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Xmas gift for the wife!!

Xmas Gift for Wife

  • Canon (T3) or Nikon (D3100) DSLR

    Votes: 7 28.0%

  • Into MBP, after trade in of old Macbook

    Votes: 14 56.0%

  • Other..

    Votes: 4 16.0%
  • Total voters
    25
  • Poll closed .
Failurbydesign

Failurbydesign

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 17, 2011
132
1
CA
So i'm looking at two different things to get my wife for Christmas, but i can't choose.

Option 1: She loves to bake and has a blog, but our point-n-shoot camera lacks the quality she want, so im looking into a basic DSLR (Nikon d3100) for her. Currently she is using her iPhone 4, which works out pretty well.

OR

Option 2: She has an older white Macbook (2.16 Ghz, 2gb ram, 160gb hd) which is starting to slow down and lag. I was thinking about trading it in at either Apple or BestBuy and using the credit towards a basic MBP. But the catch is how i do this without her knowing!

So...thats that!!


Intro MBP not Into...
 
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I'd say Option Two.

Why not just put the MBP on a credit card, give her the MBP and then sell the old machine and then pay off the credit card?

Plus, if you have/ get a Best Buy credit card you'll get 18 months same as cash.
 
I'd second the MBP; that is a serious present. Or, put another way, if a love of my life chose to offer me a MBP in celebration of the Yule Festival, I would be delighted, and touched.

Re cameras, somehow, buying cameras for someone (or for yourself) is more personal. If she is really keen on photography, then yes, go for the DSLR, but otherwise, the MBP sounds a better idea as a Christmas gift.

Congrats on your good taste, by the way.....
 
Yeah I won't drop 600+ on the iPhone 4s just so she can use a better camera (she can use mine), that's why I was going with the dslr! As for purchasing it will lost likely be done at Best Buy since I do have a cc through them! I maxed out the ram in her MacBook a few months ago (2gb), would a 7200rpm drive make much improvement?
 
Failurbydesign said:
Yeah I won't drop 600+ on the iPhone 4s just so she can use a better camera (she can use mine), that's why I was going with the dslr! As for purchasing it will lost likely be done at Best Buy since I do have a cc through them! I maxed out the ram in her MacBook a few months ago (2gb), would a 7200rpm drive make much improvement?
Click to expand...

Get a solid state drive
 
Well first off, show a photo of her,,, so that we can see if she's worth it or not. j/k… :p

What all does she currently and possibly in future enjoy taking photos of? I've a Canon 50D, love it. But, would a DSLR be overkill for blogging, etc.? Might take a gander at the Sony [for example: Sony Alpha NEX NEX5K/B] new models,,, very nice quality, easy to use, and pretty good prices.

As to the options, how much are you budgeting to spend?

As to how to pull off the 2nd one, you could maybe get it from her, let her know that the local Apple store has some updates for it,,, and then when she opens it,,, :cool:

Oh, on the MBP - don't forget option of getting a good deal via a refurb model… wouldn't be as easy on the trade-in, but maybe could sell the MB straight out, via Craigslist, etc.

Funny, in that the iPhone 4 is taking satisfactory photos, better than a dedicated P&S camera… just wait till you use the 4S! :apple:
 
MSM Hobbes said:
Well first off, show a photo of her,,, so that we can see if she's worth it or not. j/k… :p

What all does she currently and possibly in future enjoy taking photos of? I've a Canon 50D, love it. But, would a DSLR be overkill for blogging, etc.? Might take a gander at the Sony [for example: Sony Alpha NEX NEX5K/B] new models,,, very nice quality, easy to use, and pretty good prices.

As to the options, how much are you budgeting to spend?

As to how to pull off the 2nd one, you could maybe get it from her, let her know that the local Apple store has some updates for it,,, and then when she opens it,,, :cool:

Oh, on the MBP - don't forget option of getting a good deal via a refurb model… wouldn't be as easy on the trade-in, but maybe could sell the MB straight out, via Craigslist, etc.

