Photography guys in here!

[SXRguyinMA]

Ok so the wife wants to get into photography. I'd like to get her a DSLR or an SLR at the least, but being a beginner she doesn't need something crazy. What would be a good beginner DSLR or SLR and what lenses/accessories would be good with it? Obviously I'd need a good macro lens for my own uses :D This is somehting I'll most likely end up getting her for Christmas, so it's still ~6 months away. +rep to anyone who helps!!

Will

[Oneslowz28]

In my opinion you should get the best DSLR that you can afford. If you can afford the Canon 50D I would go with it. It is the highest level prosumer DSLR that you can buy before you enter professional range. But if you want to set her up with a nice less expensive kit go with one of the latest Canon Rebels. Then take the cash saved and buy a decent shoe mount flash (Canon 430EX II) and a few nice lenses. (careful there because it can get expensive very fast) also keep in mind that just because a lens is expensive it does not have to be very good. Since she will be a beginner I recommend the following: (Remember these recommendations are from a professional photographer)

Good Kit

Camera Body (every one loves a great body)
Canon EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/613611-REG/Canon_3818B001_EOS_Rebel_T1i_Digital.html)

Workhorse Lens (one you will use the most)
18-50mm f/2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/622389-REG/Sigma_861101_18_50mm_f_2_8_4_5_DC_OS.html)

Telephoto Zoom (when you need to reach out and touch someone)
EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS Autofocus Lens for Select Digital SLR Cameras (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/543923-USA/Canon_2044B002AA_EF_S_55_250mm_f_4_5_6_IS.html)

Macro (When you want to photo things and make them larger)
Normal EF 50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro Autofocus Lens (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/12145-USA/Canon_2537A003_50mm_f_2_5_Compact_Macro.html)

Flash (Because everyone is annoyed by bright ass flashes)
430EX II Speedlite TTL Shoe-Mount Flash (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/656872-USA/Canon_430EX_II_Speedlite_TTL.html)

Or

EF-530 DG Super E-TTL II Shoe Mount Flash for Canon EOS with E-TTL II (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/515353-REG/Sigma_169_101_EF_530_DG_Super_Flash.html)

Camera Bag (because baggage is fun to deal with) I have 3 of these and love them.
Canon Deluxe Photo Backpack 200EG for Canon EOS SLR Cameras (http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Deluxe-Backpack-200EG-Cameras/dp/B00009R6TA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276099114&sr=8-1)

Much better kit

Camera Body
Will do everything she needs and then some.
Canon EOS 50D (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/580462-REG/Canon_2807B006_EOS_50D_SLR_Digital.html)

Workhorse
IMO the single best lens to own for all around shooting. (Sit down before you see the price)
Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM Autofocus Lens (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/264304-USA/Canon_8014A002_Zoom_Wide_Angle_Telephoto_EF.html)

Portrait.
The worlds best portrait lens. (Lay down before you see the price)
Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM Autofocus Lens (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/423691-USA/Canon_1056B002AA_EF_85mm_f_1_2L_II.html)

Telephoto Zoom
The best Telephoto Zoom made. Every Sports Photographer worth his salt owns one of these. (Sit down before you see the price)
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/680103-USA/Canon_2751B002_EF_70_200mm_f_2_8L_IS.html)

Macro
One of the best Macro lenses made. (Sit down before you see the price)
EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/647011-USA/Canon_3554B002_EF_100mm_f_2_8L_Macro.html)

Flash
Longer guide number and faster flash recycle time.
Canon Speedlite 580EX II (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/486706-USA/Canon_1946B002.html)

Camera Bag
I have one of these and use it for my long distance travel bag. I can fit most of my lenses and 2 bodies in it and still have room left for all my accessories.
Tamrack 787 (M.A.S.) Super Photo Backpack (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/149860-REG/Tamrac_78701.html)

The first set up I listed will be perfect for the two of you to begin and learn on. The good thing about Canon photo gear is that it does not lose much of its value at all. The camera bodies are about the only thing that does depreciate more than 10%. The second kit I listed would be something for you to upgrade to in a year or two once she is comfortable using the cameras manual settings. (best way to learn is to set the dial to M and never move it)

The best resource on the net for Canon photography is http://photography-on-the.net There are over 20k members there and they all love to help each other improve. The one thing to know about posting photos on there is to keep a thick skin because they will tell the honest truth about your photos.

You will also want a few support items:

Tripod - something that will extend to her eye level and be light weight.
Giottos Rocket Blower - To blow dust from lenses and sensor.
Lens Tissues - 100% oil free cleaning papers
Lens Solution - I use a home made version but Canon and Eclipse make good stuff.
Compact Flash cards - 2 x 2gb cards will provide over 2k photos get a name brand like Sandisk Ultra II
Card Reader - Downloading photos via the camera and cable is a no no. It can upload a virus to your camera and then your warranty is SOL. Even if you use a card reader always format the card in camera before taking any more photos.
Protection / uv filters - these screw on the front of your lens and prevent scratches to the lens front objective. I use Hoya brand but Canon and Sunpack both work just as good.
Trash Bag - Fold up and keep in camera bag to use in the event of a sudden downpour while shooting outdoors. This has saved my butt several times.


If you have any questions just hit me up. (now back to work for me)

[artoodeeto]

I bought myself a Nikon D60 a little over a year ago with an 8GB and 16GB cards, and I love it. I like doing occasional photography, so for the most part the stock 18mm-55mm lens it came with works fine. Someday when I have the cash I'd like to get the 18mm-200mm lens as it would provide a good range of wideangle and zoom. I like to do airshow and nature photography, and in an even further off someday I'll have a big zoom lens, 400mm or 600mm or higher.
But overall, I love my camera. I've gone all day at airshows, taking well over a thousand photos and the battery is only 1/3 to half used up by the end of the day. The only thing I wish it did was video, but that's only an occasional wish.
It was fairly inexpensive too, not sure how much it goes for now (or whatever the equivalent is) but I paid a bit over $500 for it. That came with the 18mm-55mm lens. I also got an extra battery, just in case.

And lastly, my feeling on the Nikon vs. Canon debate. Go with whichever is cheaper. If you're looking at entry level to midrange DSLR's, they two company's offerings are pretty much the same in terms of photo quality. They may differ slightly in bells and whistles, but the important thing is how well they take photos. Do some research on lenses before you buy - it may be that the type of lenses you want, Nikons are slightly cheaper than Canon, or vice versa. But just know that whichever you choose, you'll have to get lenses made for that company's cameras. But really, you can't go wrong with either one. I think I chose Nikon partly because I had a coworker who had a Nikon lens (70mm-200mm) he wanted to sell a lot cheaper than if I'd bought a new one, and partly because at the time the Nikon was a little cheaper than the comparable Canon.

Hope this helps!

[Luke122]

+1 to OneslowZ28. I'm a Canon fan too, and the Rebel was going to be my suggestion. I find that for the beginner, the kit lens is a great starting point.

A decent case, tripod, extra battery, and a couple memory cards and you are good to go!