Best bang for Buck DSLR camera for a student

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andrewcnz

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#247728 19-Feb-2019 13:29

As subject line alludes am after suggestions a the best bang for buck DSLR camera for a student(year 12)who is wanting to get into photography.

And I guess what lenses would be needed?

Also looking into an entry level Mac Book Pro.

Thanks

surfisup1000

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#2183604 19-Feb-2019 13:37

maybe a 2nd hand one off tradme? Probably some older Nikons are OK... but, lenses are where things get expensive .

There are quite a few nikon d90's for sale there. Which is a decent camera.

Handsomedan

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#2183624 19-Feb-2019 13:58

If you're after a decent entry level DSLR, there's a few specials on low-end Canon cameras at the moment - they generally include a basic kit lens, which would be good enough to start with.

It's the glass that eventually gets the cost up, then as they get more advanced, they want a new full-frame body and then you're living on the street, panhandling to pay off the camera equipment...

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#2183877 19-Feb-2019 19:13

Moved to correct sub-forum. Please use the sub-forums provided so you can get better answers - people might not even see this when posted in wrong sub-forum.

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timmmay

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#2183951 19-Feb-2019 20:08

DSLR is best for image quality and high ISO noise. Full frame is best DSLR but 60D/90D sized sensors are cheaper and work well. I shot professionally with 40D cameras for years before I went full frame to Nikon D700.

You'd be best off with something second hand, including second hand lenses. Cameras get cheaper as they age, lenses don't really lose much value.

Jaxson

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#2184014 19-Feb-2019 23:01

Wouldn’t bother with a full frame sensor camera to start with.
Maybe even mirrorless offers more bang for buck than traditional DSLR these days too.

If just starting out I’d probably still recommend Canon cameras as there is a huge second hand market to support these.

I still shoot Pentax DSLRs but would be hard pressed to recommend them now as they’re practically non existent with no marketing here. They always offered more bang for buck, in terms of being solid construction / weather sealed and with proper prism viewfinders even on lower models.

Chepeast option is probably an entry level or higher canon on of the Facebook buy sell groups?

Scott3

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#2184039 20-Feb-2019 00:39

Canon is the biggest DSLR brand, followed at a distance by Nikon. all the others are far behind.

For a school student I would recommend going as mainstream as possible (unless they are the kind of person who likes something obscure), this means canon.

Canon has their xxxxD entry level series, but they are quite compromised, so would recommend the xxxD or xxD series.

200D kit is about $1000

800D kit is about $1200 (this is what I own).

Save about $200 on those prices if you wait for a (frequent) sale.

77D & 80D are the next ones up in the series.

All four camera's have the same sensors, so can take the same photos, just the more expensive ones can shoot more frames per second, get more buttons for faster access to manual settings, top LCD screens, and the 80D has weather sealing.

Budget for a tripod and memory card.

Next lens to buy for a student would be the 50mm f/1.8 STM. under $200 and allows for nice blurry background headshots etc.

I went for a modern camera as you get less noise at high iso settings allowing for better low light photos. (doesn't matter if you shoot long exposure off a trypod), and modern features like fold out LCD's, and wifi.

Other option is to get something older.

There is a "Canon 7D w/ 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM Lens" on trade-me for $1000 at the moment. The 7D is from 2009, and was replaced with the 7D II in 2014. The 7D series is canons best best crop sensor camera and is intended for professional use. The 17-55mm lens is my most used lens, and is worth $1500 new, and anywhere between $600 and $1000 used.

Or jump to an ancient full frame camera. There is a 5D II on trademe for $999 buy now at the moment. Pair with the a $200 50mm stm lens and you have an awesome combo (if extremely inflexible, something that is sometimes good for students).

Final idea is to ditch DSLR and go mirror-less. Sony is the market leader in this space, but canon's M50 and M5 are also great cameras (same sensor as my camera). Not so popular for students, but much smaller, lighter, and just as (if not more) capable.

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andrewcnz

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#2184051 20-Feb-2019 07:07

Thanks so much, these reply's have been so helpful!

Jaxson

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#2184234 20-Feb-2019 11:02

Assuming a photography subject class these days still covers the basic concepts in manual control mode, then pretty much any DSLR will do for learning purposes.
As Scott3 says above, Canon is by far the most common device brand, so even if it's not the 'best' camera it's always easier to be in a class where your device looks just like the training screens/nearly everybody elses etc.

rayonline

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#2184527 20-Feb-2019 20:12

I have seen entry dSLRs at JB HiFi for around $400 with a lens.

Second hand is cheaper but the $400 body with a lens is still quite a good deal. I find used are a lot cheaper if you want intermediate level cameras and if you look on TM used lenses could be 30-40% lesser. All of my cameras and lenses since 2013 have been used now.

insane

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#2184545 20-Feb-2019 22:25

From personal experience I'd go canon for the simple fact that there are more 2nd hand lenses for sale at reasonable-ish prices.

Almost any camera body from the last 6 odd years will be OK to start with, crop or full frame. Seriously put the money into the lenses to make photography fun.

The default kit lenses are typically quite poor and make for a disappointing entry to photography.

To start, get the little 'nifty 50' - that's a surprising good 50mm f/1.8 lense for the price. If you have the money, the f/1.4 version (which I have) is excellent and great for low light shooting and blurring backgrounds.

If on a budget, the 24-105mm IS f/3.5-5.6 is another surprisingly good walkabout lense, but not so great in poor light.

From there they can see whether photography is something they love, and then expand their lens collection or get a better body if they have to.

After two other camera bodies 400d and 40d, and 10+ lenses I've settled on:

Canon 6D
EF 50mm f/1.4
EF 24-105mm IS f/4L
EF 70-300mm IS f4-5.6L

But I had to learn what I enjoyed shooting first, and that's done with entry level kit.

rayonline

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#2184546 20-Feb-2019 22:31

insane:

From there they can see whether photography is something they love, and then expand their lens collection or get a better body if they have to.

That is the difficult part of photog. Kit lenses are given for free you mind as well use it. Diff people have diff lenses some do streets I know of with a 80-400 equiv or something like that on Micro 4/3. They went from a Canon 5D to that. They do mainly streets so they wanted something lighter. I am more a classical 35 (or 28) and a 85 then I have my 70-200 for planes and a ultra wide for landscapes. It might also depends on the course you are doing ...

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timmmay

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#2184549 20-Feb-2019 22:47

I had but never really liked the Canon 50 1.4. I sold all my Canon gear (3 bodies, 6 lenses) in about 2013 and went to Nikon, found their focus system much more accurate. I use f2.8 zooms more than primes because for me the photo comes from the story, with lighting helping. 50 1.8 in most brands is decent, cheap and worthwhile.