Camera advice wanted

[Zak]

My wife used to take good photos in 35mm with a Pentax. She's thinking about taking photos again and we are looking at this Canon Eos Rebel T7 package:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087C8FTZS/?coliid=I1UZLJNKKM5CGC&colid=IFVG8ME97VDJ&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

I don't know cameras very well. Is this a good choice? She'd use it mainly for nature shots (distant mountains and zooming in on birds on the lake) and people/dog shots.

Thanks!

 

[Gyrfalcon22]

My 2 cents. The Canon Rebel T series are fine cameras. I will only say that adding a canon 55-250mm lens is the best barely over $100 lens (used) you'll find that has a pretty nice reach on the telephoto end.

The newest STM III version bought new is about $300 I think and since there are so many clean used version II's, that the $100+ is a better deal.

An important thing to know. The Canon multiplying factor on a T7 is 1.6x crop (every lens you put on it is 1.6x the old film/full frame cameras). So, that 55-250mm lens on a T7 acts like a 88-400mm lens of the film days. If that is confusing, ask more q's. Many on here have answers.

https://www.amazon.com/Canon-EF-S-55-250mm-4-0-5-6-Telephoto/dp/B0011NVMO8

Cheapskate route/Me **I often bought one previous model of a newest one, used clean and save a ton. Depends on how essential new is. Refurbished are great deals as well

 

[Gyrfalcon22]

Mirrorless is the next wave and it is in full swing. That gets into a bit more money to start new.

Hope others jump in give their advice!

 

[Zak]

The Canon Rebel T series are fine cameras. I will only say that adding a canon 55-250mm lens is the best barely over $100 lens (used) you'll find that has a pretty nice reach on the telephoto end.

The newest STM III version bought new is about $300 I think and since there are so many clean used version II's, that the $100+ is a better deal.

An important thing to know. The Canon multiplying factor on a T7 is 1.6x crop (every lens you put on it is 1.6x the old film/full frame cameras). So, that 55-250mm lens on a T7 acts like a 88-400mm lens of the film days. If that is confusing, ask more q's. Many on here have answers.

https://www.amazon.com/Canon-EF-S-55-250mm-4-0-5-6-Telephoto/dp/B0011NVMO8

Cheapskate route/Me **I often bought one previous model of a newest one, used clean and save a ton. Depends on how essential new is. Refurbished are great deals as well

Thank you! I understood about a quarter of that. The last paragraph makes sense What is a STM III?

Thanks again!

 

[Gyrfalcon22]

The STM is the latest version of that 55-250mm lens. The STM series will only fit on the crop Canon cameras-you cannot use it on film or full-frame Canon (generally the more expensive). There are some Canon shooters on here that probably have better information..I just know it by borrowing from time to time.

All Q's welcome to help you. I will try or others will chime in I am sure.

Budget and end results desired are the two factors in buying gear to me.

 

[Zak]

Thanks! So are you saying that the camera is good and would be improved by the 55-250mm lens and that lens doesn't come in the package I linked?

I recall another thread where the advice was not to start off with a bunch of lenses, but add them as you need them. It looks like I can get the camera without the package of lenses, tripods, etc for $100 less. Do you think I'd be better off getting the accessories in the package deal one by one if we/she wants them?

 

[Gyrfalcon22]

The wide angle and and 2x in that kit or worthless, honestly. Those are not true stand-alone lenses, they are things to add on to the front of the main lens and cheap shortcuts. Quality will not be great. Tripod most likely be a cheapo as well. The kit has a lot to be desired unless it gets you enough extra storage cards and batteries..but I would avoid most of the time.

Yeah, it is good to get a basic camera and lens, then add on as you need. Solid advice always. Often the camera will come with the two "kit" lenses which will be the 18-55mm and the 55-250 all at once. That cover wide angle to a decent 8x tele on the long end of the zoom.

Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm and 75-300mm Lenses

Buy Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm and 75-300mm Lenses featuring 24.1MP APS-C CMOS Sensor, DIGIC 4+ Image Processor, 3.0" 920k-Dot LCD Monitor, Full HD 1080/30p Video Recording, 9-Point AF with Center Cross-Type Point, ISO 100-6400, up to 3 fps Shooting, Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC...

www.bhphotovideo.com

Hard to get items in stock. B+H is a good company. The 70-300mm lens is probably a decent lens as well.

 

[Gyrfalcon22]

CANON EOS REBEL T7 18-55MM IS II KIT

CANON REBEL T7 18-55MM IS II KIT

kenmorecamera.com

if you are Seattle area

 

[Zak]

The wide angle and and 2x in that kit or worthless, honestly. Those are not true stand-alone lenses, they are things to add on to the front of the main lens and cheap shortcuts. Quality will not be great. Tripod most likely be a cheapo as well. The kit has a lot to be desired unless it gets you enough extra storage cards and batteries..but I would avoid most of the time.

Yeah, it is good to get a basic camera and lens, then add on as you need. Solid advice always. Often the camera will come with the two "kit" lenses which will be the 18-55mm and the 55-250 all at once. That cover wide angle to a decent 8x tele on the long end of the zoom.

Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm and 75-300mm Lenses

Buy Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm and 75-300mm Lenses featuring 24.1MP APS-C CMOS Sensor, DIGIC 4+ Image Processor, 3.0" 920k-Dot LCD Monitor, Full HD 1080/30p Video Recording, 9-Point AF with Center Cross-Type Point, ISO 100-6400, up to 3 fps Shooting, Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC...

www.bhphotovideo.com

Hard to get items in stock. B+H is a good company. The 70-300mm lens is probably a decent lens as well.

Awesome advice, thanks!

The B+H link has the camera with just the 18-55mm for $479 in stock, or the camera with both the18-55 and 75-300mm lenses for $599, but you have to wait for it. The 75-300mm lens looks like it is $199 by itself. The 55-250mm is $299.

So why is a 55-250mm lens nicer than a 75-300mm lens?

I work in Seattle when not from home, so I'll check out Kenmore Camera.

Thank you so much for the info!

 

[Gyrfalcon22]

You are very welcome !

Oh, the 55-250 is the only lens of the two I have tried. No idea on the 75-300, but these are all Kit lenses and are generally really great value.

Ok. A quick look shows that the 55-250mm lens is an I.S. or Image Stabilized lens, and the 75-300mm is not. I.S. is a great thing to have !

Here is what the Image Stabilized version of the 70-300 is and cost. Youch !

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM Lens

Buy Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM Lens featuring EF-Mount/Full-Frame Format, Aperture Range: f/4 to f/45, One Ultra Low Dispersion Element, NANO USM Autofocus System, Optical Image Stabilizer, Lens Information Display, Full-Time Manual Focus, Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm. Review Canon null

www.bhphotovideo.com

Kenmore Camera will probably have a used 55-250mm lens to look at as well as the 70-300's. I.S. is great to have for sure.

They should have both lenses there to see. Someone on here can probably give advice on off brand lenses such as Tamron or Sigma. Never tried any of the newer stuff like that.

Kenmore Camera has been a great store for me for 20+ years. Glazers, just imho, had a New York attitude back in the day so I never went back. Probably same prices, been around forever as well.

 

[Gyrfalcon22]

Some of the mirrorless guys on here might have a totally different solution for you as well. They are small neat systems by most of the major companies now.

 

[Zak]

Some of the mirrorless guys on here might have a totally different solution for you as well. They are small neat systems by most of the major companies now.

Thanks again! My wife's friend also recommended the Canon Rebel T7 so we'll go with that. I'll go into Kenmore Photo armed with the knowledge you shared!

 

[Jim F.]

All Q's welcome to help you. I will try or others will chime in I am sure.

Trust me, Gyrfalcon KNOWS all things cameras. He was a great help to me.

After months of researching, I bit the bullet and went Sony mirrorless. I am pleased (although a tad poorer, lol.). There are lots of reviews out there. You can also google Flickr, type in the search box the camera model/lens model in which you are interested and actually view a variety of photos which will give you a feel for the quality of the photos your camera/lens of choice can achieve. Take your time; you'll find the one that works for you.

