- It must be easy to use
- It must be inexpensive
Luckily, these two go hand in hand: cameras that are easy to use tend to have less extensive features than cameras designed for professional and semi-professional photographers (also called advanced amateurs or pro).
Naturally, cameras with less features also cost less.
This leaves the beginning photographer with two alternatives when it comes to acquiring a new digital SLR:
- Buy a used camera for very little money and get used to how it operates, THEN spend the big bucks on a camera with all the features you want
- Buy an inexpensive modern camera with a limited feature set and - possibly - upgrade to a more advanced model in the future
Used Digital SLRs
A used camera is great for anyone new to digital SLRs who might be pondering some of these questions:
- Would I really use all those features that are included on a more expensive camera?
- Will I ever want to learn more about the camera or just use it in point-and-shoot mode?
- Will I find that the size and weight of an SLR is too much to lug around and will it sit in the closet all the time?
If your answers to these questions are "no", "point-and-shoot" and "yes" then you don't want your first beginner digital SLR to cost half your paycheck.
The good news for you is that there are plenty of great used cameras currently available since early adopters are now trading up their old cameras for some of the spiffy features that are only available on modern SLRs.What new features would you be missing out on by purchasing an old camera (and by old I mean from 2 years ago)?
- Dust Control - new cameras prevent dust from attaching to the camera sensor. Dust shows up as little black specs in every digital photo you take.
- Live View LCD - an LCD that shows you a preview of the photo you're about to take, just like on compact digital cameras
- Extended Dynamic Range - modern SLRs can capture more detail in shadow and highlights
Dust control is probably the most useful new feature, since a sensor that's contaminated with dust can be quite hard to clean.
The other features are nice to have but might not have a dramatic effect on how you take photos with the camera. Some models that I'd recommend you look for include the Canon Rebel XT, Nikon D50, Olympus E-500 and the Pentax K100D or K10D.
Inexpensive / Easy to Use Digital SLRs
The second best option for beginner digital SLR photographers is to start out with a camera with limited features.
Here are some ways in which digital SLR manufacturers "limit" the features available on their cameras:
What beginner digital SLRs fall into this category of inexpensive and easy to use? Glad you asked.
Nikon D40
I wish to learn photography someday. This is a nice guide.
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