Buying advice - with a difference!

tinkerbelluk

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Sorry, I know this has been asked plenty of times before but I'm after some advice.

I should say first of all that I have no idea when it comes to cameras apart from using my trusty point and click compact. My 11 year old has developed quite a keen interest in photography and I've found an online course she can do with Sharp Shots, to help her learn more.

She's currently using her own compact or her phone, but she's looking to ask for a camera for her upcoming birthday. From reading all the blurb, sharp shots recommend a DLSR as this will give the most benefits going forward, but I've confused myself further by reading the newbie thread and wondering if mirrorless would be better?

So basically, I'm looking for advice on what a good camera would be for an 11 year old beginner, but then still be suitable going forward as she learns more as £400 is a lot if I make the wrong choice.

Any advice / guidance you can give would be great
 
Sorry, I know this has been asked plenty of times before but I'm after some advice.

I should say first of all that I have no idea when it comes to cameras apart from using my trusty point and click compact. My 11 year old has developed quite a keen interest in photography and I've found an online course she can do with Sharp Shots, to help her learn more.

She's currently using her own compact or her phone, but she's looking to ask for a camera for her upcoming birthday. From reading all the blurb, sharp shots recommend a DLSR as this will give the most benefits going forward, but I've confused myself further by reading the newbie thread and wondering if mirrorless would be better?

So basically, I'm looking for advice on what a good camera would be for an 11 year old beginner, but then still be suitable going forward as she learns more as £400 is a lot if I make the wrong choice.

Any advice / guidance you can give would be great
It's difficult if you want it to be a surprise as the best advice I can give would be to get your daughter to handle a few cameras and see which she prefers.

The camera market is moving towards mirrorless and whilst DSLRs will be around for quite some time yet I would recommend any new photographer to consider mirrorless as this is where the future lies and most money is being invested by the manufacturers.

The only trouble with this is that mirrorless tend to still be a bit more expensive on the whole.
 
As above - try before you buy is ideal but that may be a challenge at the moment - depends when the birthday is as the shops may be open in April.

In general mirrorless cameras are lighter and smaller than their DSLR cousins but there are exceptions to that. I would favour a mirrorless for an 11yr old as a heavy camera is less likely to be used.

The main thing you need as a beginner to progress is to be able to get control of shutter speed, aperture, ISO and focus. A camera with M/A/S/P modes is a good starting indication.
An interchangeable lens will open up more possibilities to take different kinds of pictures in different light - indoors, outdoors, wildlife and sport etc.

I would suggest a camera with a screen and a viewfinder - but plenty of people are happy with just a screen which is usually cheaper.

Many of us have a mixture of new and used equipment - most camera gear is designed to last for years unlike some other electronics - so you get more for your money that way.
If you buy from places like WEX, MPB, LCE and even CEX you will get a warranty and they check the equipment so you can buy with some confidence. I would (generally) treat eBay/Facebook/Gumtree with caution as there will be duff kit but there are bargains too.

This site indexes popular used camera sites so when you know what you want it may help you find what you want.
usedlens.co.uk

My personal recommendation would be the camera I use :) (which is now very cheap and very capable) - but my recommendation is my bias.
Olympus OM-D E-M10 mark 2 ( sometimes known as OM-D E-M10ii)
and
14-42mm II R or EZ lens.

For example this kit with the cheaper II R lens is £250

There are plenty of other very capable cameras and systems so I'll leave others to make their recommendations.
 
My 13 year old daughter is happy to borrow my Sony A6000 when she needs something that is a step up from her phone as part of her GCSE Art coursework.
They're a bit more than the Olympus mentioned above, but still worth considering, and likewise capable of producing very high quality images.
 
Thanks for all of the amazing advice guys. I've got time, so I'll leave it until places are back open and I can take her for a look and see what she likes etc. Obviously, I may be back with more questions when that happens.
 

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