 

[cdnred]

Are you particular on the brand of the camera and are you willing to wait or need to have it in stock..? I used to have a Canon but now prefer the Nikon series. As @Gyrfalcon22 has mentioned, B&H Camera have some great deals. One being this one that includes all the lenses you'd want but it's not in stock. I'm assuming that your wife may still have a fair bit of accessories around so she may not need to go with a package deal. All she needs is the camera and perhaps a few lenses to complete the package..?

Nikon D5300 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm and 70-300mm Lenses (Black, Refurbished by Nikon USA)

Buy Nikon D5300 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm and 70-300mm Lenses (Black, Refurbished by Nikon USA) featuring 24.2MP DX-Format CMOS Sensor, EXPEED 4 Image Processor, No Optical Low-Pass Filter, 3.2" 1,037k-Dot Vari-Angle LCD Monitor, Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps, Multi-CAM 4800DX 39-Point...

www.bhphotovideo.com

Another camera to check out is the Nikon Coolpix series. It offers a super zoom without need for changing leses, all in one. From the reviews, it states that with the higher magnification it tends to pickup camera shake affecting clarity in the pics..

Point and Shoot Cameras, Compact Digital Cameras | B&H Photo

Shop B&H for our huge, in-stock inventory of Point and Shoot Cameras from top brands like Canon, Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm, with unbeatable prices and service.

www.bhphotovideo.com

B&H also have a good selection of used cameras that have been checked out thoroughly if you'd prefer to go that route..

 

[GAT]

I started with Pentax and switched to Canon. I'm familiar with both the Rebel and different model EOS and they all have worked as well as I can hope. I don't see any problem starting with the Rebel.

 

[brownheron]

Figure out your lens needs and budget and buy into the system that is the best fit. The feature set among modern cameras is very comparable unless you have a niche requirement like very low light, etc. Too many people buy a camera first and then think about the lens as part of the overall system.

I moved from Nikon to Sony a number of years back. I like that I can use the same lenses on a small APS-C body and my big full frame body (understanding the crop factor on the smaller camera). I like the alpha6x00 series for the small camera.

 

[Nick Clayton]

I agree with Thomas. Make the lenses your priority and go from there.

To me the bodies are equivalent to a fly rod, while the lenses are the lines. Most experienced fly fishers understand that ultimately the line can make or break a fly rod. Great rod+crappy line=lousy performance. Great line+ cheap rod=Good results.

I'm nowhere near as experienced as most of the folks here, but Ive personally never been found a kit lense that I enjoy. Lots of great lenses available for reasonable prices, especially if you look at third party manufacturers such as Sigma, Tamron etc. I'm a huge fan of Sigma glass.


I say sit down and decide on what sort of lenses she may use the most, then take a look at lense selection/prices for the various bodies and go from there.

Im also a big fan of Sony Mirrorless. The A6300 Is still a lot of camera for the money, and the amount of lenses available is impressive. Body doesn't have IS, but many of the lenses do which can make up for that.

 

[Zak]

I agree with Thomas. Make the lenses your priority and go from there.

To me the bodies are equivalent to a fly rod, while the lenses are the lines. Most experienced fly fishers understand that ultimately the line can make or break a fly rod. Great rod+crappy line=lousy performance. Great line+ cheap rod=Good results.

I'm nowhere near as experienced as most of the folks here, but Ive personally never been found a kit lense that I enjoy. Lots of great lenses available for reasonable prices, especially if you look at third party manufacturers such as Sigma, Tamron etc. I'm a huge fan of Sigma glass.


I say sit down and decide on what sort of lenses she may use the most, then take a look at lense selection/prices for the various bodies and go from there.

Im also a big fan of Sony Mirrorless. The A6300 Is still a lot of camera for the money, and the amount of lenses available is impressive. Body doesn't have IS, but many of the lenses do which can make up for that.

Thanks!