Camera for daughter in 6th form... (16 years old)

<p>My daughter has just started to study A-level photography here in the UK. She has no experience of SLR cameras - usual teenanger these days, thinks camera phones are what life is all about ;-)<br /><br />Anyway, in an effort to arm her with a reasonable piece of kit to cut her teeth on I was thinking maybe a D70s that can be had for under £200 and possibly a 50mm f/1.8.<br /><br />I'm bypassing the film vs digital debate - will go with diital<br /><br />Has anyone any other recommendations?<br /><br />Thanks</p>

<p>Good choice. Stick with that.</p>

<p>Hi Rob! It sounds like a good choice. My son is a 4th grader. For Xmas I bought him a used D50 so he can use the old AF lenses which are cheaper and he doesn't destroy my good AFS lenses either. <br /> I picked the D50 coz it fits better on his small hands. Otherwise a D70 would be also great. Also I was looking for few megapixels files coz I don't wanna fill up the computer with his shots. Believe me, he can take a lot of shots per hour! :)</p>

<p>You might consider a D100 because of the durability.</p>

<p>I`g get other lens. A 35/1.8AFS or 35/2AFD seem more reasonable to me on a DX camera.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I`g get other lens. A 35/1.8AFS or 35/2AFD seem more reasonable to me on a DX camera.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Too right. I keep forgetting about that since I own FX... *shame*</p>

<p>A sound choice of camera</p>

<p>I agree... at this point, a D50 or D70 would probably be better than an older-yet, higher-end camera since they're probably not going to destroy it and would benefit from being one generation newer.</p>

<p>But yes, the 35/1.8 would be a great choice as it is cheap, light, sharp, and easy to handle. Maybe just get her that and the 50/1.8 for starters (or obviously the kit 18-55 can be picked up for about $100 US).</p>

<p>A D50 or D70 should work very well. Also a 35mm f1.8 or 35mm f2 used would be good for starters or one of the kit 18-xx zooms. I had a 18-70mm with my D70 and it did well. I do prefer primes though.</p>

<p>A D70 or D50 with a 50mm f1.8 sounds good to me....<br>

The 35mm f1.8 is going to be more expensive than the 50mm. Personally I would put the extra funds to upgrading the camera to a D200 as it has more features to help in the learning process.</p>

<p>Hi Rob.... I, too, would vote against the 50mm and for the 35mm. Either the new 1.8G, or a 2.0 or 2.0D. I'd stick with a D70 or D70s for the two control wheels, and I'd suggest avoiding any zoom at this point in her learning, even the very decent 18-55.</p>

<p>If you or she have not already done so, then check with the course tutor - what do they recommend?</p>

<p>First of all, I believe the 6th form in the UK is the equivalent of the 12th grade in North America, so we are talking about an older teenager perhaps around 17 years old or so, not a little child. Rob, is that correct?</p>

<p>The D70 is an ok camera for learning. The main issue is the quality of the viewfinders. I would make sure that your daughter is happy with that viewfinder before getting it. Instead of a fixed 35mm or 50mm, I would get a zoom such as the original 18-70mm AF-S. Having more focal lengths to choose from will give her a lot more creative opportunities.</p>

<p>Other than the viewfinder issue, I would get the D70 over the D100. Construction quality is similar but the D70 has newer technologies; e.g. the D70 uses the current i-TTL flash technology instead of the discontinued D-TTL.</p>

<p>My very first Nikon lens from about that same age is a 43-86mm/f3.5 zoom. I still own that lens today.</p>

<p>I assume that Shun is right since the OP refers to her as a teenager. A 6th grader in the US would be a preteen, probably 11 or 12 at most. A D70s or D50 would be a good choice. The D50 is a little smaller and lighter which may or may not be important. I would go for a used 18-55 over either a 35mm or 50mm because I think that she would enjoy using a zoom more than a prime. I was a teacher for 30 years and I know how important motivation is. She's more likely to stick with photography if she enjoys it.</p>

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>thanks everyone for your responses so far. Yes, she is just turned 16. </p>

<p> I used to own a 18-70mm and recall it being a fine kit lens - how does it compare to the 18-55?</p>

<p>i'd get the kit lens that comes with it --- 18-70mm. excellent kit. take advantage of the modern technology available now. i believe that the camera/fixed lens combo as a learning tool is old school. when i teach basic photography in our neighborhood community center i always encourage students to bring their wide-to-zoom lens if they have one.</p>

<p>I'd go for the 18-70 unless cost is a factor. It has a little more reach, it's a better lens, and it's cooler than the 18-55 which everybody has. She's a kid. Things like that matter.</p>

<p>there is less distortion at 18mm on the 18-55mm but the 18-70mm is better overall --- image quality and built (metal mount). not to mention the extra 15mm. BUT it's almost double the price. it's worth it, though.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I grew up in Hong Kong which was under a British government at that time. You have 6 years of primary school and then Form 1, 2 .... Therefore, you need to add 6 when you convert to the North American grades 1 to 12 (or 13 for Ontario).</p>

<p>I really dislike the 18-55mm/f3.5-5.6. It has a very consumer-grade construction with a plastic mount. Max f5.6 is very slow on the 55mm end. I find it a pain to use indoors. The 18-70 is a better lens overall. It has some serious distortion at 18mm, but I doubt that a 16 year old will care (or even notice).</p>

<p>Rob.... The 18-70 is the best of the basic kits lenses, hands down. But I'd still suggest a single 35mm prime. </p>

<p>One of the things people lose when they learn with a zoom is the effect that camera position has on everything. While those of us that know photography can use a zoom as a collection of focal lengths, the truth is that <em>beginners tend to compose with the zoom</em>. A static photographer is a boring photographer. She needs to learn fundamentals, not cover all the focal length bases out of the gate.</p>

<p>oh! OK! My son is just 4th grader..... 10 years old! </p>

<p>Another vote for the 18-70... I love primes because they learn me to think a bit more before shooting, but first I had to learn the effects of focal lenghts on a composition, for which a zoom is far more useful (but that might just be my learning curve).<br>

For the camera, a D50 also makes an excellent choice. I wonder whether 2 control wheels and a DoF preview button make a big difference for a generic course, and with that in mind a D50 might be a bit cheaper and in my experience the pictures need less post-processing (D70 images are a bit "cold", to my taste).</p>

 

<p>I would go with a used d40x, d50 or d60 off of ebay. get a fixed length lens ... like a sigma macro (nice lens, cheap).<br>

she will be happy and she can look forward to her first zoom!<br>

good luck,<br>

michael.</p>

 

<p>I'd get her a Canon 20D. </p>

<p>Hi Rob, for the international crowd who are unversed in Brit education system, maybe just spell out her age?</p>