell 35mm cameras anymore- all digital. She has a small digital camera now; I was wondering if there is one you can recommend that looks similar to one of the older 35mm's and will mount to a tripod for under $250? I noticed a Kodak and a Fujifilm that had this look; are these cameras any good? I have no idea about cameras and appreciate your help! PS. She is 11 and a very intellegent and responsible child. She has had the other camera for two years and it has been taken care of.

Answer 1

The S100FD is a fine camera, it will be perfect for your daughter to learn about photography.  with that camera, she'll learn about aperture, shutter speed and ISO, along with other functions.   If you are near a Ritz Camera, I'd suggest you purchase it there, then she (and you) will be able to take advantage of their free digital photography lessons.  It does have a tripod mount.  Be sure to get one which will support the weight of the camera.  Also to go with it a 2gb or 4gb memory card, a UV filter to protect the front of the lens, extra batteries, and a lens cleaning kit.   A camera bag, slightly larger than what you think she'll need.

Answer 2

HI Scott,

Your daughter is very lucky to have a dad that wants to encourage her and support her aspirations.   I will tell you that the price of cameras is usually quite comparable to their quality.   The cheaper the price...  the cheaper the camera.  Please don't go the Kodak route... you will regret it, and that is a promise.   To find a digital camera that has the look and feel of the 35mm camera in your price range is not possible at this time.... maybein a few years when the prices have dropped.  I will suggest an Olympus and I am sending you a link below.   Check it out and read the professional photographer's review of the camera.   You will also be able to see the street price.   In our shop,  our camera repair tech,  holds Olympus in high regard... so that truly says something about the cameras.   You may also check out all of the other cameras on the same site....   you may find something that will best suit her.  Thanks for reading, and happy camera shopping.... and tripod, too!!

Employed at a camera sales and repair facility.

Answer 3

I think you should get her a dslr..ther better than point and shoots and advanced point and shoots..ther a little pricey but ther soo much better because they are fully manual. if she wants to become a photographer getting a dslr is the right way to go. i recomend a nikon d40 or d60

nikon d40-499

nikon d60-699

Answer 4

If your daughter truly wants to learn about photography I suggest you check on Craigslist or a good camera shop and buy a used 35mm SLR. You can get a very good Canon or Nikon camera in your budget. You should even have enough left for a tripod. You can also buy a new 35mm Canon Rebel for about that much.

The best part is that the lenses from the film camera will fit on the digital when she is ready to upgrade.

Below is a couple of links for a new Canon and a used Nikon camera. The used camera is from Craigslist in Baltimore. There were not many on there today. Check the city your in or a camera shop near you. There are lots of them around.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/contro...

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/pho/7519...