johnnowak said:
Hey everyone. I'm looking to purchase a digital camera for my girlfriend.
I want to get her something with a decent optical zoom and manual focus... interchangeable lenses would be nice, but isn't mandatory. Basically, something she could use in an artistic manner, not just a simple point and click thing.
If you could give me some suggestions that would be great. It doesn't have to be super high resolution or anything, she's just getting into digital photography, etc, but I'd like to get her something she won't "grow out of" too quickly if you know what i mean.
The cheaper the better of course.
Cheaper the better is surely a good move finanically, but if you REALLY want quality...
I'd suggest that if you're looking for REAL quality, there's only one choice:
The Nikon D70. It had very clean photos up to ISO 1600, full manual controls for creativity, nice preset "modes" for a variety of point & shoot styles, interchangeable lenses and a BIG 6mp sensor that's gonna yield blown up prints up to 24x36.
It's easily the best value and bang for the buck amongst Digital SLR cameras, and functions JUST like a film cam. It's a bargain at $999 for the body only or $1299 with an AMAZING kit lens.
At $999 there's also the Digital Rebel, which was the only sub-$1000 DSLR on the market, but it's feature set and chintzy kit lens are blown out of the water by the D70. The D70 is also better than Canon's 10d and Nikon's own D100, both of which are $1499 and it also has features not available on Nikon's 2nd generation pro level cam, the D2h, which runs $3199!
I've played with a D70 extensively and it's a seriously impressive bargain and will easily last 4 years. If you want interchangeable lenses, just go out and get one of these. Both of you will be incredibly happy with. You'll probably buy another one for yourself.
If you're looking a little cheaper, you're in the point and shoot realm, and there's really not many choices for quality. I'd avoid the 8mp crap altogether, for as of now, they have MAJOR noise issues. So skip the Nikon 8700, the Canon Pro1, the Sony F828 and the Dimage A2.
That said, the Nikon 5700 and the Dimage A1 (mintolta-konica) both give nice results at ISO100 & 200. Above that, the photos are useless, due to the small sensor size. So if she's planning ANY low light photos, go straight to the D70.
The 5700 & A1 both have stellar lenses with nice ranges built in, 35-280 on the 5700 and 28-200 on the A1. The A1 also features image stabilization, and functions alot like a traditional SLR manual camera. The images are great and the lens is HIGH QUALITY.
The 5700 has a great macro range, though the lens is slower than the A1 and lacks the IS. Talk to her about her shooting needs.
I'd avoid the G2, as it's manual controls are all buried in menus, making it not very manual. The 5700 has a long learning curve but it's less menu-intensive than the Canon.
The A1 is the one closest to the D70 in terms of controls being "at your finger tips"
All of them are 5mp and will yield clean prints at 12x18 and slightly bigger. I used the A1's pre-decessor for a while, the 7hi and loved everything about it, save for battery life and ISO 400 + performance. They've fixed the battery issue (lithium ion pack lasts long) but the high ISO performance is still a contentious point with any of these camera.
But in closing, if you want a camera that is gonna grow with you, go straight to the D70. There's really no problem with this machine (there's some FUD about moire, but it's nothing to worry about unless you plan on staring at 300% enlargements on your screen in Photoshop). It's a camera that is gonna last you a long time, it's sturdy, it's got more resolution than 8mp p&s cameras, and a host of pro features at a reasonable price. You also have your pick of Nikon lenses, which are considered to be at the top of the heap, and you have a wide range, from super wide to super telephoto to high end macro and everything in between.
Just spend the cash on a D70 and be incredibly happy.
