My daughter wants to get into photography. What would be a good camera set up for her to get?

What does she want to photograph and what are you looking to spend?

She likes Scenery and animal pictures. Hard to say on price, but a camera she can add lenses to as she wants. Several thousand is no in the cards but options between the low cost and very high cost.

I had a smaller pocket camera for a few years and it served me well but am getting much better pictures with my new Sony RX10 Mark 4. Maybe consider it.

Thanks

Just a hunter
You can get a tremendous bang for your buck with used equipment. If you are near Bozeman, Bozeman Camera can be an invaluable resource. They have knowledgeable and helpful staff.

I agree with buying used. She could start with a simple point and shoot. You'll always need one because sometimes you don't want to lug an SLR around.

Learn basic photography like composition and the rule of thirds. That will take you a long way. It's all free on Youtube these days.

Cameras are so good now ,even your iphone takes good pics. If she really gets into it, a good SLR and fast lenses would be the next step. It's hard to go wrong with Canon.

Canon is a good choice because of the available of used equipment, and they good resale value.
A used 5D MK 2 and a good used lens in the 70 to 200 range would be an economical place to start, and you’d be using a camera that was a pro grade camera a few short years ago.

I agree with buying used. Wildlife usually means long zooms and that is where it can cost some money. Not hard to get a good, low mileage used body but glass is where you will want to spend some money

A 5D MK 2 for how much??? I'm behind on used prices it seems.

If this is true, I'll be buying a used Canon 5D soon!

Just call Doug at CL........

JD45
I just looked quickly on Ebay and saw some 5D MKIIs for around $500. I bought one about 6 years ago for $500, so it doesn't look like that are losing value.

Still not bad. How old is the generation we're talking about? I don't keep up with them.

Anything older than 4 years is pushing it to me, because digital technology moves so fast.

The 5D MK 2 was introduced in 2008 for about $2700. It was discontinued about ten years ago. If you’re leery about older technology, it’s probably not for you.

Thanks. It's not so much the camera, but every computer and software company drops support so fast now. If they didn't, that camera would serve me well forever.

That is frustrating.
For what it's worth, there are so many 5D MK HIs out there, I think it's going to be a long time before you can't get support for them. Not that I want to talk you into any thing.
If you bought a 5D II on my recommendation, it would probably go belly up in a week, and you'd hate me for life.

Buy a Pentax. Best weather sealing around!

Let's start with your budget--what do you want to spend for a camera with starter lens?

Once you pick a brand you are pretty much stuck with that system's lenses. There are so many choices, but my own choice was Nikon SLR, whose lenses are all interchangeable. Personally I would recommend looking for a Nikon D200 with kit lens (zoom). Virtually every SLR lens Nikon ever made will fit that camera. Then she can always add lenses or even upgrade the body at any time and the lenses will still be useful. Expect to pay $250-500 for a camera with lens in truly excellent condition.

Here is a review by Ken Rockwell.

https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d200.ht

For a walk around camera I really like a point and shoot. Problem is I haven't found one that last's very long. For soothing my ego, it's my DSLR, D7000 Nikon. Been a Nikon fan a lot of years but I strongly suspect other companys make just as good camera's! This one or that probably do thing's different but unless you are a very good pro your probably not gonna be able to use everything the camera's offer to start with. The main advantage to DSLR for me over point and shoot is I like to blow up photo's quite a bit and I don't think point and shoot's will really let you go there unless you spend a truck load of money on one. Advantage to point and shoot is they are very easy to carry around. Still looking for a good point and shoot to carry bird hunting. Have tried Nikon and Cannon and neither lasted that long and to much trouble getting help from either to get them fixed! had a Pentax that was simply to bulky. Wish I could afford a Leica! Had one Cannon I let a woman at a field trial take home to try out. She never brought it back, good lesson! Don't recall the model but it seemed to be about the best I'd had!

If she really get's serious, I think the way to go is DSLR or mirrorless I know nothing about mirrorless cameras. With the DSLR you get interchangle lens and a few lens's can set her up well. I've got an 18-140, good walking around lens, 70-200 also walking around but to high on the low side. 55-300 I used just to shoot dogs in the field and have a 150-500. Good wildlife lens but I don't use it near as much as I thought I would. Don't get hung up on your camera maker's lens only. Few good companys out there to get less expensive lens from and in fact you put several photo's together using different lens and unless you are a hgh end pro, you won't be able to tell which lens took what photo and good chance even a high end pro won't be able to.

High end cameras are nice to say you have them. I got my last film camera, a Nikon F5. Top Nikon at the time. Haven't a clue how to work most of it and don't reall know what took better photo's, it or the F70 I had before it. But it's importand to know I had one boy! Don't get caught in that trap!

BTW, you like working with wood? Here's a home made picture frame's from an old old piece of barn wood! Couple Britts casting off at a field trial. Nikon D7000 and Nikon 55-300 lens I think it was.



Coffee cups I had made with my dog's photo's on them.

I was just thinking about this and got something to say. Go relatively inexpensive. My grand daughter wanted to get into it and was tired of using her phone so I gave her a Nikon D5000. Well few years later my son and his wife broke up and he lives here now. He has the D5000! Said he took it because his daughter never used it! I should have got her a hundred dollar point and shoot to start out and see how that would go. Only then can you figure out if they are serious or working a temperary desire! Down side it my son doesn't use it either. He like his phone for shooting photo's and videos. Another down side for him is he hasn't a clue how to get the photo's out of the phone if he wanted to print them. I should just reclaim that D5000 but don't really have a use for it anymore! have a D7000 and a Panosonic Lumix zs 100. You can tie up a lot of money in cameras real quick if your not careful. Read an article years ago by a photography teacher at some colledge. He started out every class on box cameras till they learned to take a photo then took them to manual film camera's! Amazing how many people want to try it just for the hell of it then quit early!