Funny, in that the iPhone 4 is taking satisfactory photos, better than a dedicated P&S camera… just wait till you use the 4S! :apple:
Click to expand...

We have a friend who has a few dslr's and she loves the photo quality...and he has helped with some of her blogging! I myself would use the dslr over my p&s..and i use my 4S for everything!!

As for the MBP, i could say Apple is replacing the battery or something silly like that, but we leave town for Xmas so i would have to cover it up well. I would make a backup of the computer using Carbon Copy Cloner, but i would be hesitant to restore her old setup to a new computer.

As for the 4S, we sometimes use mine for her pictures...pretty bad ass camera!!!

 
You're not necessarily going to get better quality with a dSLR over a P&S. Anyone who tells you that has no idea what they're talking about. For a beginner, what you do get, is the ability to take photos instantly and in rapid succession. Personally, I've been using a dSLR since 2005 and I wouldn't recommend it for most people, as they don't like the size and won't use it as much as they should.

Although, I haven't played with them in person, you may want to look into a compact mirrorless camera that would allow lens interchangeability (like the Nikon V1.)

http://www.dpreview.com/products/nikon/slrs/nikon_v1

Now, if you wife just wants to look cool and carry around a big dSLR, that's a different story.
 
There is nothing about looking cool :cool:, we have had multiple p&s and we don't like the quality. Plus im only looking to spend 600-700 on an intro dslr since it will be for a beginner, now if you feel the two cameras that i am looking at are too cheap, please suggest!

That Nikon V1 is pretty sweet, but gotta still bugdet..:D


acidfast7 said:
You're not necessarily going to get better quality with a dSLR over a P&S. Anyone who tells you that has no idea what they're talking about. For a beginner, what you do get, is the ability to take photos instantly and in rapid succession. Personally, I've been using a dSLR since 2005 and I wouldn't recommend it for most people, as they don't like the size and won't use it as much as they should.

Although, I haven't played with them in person, you may want to look into a compact mirrorless camera that would allow lens interchangeability (like the Nikon V1.)

http://www.dpreview.com/products/nikon/slrs/nikon_v1

Now, if you wife just wants to look cool and carry around a big dSLR, that's a different story.
Click to expand...
 
Failurbydesign said:
There is nothing about looking cool :cool:, we have had multiple p&s and we don't like the quality. Plus im only looking to spend 600-700 on an intro dslr since it will be for a beginner, now if you feel the two cameras that i am looking at are too cheap, please suggest!

That Nikon V1 is pretty sweet, but gotta still bugdet..:D
Click to expand...

I guess what I'm saying is that with a good photographer a P&S will deliver the same quality as a dSLR (except perhaps in some low light situations). The dSLR will allow instant shooting (on to picture being taken in less than 2 sec and 3-10 frames/sec). Those are the biggest differences, not picture quality.

If you're dead-set on a dSLR, I would recommend the D5100 (new) or hit eBay for a used camera. I recently bought a Nikon d50 w/18-135mm lens as a gift for 100 USD shipped and the person loves it as a first dSLR. Also, look at keh.com and they sell used stuff that is well cared for. A Nikon D50 would make an excellent first dSLR because it has the autofocus motor in the camera body, so you can use more and less expensive lenses. They should be than 200 USD on keh.com. In addition, the 50, has the LCD screen with all of the settings on it (unlike the D3000/D5000 series).

If you don't want to buy used for a gift (and believe me, these cameras look new), I'd do the D5100.

Also, check at the Nikon J1 as less expensive option for a V1.

Also also, I wouldn't do a whole new MB/MBP, a simple RAM upgrade and SSD would be better, but may not have the "new" feeling.
 
Okay, so i was able to upgrade her ram to 3gb and swapped in a new 7200 rpm 500gb hd, with a fresh install on lion.. that old macbook runs much better...

So i think ill be going with a camera, i'm leaning towards the Fuji x10 or the Rebel T3! Now for the Rebel T3 at bestbuy has two package deals, they both come with extra lens, a 75-300 or a 55-250. Any pro or cons??
 
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