Birthday Gift

[TCav]

I would hesitate to recommend a refurbished camera as a gift.

[ramcewan]

Originally Posted by TCav

I would hesitate to recommend a refurbished camera as a gift.

To each his own, I'd rather have something better in a refurbished box than something less in a new box, but then again I also buy my cars used but less than 2 years old so I get the new car loan rate from my bank and still avoid the drive it off the lot depreciation hit.

I've bought multiple items refurbished from Olympus with not a single problem. Both the Olympus and the Nikon carry 90 day manufacturer warranties that can be extended for a fee if desired, while TCav doesn't recommend it I would highly encourage people to consider the potential savings, camera gear has a high depreciation curve and thanks to the perceived stigma by people like TCav refurbished items that are good as new offer more savings.

[TCav]

... not to mention an interchangeable lens camera without a lens.

If she can get others in hers or his family to go in with her, why shouldn't get them all to go in for a NEW dSLR? I don't think that's an option she would consider.

[James Emory]

Unless you are a member of the Hilton family, I agree with Ramcewan. There is nothing wrong with a refurbished camera. Most of these were used one or more times and a problem developed. They were returned for exchange and the store sends them back to the manufacturer. They are repaired and sold as refurbished and sold just like a new camera, in the box with the accessories.

Case in point, recently I bought a used Leica/Panny 1.4, 25mm lens in the box complete with lens case. Cost me 325.00 compared to brand new price of nearly 600.00. I only buy new when I have no alternatives. Less money, more quality equipment.

[TCav]

I understand the attraction of refurbished products, and have purchased several lenses on the used market. I just don't think it's an appropriate source for a gift.

[ramcewan]

Originally Posted by TCav

... not to mention an interchangeable lens camera without a lens.

If she can get others in hers or his family to go in with her, why shouldn't get them all to go in for a NEW dSLR? I don't think that's an option she would consider.

Are you really trying to recommend the best options for a budding photographer or win an argument?

I was clear that the money for the lens was not in her budget and needed to come from somewhere else, not sure how an $88 lens plus a $250 body turns into them all chipping in on a NEW DSLR?

Originally Posted by SilverUnicorn

Thanks for your feedback guys! Obviously, I’m new here.
For budget, am I crazy if I’m trying to stay under $250?
Pictures will vary from family gatherings to outdoor scenes.
Performance will be more important than size.
As far as room to grow, I honestly have no idea. I guess I’ll defer to you guys to tell me which might be better there.

Seriously you recommended a super zoom when SilverUnicorn mentions nothing that would imply the need for such a long reach. Seems more like you picked your favorite camera for $250 without listening to what was said.

[James Emory]

For arguments sake, we frequently chip in for a gift that one person cannot afford by themselves. I don't think its that unusual. Let the querier decide, we are all just giving her options.

[ramcewan]

Originally Posted by TCav

I understand the attraction of refurbished products, and have purchased several lenses on the used market. I just don't think it's an appropriate source for a gift.

Trust me I grew up in a family where people took great pains to remove or obscure the price tags on gifts. The idea of giving money (before gift cards) was considered rude and lacking in thought. One never asked how much or even if they could exchange something, even if they really wanted the other color/model/etc you just accepted the gift and lived with it.

However that generation and it's customs are far away now, even my parents, once staunchly against such things now give gift cards without a second thought about it being un-thoughtful. My wife and I exchange amazon links to things we want for x-mas each year. I have in-laws who have no shame tucking a couple hundreds into a card in lieu of a gift, and I love them for it.

So while I completely understand your sentiment against giving a refurbished item for a gift I think some people have no such reservations.

[TCav]

Originally Posted by ramcewan

Seriously you recommended a super zoom when SilverUnicorn mentions nothing that would imply the need for such a long reach. Seems more like you picked your favorite camera for $250 without listening to what was said.

I recommended a superzoom when SilverUnicorn mentions nothing that would imply that such a long reach wasn't desirable. In fact, a camera with the broadest possible capabilities, albeit within her price range, would allow her boyfriend's photographic interests to grow in whatever direction he wants, as opposed to what she envisions for him.

Getting him a dSLR or a mirrorless body with (and quite possibly without) a kit lens wouldn't be nearly as useful to a budding photographer as an inexpensive (relatively speaking) superzoom P&S. My first camera was my mother's Argus TLR. From there I bought my own Minolta HiMatic, and from there I bought a Minolta SRT-101 SLR. My first digital camera was a Nikon Coolpix 880, and from there I bought a Konica Minolta 5D. I now own dSLRs from both Nikon and Sony. I grew into each and every one of those cameras, building on what I learned from the previous one, and capitalizing on the capabilities of the newer one, and I suspect I'm not very different from all of you. A superzoom would almost certainly give him a boost in whatever direction he eventually chooses for himself.

[ramcewan]

Originally Posted by TCav

I recommended a superzoom when SilverUnicorn mentions nothing that would imply that such a long reach wasn't desirable. In fact, a camera with the broadest possible capabilities, albeit within her price range, would allow her boyfriend's photographic interests to grow in whatever direction he wants, as opposed to what she envisions for him.

Yes SilverUnicorn didn't exclude a superzoom but that negative logic could be used to justify any other setup.

Fact is if the objective is to shoot outdoor scenes and family gatherings, as was stated, low light capability is going to be more important than reach. A larger sensor or brighter lens is going to prove better in these situations.

This is positive logic where I've listened to what was said and noted the situations and placed focus on something that is included.

Originally Posted by TCav

Getting him a dSLR or a mirrorless body with (and quite possibly without) a kit lens wouldn't be nearly as useful to a budding photographer as an inexpensive (relatively speaking) superzoom P&S.

That's your opinion and I disagree. My opinion is that a budding photographer is better off getting a camera like the e-pl5 with a lens or the D3200 and a lens separately that can serve as a platform to grow on is a better move long term if you plan to go into it as a hobby.

Note I add the "if" part, instead of speaking absolutes like you do.

You'll also note that I have repeatedly said that if you don't plan to grow beyond a single camera superzoom or compact P&S gives more bang for your buck.

Originally Posted by TCav

My first camera was my mother's Argus TLR. From there I bought my own Minolta HiMatic, and from there I bought a Minolta SRT-101 SLR. My first digital camera was a Nikon Coolpix 880, and from there I bought a Konica Minolta 5D. I now own dSLRs from both Nikon and Sony. I grew into each and every one of those cameras, building on what I learned from the previous one, and capitalizing on the capabilities of the newer one, and I suspect I'm not very different from all of you. A superzoom would almost certainly give him a boost in whatever direction he eventually chooses for himself.

When I was a teenager in the late 80's my mom bought my brother and I a used Pentax K1000 and a pentax nifty 50. This was to replace a hand me down 110 film camera. It was all our family's budget could afford and we were plenty happy to have a real camera even if it was used and shared.

At the time we were both into snowboarding and snowboarding was very new, we created our own photo-copied magazine with photo's we'd taken at local races and competitions with the Pentax and developed in our school's dark room. We thought we were real journalist and talked our way into press passes for the 1989 US Open at Stratton, I even convinced Jake Burton Carpenter, the founder of the sport and Burton snowboards, to give me a phone interview for our magazine. More importantly we learned focus, shutter speed, aperture, timing and how film ISO affected those settings and the overall results we achieved.

My brother went on to become a professional videographer, a passion ignited by that K1000. I have taken other paths for work but have a hobby I've kept as I can afford through my lifetime.

Not to be overly dramatic but maybe if my mom had gotten us matching Polaroid models maybe that passion wouldn't have been ignited?