[ASheffield]

Over the past year, my mom has gotten into taking pictures. She currently uses her smartphone and mostly photographs nature and pets. Her birthday will be coming up in September and she has expressed interest in having a camera. She says she thinks she might enjoy having a camera "like mine" (a DSLR) although they are expensive. Seeing as she enjoys taking photos, I am seeking suggestions for an affordable, introductory camera. I am not necessarily looking for a DSLR considering the cost of lenses.

[ChristianRock]

People here love to help others spend their money
But a budget would be helpful...
Also, new or used?

[SSGGeezer]

There are several nice K-5 and newer models for sale here. If you buy her a DSLR, I recommend that you buy her "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson also so she can understand what all the controls do, and that way she gets more out of her Camera. Or just the book and an offer to help her find a camera. Pentax is the best value for image quality so here is aa good p[lace to start.

A budget number would be helpful for the knowledgeable folks here to help you narrow down your choices.

[Adam]

Over the past year, my mom has gotten into taking pictures. She currently uses her smartphone and mostly photographs nature and pets. Her birthday will be coming up in September and she has expressed interest in having a camera. She says she thinks she might enjoy having a camera "like mine" (a DSLR) although they are expensive. Seeing as she enjoys taking photos, I am seeking suggestions for an affordable, introductory camera. I am not necessarily looking for a DSLR considering the cost of lenses.

I started out with a compact digital camera, albeit one with manual controls. Maybe one of the older Sony RX100's?

Adam
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[ramseybuckeye]

Over the past year, my mom has gotten into taking pictures. She currently uses her smartphone and mostly photographs nature and pets. Her birthday will be coming up in September and she has expressed interest in having a camera. She says she thinks she might enjoy having a camera "like mine" (a DSLR) although they are expensive. Seeing as she enjoys taking photos, I am at still be some new seeking suggestions for an affordable, introductory camera. I am not necessarily looking for a DSLR considering the cost of lenses.

Since it’s a gift for your mom I would suggest a new camera with maybe a kit zoom or a 35/2.4 or 50/1.8. I’m sure she could borrow a lens from you occasionally. There may still be some new KS2s available, or a K-70.

[ASheffield]

For the budget, I would say under $500. No preference if it is new or used.

[twilhelm]

If you are looking for a DSLR, the K5 is a great choice.

For a smaller camera that's a lot of fun to have, the Q series with the 02 and 06 lens is great.

[gm4life]

So... Yes, plenty of us can help spend your money. Might I suggest a new K70 with the 18-55 kit lens? I know that tallies up 150 over budget at 650 but the K70 is an awesome crop body and the 18-55 punches above its weight for a kit lens.

My dad and I have shot some awesome photos with K10D/K100D and the 1st generation 18-55’s.

[hcc]

Why not an used in good condition K-01? The boxy shape, large display screen could be good, while the sensor IQ is still competitive (same sensor as K-5).


My wife wanted a 'good' camera and I bought her a K-01. She is happy with the Iq, even is she is not using all the time, I added a neoprene Cover (from optech) to giver her confidence in carrying the camera.

My 5 cents.

[alfa75ts]

She says she thinks she might enjoy having a camera "like mine"

Has she ever used your camera? If not then that would be the place to start.

You may get responses like:

It's quite big isn't it?
It's quite heavy isn't it?
It's quite complex isn't it?

Use these as a guide.

Seeing as she enjoys taking photos.

What does she do with her photos? This becomes a big issue if she just keeps them on her phone.

[MrMojo]

Bridge camera I would suggest, it's big jump from smartphone to DSLR and if she likes wildlife and pets, the long zooms they have would be very handy

[rwhynacht]

I agree a bridge camera such as a nikon coolpix or Panasonic lumix would be a logical step up from an iphone.

[Unregistered User 8]

As the others have mentioned, a bridge camera would be a great start for your mom. Pentax X-5's can still be picked up 2nd hand, but the newer Pentax XG-1 has some great features. No changing lenses required for 1cm macro up to 52X optical zoom. The Pentax forums review is posted below. Good luck.

Pentax XG-1 - Pentax Compact Digital Cameras - Pentax Camera Reviews and Specifications

[david94903]

You're going to want to think about equipment weight too. Bridge camera would be a good bet, as others have mentioned. Lots of features, not overly complicated, good results, and relatively light weight compared to most full on DSLR's. I started out with a Kodak Easyshare P880 years ago. Fantastic camera for what it was, what it did, and what it cost. There are a plethora of bridge cameras on the market these days. Panasonic always seems to have a new one coming out.

[Cerebum]

Is she a tech head? Does she like the idea of interchangeable lenses? If so, get her a K70 then every birthday buy her the lens you want but can't justify, then borrow it

If the K70 is too big have a look at the Olympus pen range as an alternative to the ubiquitous sonys. They are nicely built and perform well. Also adapters are available

Eschewing interchangeable lenses, bridge cameras give you a great zoom range. My Fuji Hs20exr had 24-750mm equivalent and the Fuji he range are great and within your budget, but they are DSLR size.

A smaller bridge camera is the Olympus Stylus 1s. Tremendous quality, it feels premium. Great sensor, same as the last Pentax Q, great lens, f2.8-f8 from 24mm to 300mm equivalent, raw, manual and all the modes you need articulating screen, WiFi, tremendous evf. I have one and think it is wonderful, so much so I am taking it with me when I am off on a short break while my K3 gets some well earned rest. The Olympus is not pockatable thanks to the evf but it will slot in a bag nicely. Tip, get the 1s over the 1 as you get better battery life.

The Olympus is slightly larger than a compact but has a tremendous zoom range thanks to the sensor size. There area also several tremendous compacts with all the modes that have a bigger sensor but lose out on the zoom range like the Ricoh gr ii and the Sony RX100

Happy hunting