starting anew

Hello everyone! Coming to you from the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland. Back in the 1970's my husband gave me a Canon AE1. Over time I took classes, added additional lenses and filters and had a dark room built in the basement, and was actually able to sell some of my stuff. That camera had a history! It was lost and returned, stolen and returned by the person who saw it being stolen and then finally stolen for good. I had that camera for 20 years. I bought a small digital Canon, it was stolen from my office by an employee. I haven't taken any pictures for 15 years now; which brings me to my question. I want to start again, but I don't know anything about these new cameras. I researched the camera that Kate Middleton uses and it costs $5,000; my limit is $400.00. I've read through the forum questions, but everything I read indicated that a camera had already been purchased and they had questions about it. So...what is a good restarting point for me? I don't expect to sell anything again, I just need to boot my life back up after losing my husband very unexpectedly. One thing I did learn from these forums is to get a factory refurbished camera, which I intend to do. So thanks for that tip!

jethro779 Loc: Tucson, AZ

I am sorry for your loss, and welcome to the hog. With a $400.00 budget you are going to be looking at older digital technology. The budget you have will give you a Canon Rebel xsi w/ one lens if you are lucky. I shoot Nikon so I am kinda guessing on what you can get. KEH camera sells used and that might be the best way for you to go.

starting anew

Holy cow...you're right! I just pulled the $400 limit out of the air (and my budget), thinking I could get a refurbished camera for that. But after your answer, I went online and it seems the starting price is $500. So if I bump a refurbished unit up to $600, would that change your answer? And thank you for your kindness.

Walsh

First I am so sorry for your loss. I can't imagine what you are going through. I have a Canon Rebel T6 DSLR which I bought for $449 that came with two lenses. Now I believe they start at $499. It is a beginner camera which suits my needs, at least for now. Refurbished cameras, of course, cost less. You could check out Amazon for a wide array (I sound like a commercial) of bundles which are cheaper than buying individual cameras and lenses. You sound like you have a lot of experience so this one my be too basic for you. I'm sure you will receive a lot of great advice from this site. Good luck

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Welcome to the forum.
Bummer about the cameras!
Very sorry for your loss of your husband, I can sympathize, I lost my first wife 20 years ago (she was 40).

jethro779 Loc: Tucson, AZ

As I said I am a Nikon user, but here is a page from Canon USA's web site listing some refurbished camera kits. In my opinion the first one is probably the best bet for you. I lost my wife 13 years ago so I have an idea what you are going thru.


https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/cameras/refurbished-eos-digital-slr-cameras

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Sorry for your loss also Jethro, been there.

starting anew

Wow guys.....I went looking for advice on a camera and got support where I needed it most; so I thank every one of you who has responded. It's just that my husband's death was so sudden; he was in the middle of making a sandwich and fell over dead, with no prior heart problems. Now, 'nuff said about that stuff, let's talk cameras! But seriously, thank you all for taking the time to tell me that I'm not alone in my grief.

jethro779 Loc: Tucson, AZ

Like I said in an earlier post check out the Canon first listed. I think it might be exactly what you were asking about.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Not always.

There are lots of good cameras for reasonable money.

Read comparisons and specs, and decide what features are important to you.
(Reviews) https://www.youtube.com/user/TheCameraStoreTV/videos
http://cameras.reviewed.com/
http://camerasize.com/
http://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM
http://snapsort.com/compare
http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/cameras?utm_campaign=internal-link&utm_source=mainmenu&utm_medium=text&ref=mainmenu

Under $500
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-point-and-shoot-under-500/
http://www.bestproducts.com/tech/gadgets/g706/point-and-shoot-digital-cameras/

TommiRulz Loc: Corpus Christi, TX

That looks like a G16 - A great camera but more like $700 dollars. So you have to decide if you want a point and shoot camera like Kates here, or get a DSLR - (dslr are the bigger faster cameras with changeable lenses, sorry if you know this already) Or even a Bridge or Mirrorless. They all have their pros and cons -- you just have to sift through all that and decide.

BebuLamar

If you want the camera like Kates try to get one. Don't compromise.

ggttc Loc: TN

Nikon refurbs here.

https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-store/refurbished-cameras.page#!/tag:8ps:Digital SLR Cameras

StaneeRae Loc: Lincroft, NJ USA

Do you belong to Costco? They have a Nikon D3400 + 2 lenses for $600, and a Canon EOS Rebel T6 + 2 lenses for $600. https://www.costco.com/digital-slr-cameras.html

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

Most of us have lost someone we love, and I think you have the right idea about booting your life up again. Photography is a great way to do that.

My suggestion is to buy the best camera and lens you can afford. Entry level will have less of a learning curve, but not as much to grow into. That means you will start wanting something better a lot sooner. Go to the websites of trusted online vendors and do a search and comparison of different models. (The side-by-side comparisons can be found in the new cameras area.) Look at the specifications to see what features they have or don't have. After reading these things for a while you will begin to see the pattern of what features are more common across models and what are the extra "bells and whistles". A lot of those extras are very very nice to have, just have to decide which ones are important to you. Don't look too much at prices right away, except to make your search include cameras that when new are somewhat above your budget. This gives you perspective.

When you have made a few choices that have the capabilities you want the most, then start looking for the best price. I generally buy my cameras new and my lenses pre-owned or refurbished, but when you buy from the trusted vendors you have some assurance that the camera will be what they advertise. On the east coast, B&H and Adorama in NY City are the best. They both give their pre-owned gear ratings that indicate their condition, and so far I have never been disappointed. In fact, the gear looks newer than expected and functions as it should. For a camera, you could call them up and ask about how many "clicks" the camera has (an indication of how much of its useful life has been used up). Even refurbished is going to have "clicks", but definitely not as many as an older pre-owned.

When looking for used gear, I check both websites for what I want, then when I find it (inventory changes from day to day), I look at the prices on both sites. Lenses are a bit more tricky because they put out different versions with the same focal length(s), but different letters and numbers after which can indicate whether it is one of the older ones or a newer one. The newer ones in general have been improved, although some lenses are considered to have been better before! Examples are vibration reduction and auto-focus. I use Nikon, so will use that as an example. VR: none, VR, VRII; AF: AF, AF-S. VRII is the new improved vibration reduction, AF-S is the silent wave motor which is both quieter and faster than AF.

Both Nikon and Canon sell refurbished gear on their websites. If that is what you prefer, over pre-owned, then keep checking on the websites since their inventory also changes. But I would also look at B&H and Adorama, because they also offer refurbished as well as "out of the box".

By going for the pre-owned or refurbished gear, you can purchase something that new would be well above your budget! It will take some vigilance on your part, keeping track of what is available, but will pay off in the long run.

Interested in what you end up with!

Susan