Need recommendations for a good start DSLR for 16 year old

[havoc315]

Some people will argue just for sake of arguing. I know. I'm guilty of it sometimes too.

The girl wants to pursue a career or at least seriously consider whether she WANTS to persue a major time investment in photography.

She needs a D(SLR). Period. This has turned into a silly discussion just for argument's sake and while you guys are enjoying it, it could easily confuse someone reviewing the thread for actual information.

You need a viewfinder with information. She needs to be spending her time learning the relationship between light, exposure and time when the bright sun is at her back (as it should be most of the time to begin with outside, BTW), not spending her time trying to figure out how to get enough shade on the LCD to be able to read it. Period.

You can argue about it until the cows come home. Go ask virtually any professional worth his or her weight and they will tell you that a D(SLR) is what this young woman needs.

{off soapbox}

I'm not disagreeing. But to be fair, SLTs and some mirrorless have viewfinders quite comparable to an optical viewfinder. One can even say that an EVF is more valuable -- such as viewing a live histogram.

 

[photo_chick]

Some people will argue just for sake of arguing. I know. I'm guilty of it sometimes too.

The girl wants to pursue a career or at least seriously consider whether she WANTS to persue a major time investment in photography.

She needs a D(SLR). Period. This has turned into a silly discussion just for argument's sake and while you guys are enjoying it, it could easily confuse someone reviewing the thread for actual information.


{off soapbox}

I agree it's veered way beyond what the OP asked. Especially since the OP stated that the 16 year old specifically wants a DSLR.

But message board discussions often veer off topic. And while it might have gone way beyond the original question, it got me to take another look at some cameras, specifically the Sony NEX because I really didn't realize it's sensor is actually larger than Canon's crop sensors. For that reason to me there was something valuable to be gained from the discussion. Maybe it got someone else to consider an option they had previously dismissed, who knows. Threads sometimes have a broader impact than the original posters intent. And sometimes they're just a lot of hot air.

And I totally agree that someone who plans to study and pursue a career in photography needs a DSLR at some point. Although I still wouldn't say they need it from the get go if they are pursuing a college degree, that depends on where they are studying. A film SLR is actually the first camera a lot of photo programs still start with and you can easily get a few semesters in before you ever need a DSLR. But that is a whole other topic and not what the OP asked about.

 

[nmills]

I own a Nikon D3100 it is my first DSLR and I love it, my husband even knows how to use it now. I have upgraded the kit lens to a 35mm and I am much happier now that I have. I also have a 55-200mm lens that came in a bundle kit which I also enjoy a lot. There is also the newer D5100 which is a little more expensive but they have deals all the time on these two models, I see them almost weekly in target, best buy and sometimes staples circulars. Can't say much for canons but I don't think you can go wrong either way. You could even let her go to a store and try them out and see which she prefers. I picked up a friends canon and could figure it out but it felt weird to me. There are ton of helpful articles and books out there too which could be an extra little gift. Good luck!