Camera Selection for Novice Photographer, HELP
 

Hey GFY,

My father-in-law is a huge camera buff, and has been wanting a higher-end camera for a while. Well his wife is going to get him one for his birthday this month, and asked if I had any suggestions. Since I know nothing about photography.. I figured I'd ask the pros of GFY. ;)

So what's the best digital SLR camera, with between 8-10 MP, at around $1000? He's talked about the following brands:

Canon
Nikon
Sony

Do you have any suggestions? The more specific the better...

And as a follow-on question, what are the "must-have" accessories for this type of camera?

Thanks!

Forgot to mention.. he mostly uses the camera for outdoor shots when hiking, camping, etc.

ok heres the most important quesion...what kind does he have now...the reason I ask is because if he has a cannon with detachable lenses then no point in letting those lenses go to waste....see whgat I mean?

I have always shot nikon and have tens of thousands of dollars worth of Nikon lenses so when I went digital the brand was not even part of the question...it had to be nikon.

assumingg his previous cameras are fixed lens then Id look at it this way

how hard is he on a camera...does he shoot in tough environments outdoors like the desert, the beach, offshore, etc if so go Nikon thats the difference between the brands Nikon is more rugged and can be used in harsh environments whereas canon and others will develop problems much more quickly in those environments

Hmm... if he's really into cameras then he probably already has one in mind, even if he knows he can't have it now. Perhaps it would be better to get him a gift certificate at a camera store?

Actually at the $1k level you'd probably only be able to get one camera per brand name so the choice won't be so hard :)

If it were me (and this is just based on my personal tastes), at that price range, I'd go with the Canon Rebel XTi.

the must have accessories...extra lens caps for each lens, good circular polarizing filters for each lens, a good sturdy well padded camera bag or backpack.

extra batterie(s), a good flash, good nmih (nickel metal hybrid) rechargeable batteries for the flash (2 sets) a good strap for the camera with padding at the neck area.

Which brand would you suggest?

He talks about all of the different brands, depending on which day it is, more of "dreams" about them all..

Right now he's using a 35MM Minolta, and has a few lenses, but none that he'd be heartbroken to have to replace.

Thanks guys

Although he uses them a lot when hiking, I don't think he's very hard on his cameras at all. These are just family hiking trips on established trails.. nothing too crazy.

Thanks for the help!!

All within a $1k budget????

Incredible_Wil, I still think it could be a baaad thing if you choose the "wrong" camera. Is he going to suck it up and live with it, or return it and get what he really wants?

I think you're right.. now to convince the wife that it's better to give a gift certificate than to give him the big surprise ;)

If it was me.. I would want to choose. Thanks for the help guys, and you've given the rest of us some good ideas for accessories to compliment the gift...

cell phone camera will do fine..

I would look at the Nikons, the D80 or so, even though you say he isn't hard on them, he really is because he is using them in a harsh environment. Outdoors you never know, humidity, rain, dust, sand, dirt etc all take a tool on the camera. This is why professional photojournalists have depended on Nikon for years and years.

You cant go wrong in that dept and thats why nikon is a little more expensive usually but for me...I wouldn't shoot anything else, mine has been a work horse and dropping it, desert wind, salt air, rain...nothing has phased it.

way over 300,000 shots and still going!

Go with a Canon EOS 400D or Canon EOS 20D

I have the canon 20D. Great camera, but a bit bulky

Unless you've shot 2,000 shots every day since you got it, somehow I don't think your camera is actually the D80. :Graucho Your body may be weather sealed and tough, but is the D80?

agreed, if the budget is max 1K and the owner has no nikon glass.

that camera kit with stock lens is probably best bang for the buck image quality wise (at this minute).