some of us, [ including moi
], may tend to project when asked to recommend gear and recommend what we think was good for us and for OUR photographic interests as being best for any one asking for advice
that might not be correct
everyone can have different " photographic " interests
however unless the person asking tells us what is their specific photographic interest or interests may be -
wide angle
landscape
portraits
wildlife
sports
telephoto
macro
etc, etc, etc,
and every one can have different ability to pay for gear - that word " budget "
[ yes there can be great differences on what some one might be able to spend on this " hobby "
]
it is hard to give specific advice
and we must take in consideration that in certain parts of the world, the " experienced " market can vary a lot
the one thing I am sure of is that the advice offered by our members is in good faith
[ this has been on my mind lately as I am trying to interest my son and his wife into Pentax and DSLR and I have to keep asking myself -
what do they want to do with their photography and realizing that it may not be what I am trying to do ]
and if any one chooses to look through the photos posted here in the forums, they can discover good photos taken with all type of gear, from the latest lenses and cameras to the oldest lenses and cameras still operative