Ok guys, I need your help. The missus, who has never used any camera besides a point and shoot and her Iphone has decided that she wants a "good" camera. I discussed the options with her and she thinks she wants an APS-C DSLR. I would also like her to look at mirrorless options. She has a budget around $1500 and there are a lot of options out there for that or under so I would like help narrowing down those options before I take her to a store to look at and hold a few to see how they feel to her.

Costco has a Nikon D7500 with two kit lenses for around that price but when I explained that to her she indicated that her preference while learning would be a single everything zoom lens, i.e. 18 or 24mm to 250 or 300mm. She's leaning toward Nikon just "because" so I found that she could get a D7100 or D7200 body and still leave $500 to $700 for a decent lens.

So, recommendations for a good body (Nikon, Canon, etc.) and a pretty good single zoom lens that would fit in the general price range?

I have strictly bridge cameras and she wants something with better image quality and low light capability than 1" sensor (or smaller) cameras. So I'm looking for the best of that for the price. Also I want to get the best quality for the money in case she loses interest... (-:

BTW, before you suggest it, she will not go for used or refurbed. She is a new only gal. Doesn't make sense to me as I'm nowhere near new and she's kept me around for over 20 years, but that's the way she is.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Although I have a Sony a6000, I am just not sold on them. They are great cameras and take great photo, but if you want to expand, their top tier lenses are more than Canon and Nikon, and it is impossible to find E mount lenses in less expensive brands. If you go with an adapter to use other lenses it slows the frame rate down, focus is sometimes off or slow and other problems could be encountered.

Since I don't use my a6000 for anything but snapshots and on the motorcycle, it is not much of an issue for me, but my son really wants a 70-200 f2.8 for his a6000. Sigma or Tamron does not make them and Sony's is 2600. The same lens from Tamron or Sigma would be around 1,600 and in Canon or Nikon around 2,000.

If lenses are not available for a competitive price, then it doesn't matter how good the camera is.

Just my take on the issue.

Bill

I have an Olympus OMD E-mark 5 II and the 14-150 II lens, a micro 4/3s system. Both are weather resistant (took it to Niagara Falls and used both with no "raincoat" on Maid of the Mist and Cave of the Winds) and both offer excellent image quality, IMO. These are lightweight, yet solid feeling. They will, with an insert, fit into a good sized purse, which is what I do. I had a Nikon D7000 and a bunch of lenses that I traded in for this configuration . This combo would also fit with your budget. I might add that I came to choose the Olympus as a result of a Nat Geo photographer who spoke at a workshop I attended. I figured if it was good enough for him, it was for me! Have fun choosing!