Sidwalkastronomy Loc: New Jersey Shore

My friend who's a beginner wants to buy a camera that she can grow into and doesn't want to buy something she's going to outgrow. I love the Canon line because I have them and their customer service is excellent.
I have the rebel 77D and t7i.
At this stage I would probably suggest mirrorless but there are lot of nice mirror cameras still. As far as shooting subjects she wants to keep it open.
Her budget is 1000 to 1500.
I know you can get a Canon rebel T8i with 2 kit lenses for that budget easily.
I would probably like to push her to mirrorless at this point but I'm clueless to options for her.
Thanks for your help

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

I would suggest you and she go to a camera store and take a look at what is available. You may like Canon but she may like the feel of something else. There are any number of excellent cameras these days of all brands.

Dennis

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Personally, I'd go with the T8i.
I'm still using my T1i.

(I don't do the mirrorless hype.)

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

Good suggestion about going to the camera store where she can touch and feel. Also, an experienced sales person might be able to give better recommendations after hearing her comfort factor.
Since you have canon, might be a good fit since you are experienced and can give guidance when she has a question instead of saying, I don’t know that camera.

Sidwalkastronomy Loc: New Jersey Shore

So much hype about mirrorless so I'm leaning there but the Canon rebel line has some nice cameras and lenes.

jdub82 Loc: Northern California

The only Canon mirrorless that fits within that budget would be the entry level Canon RP. Since the budget is limited, I would lean toward suggesting the T8i. She can get more for her money in a mirrored DSLR at this point.

MrBossHK Loc: The West Valley of Phoenix metro area

Don't judge a camera by its mirror.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Rongnongno Loc: FL

So... To put the question under a different perspective...

"She does not know what she is doing, but she does not want something she can outgrow, I am responsible for her choice."

I just spoke to a young woman who wants to go into photography. I asked a few crucial questions...
► Are you planning to print anything at the moment? NO.
► Are you going to use it for the WEB? YES.
► Do you have anything as subject in mind? NO.

At that point, I asked for her phone and showed her that she already had a great tool in her hands. That she needed to familiarize herself with composition and 'see the picture'.

I ended up telling her that she DID NOT need a camera to learn photography, that purchasing a camera was a waste until she decided what she really wanted to do with it.

She agreed.

As seasoned photographers from another era, we do not see what is available around us and what the use of what we consider 'gizmo' 'under powered camera gadgets' is.

We are way too hangup into 'technology', 'rules' and a bunch of other things. We fail to see the world around us is changing. Promoting a brand or camera based on bias, price and what not is never a good idea. Analyze what the real need it before saying anything that can and likely will end-up as a mistake.

See the world under a different lens.

At the very least, I saved this woman a few hundred of $$$ until she makes an informed decision. THEN we will approach what camera she needs, with EXTREME CAUTION.

Bill_de Loc: US

I would suggest that in addition to the Canon models, you have her take a look at the Nikon Z50 or (my preference) the Nikon Zfc. you can but either with two lenses and stay within the $1500 budget.

The Z50 is a conventional design and has a built in flash. The Zfc has a retro design and no flash. I do own them both and prefer the Zfc because it has an old fashioned look ... and I'm old.

For someone starting out the Z50 might be the better choice. It has the flash and I believe it is $100 cheaper.

Have fun shopping!

---

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

In my opinion you are completely WRONG. You decided the woman did not need a camera to learn photography, not her. She wanted to and you dissuaded her against it. Yes a phone can take good photographs. But many of us want something better, something we can use to make better photos rather than just good snapshots. Yes I do understand that many prize winning photos have been taken with phones. But the quality still rests with cameras and not phones. To your way of thinking, from your post, nobody ever needs a real camera if they only have a phone. But what of us who want a camera, maybe not even just one camera but a digital camera, a medium format camera, a large frame camera such as a 4X5 view camera and, HORRORS, a 35mm film camera.

Who are you to tell all of us we are not seeing properly, that we are missing what phones can give us in the way of photography? Seems as usual you are deciding for the rest of us rather than allowing us to make up our own minds. For snapshots I may use my phone. For everything else I want to use some type of real camera. I want to do PP if needed. I will do as I choose and not as you suggest.

In my opinion you did that woman a disservice by swaying her against using a camera and using her phone instead. She might have gone on to become a great photographer, might have decided to get into different types of photography. You took that away from her with your nonsense. Nobody learns photography with a phone. They simply point and shoot. There is no learning of shutter speed, f stops, depth of field, just snap and there is a photo.

Dennis

User ID

What a very sorry title. She has no online access ? Let her join UHH or similar site. Noobies do it for themselves all the time.

For $1500 she has excellent options. She should take the reins for herself.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Even though I have a phone that does nicely, I'd rather use a dedicated camera.

Yes, a dedicated camera did come first in my life, and with today's younger people, the phone came first...
Maybe the phone will meet their needs, maybe not.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

R10 gets her into the future and all lenses will be native and grow with her.
With the 18-150mm gets her in for a little over $1,300 and it is light, hyper fast AF and many pro level features she can grow into for a starter beginner camera price.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Funny that she accepted what I said.

I told her to wait until she had a clue as to what she wanted to do. She did not have any.

The idea was not to dissuade but make her think about what she wanted to do first.

When she decides, I will help her, depending on what she has discovered as to learn the in and outs of F-stop, speed and ISO? WAY to early. One step at a time.

First:
Do you really need a camera? The answer was an obvious no, at this point in time.