Grandma wants to buy a DSLR camera to take pictures of the number one grandson. Willing to spend up to about $1,500.00. I am sure she will want a 35-120 or so telephoto lens also.

Please offer some recommendations for a camera. Thank you TexAgs.

Is she going to actually learn how to use it to its full capability or just put it in auto mode and point and shoot?

If the latter, the entry level kits from both Canon and Nikon are both stupid good for the money. Have her handle both and pick whichever one is more intuitive to use including going through the menus.

Now, if you don't think hauling a camera bag and changing lenses is going to be her thing then get a Sony RX100 II or later version.

Definitely don't spend that kind of cash if she is just going to put it in auto mode. Any point and shoot will suit her well in that regard.

If you are going to start learning photography and shoot in raw, aperature/SS priority, or even manual, then $1500 will buy you a decent non-crop sensor body. Add another $1500 for a decent lens and you will be in great shape.

I shoot Nikon, but the new mirrorless, full frame Sony's are small, compact and shoots incredibly good pictures.

"Save a little more and get a"...D500. /OB

In all seriousness, if it's a hobby she wants to take seriously then by all means spend more but if just staying in auto modes a mirror less will also take great pictures.

Paging GuitarSoup...

I'm really happy with my GH4 thus far. Lenses are plentiful, and I'm really loving being able to shoot 4k video and pull stills from it. I paid right at 1400$ from B&H with a little sigma prime, and got a 200$ gift card. If you like the Nikon lenses, they make and adapter for them. It's also about half the weight of the bigger bodies.


I know it's a different recommendation, but I really like it, and like the vidoe functions for stills. GS may have another opinion entirely, but I'm really happy with it.

Dubi has a rocking Canon 70d and an L series 24-105. The body was an open box model that brought it line with the price wise. The lens was an ex-Guitarsoup lens in excellent condition. The total was right at $1500.

The Canon T6s is essentially the consumer version of the 70d. If you can't spring for the 70d, get the T6s, I understand they have the same sensor and processor.

I can't speak for Nikon, but they have a bigger lens selection and the bodies are backwards compatible to the older Nikon lens.

Canon 70d with 18-135 STM lens $1299 (not an L series lens, but good all around nonetheless

I like Nikon, but any entry level in Nikon or canon dslr is good. I like dslr over point and shoot, even if all you do is auto because of lens flexibility.

For what you want to do, there is certainly no reason to spend $1.5k. And unless she will making extremely large prints or really getting into post-processing, there's no real reason to buy a full-frame camera either. A half-frame (APS-C) camera will do just fine. I just purchased a brand-new Nikon D5300 body for $279 shipped. Something like that, along with a good and fast prime for indoor use and a decent mid- telephoto can be had for much less than your budget. Really - just stick with either a Canon or a Nikon or a Pentax that easily fits your budget. All of them will take great pictures -- it is the photographer that determines just how good those photos are.

That being said - you and her should also consider a mirror-less camera such as the ones from Sony, the brand-new ones from Canon, or the micro 4/3 (aka M43) systems from both Panasonic and Olympus. These are capable of very high image and video quality. Professional photographers are using them now too, as the IQ is so high. The big advantage to these is bulk/weight, or the lack of it to be precise. You can literally half the weight of a half or full-frame setup, and still get the same shots as you would have gotten with the much larger bodies. IMO you at least owe it to yourself to check them out before making a purchase decision. We use Olympus M43, which has image-stabilization built into the body (Panasonic has IS built into the lenses). The Oly OMD-M10 w/kit lens (which unlike most kit lenses is reputed to be quite good) can be had for $399 if you look around (cough cough Amazon cough). The newer M10 II with five-axis stabilization can be had for not much more. Also take a look at the brand-new PL8 that was just introduced earlier this week. It's capabilities are amazing......

the canon 7d mkIV is a great camera for outdoor photography due to its quick shutter speed. Many outdoor and sports photographers use it solely for outdoor shooting. It is a crop frame camera, so it isn't as advantageous for portrait photos as say the 5D or 1D.

I am not as familiar with Nikon, but they also make good stuff. The thing to remember is that you should really choose the camera manufacturer (Nikon vs. Canon) based on the suite of lenses that appeal most to you, as the lenses between the brands are incompatible.

My wife and I have several DSLRs that we have bought over the last 11 years to take pictures of the kids. While they do take great pictures, a SLR camera body and a nice lens are not a 'carry everywhere' reality. In fact, more times than not, we now find ourselves opting for my wife's iPhone 6 Plus most of the time. We will take the DSLRs on vacations and special events (recitals, little league, family reunions, holidays, etc.) but the rest of the time her iPhone takes GREAT point and shoot pics. Plus, 90% of the time, she wants to share the pictures with friends and family. Sharing pics taken from her phone is much simpler than what we have to do to share photos taken with a DSLR.

TLDR: If all she wants to do is point and shoot at close distances, you may want to consider an iPhone camera. If you want a very nice dedicated point and shoot camera, consider the Sony Cyber-shot Rx100, or one in that class.

Otherwise, for DSLRs I can't say enough good things about our Canon gear. We have a Rebel XT, Rebel T3, and a 70D. Besides the kit lenses those bodies came with, we have an L series 24-105 (f/4), and an L series 24-70 (f/2.8) for lower light/indoor shots. We also have a Nikon 1 AW1, that we use when around water dirt/mud.

Last thing: This is a great site for camera research and reviews: www.dpreview.com

Good luck, and congrats on the grand baby!!

Grandma will be putting the camera in auto mode. I forgot to mention she wants WiFi capability.

Thank you for providing great information. Looks like we a good starting point.

What I call my "travel kit" is a 50d (yes they still exist), a 24-70 f2.8L lens, a 580ex2 light and some peripheral gizmos. I get great shots out of that set up. With the first kid on the way, I may finally upgrade to full frame on the body. But for now, the 50d still works great for what I do.

Like others have said, a dedicated point and shoot may cover your needs. If you're going to drop some coin on a dslr set up (or for anything really) dig into some literature on photography basics, composition and lighting. Well composed and properly lit shots on a point and shoot (or even an iPhone) will run circles around poorly executed stuff on a $5000 dslr set up.

And remember to have fun doing it.

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Grandma will be putting the camera in auto mode. I forgot to mention she wants WiFi capability.

Thank you for providing great information. Looks like we a good starting point.

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Good news is that you can add WiFi capability to any digital camera (SLR or point and shoot) with an EyeFi SD Card:
http://www.eyefi.com/

If you want built in WiFi in a DSLR, most of the latest/current models will provide the capability.

Here's the link to a nice review of built in WiFi on one of the best point and shoots available (Sony RX100 Mk III):

There is a very long thread on the Nerdy about this somewhere you might want to search for.

I wouldn't get grandma a DSLR. I would get her a higher end point and shoot. Something like the Canon G-series line.

About 5 years ago, my mom wanted a Canon Rebel. I told her to get the Canon G11 and if she learned to use it's manual features, I would buy her a DSLR and lens. She recently upgraded to the G1X II, which is the top of the line point and shoot for Canon. Never has learned how to use it in manual mode, but there are plenty of things you can do with it.

Grandma is going to be much more likely to carry around a G-series camera than a rebel and the image quality between a low-level DSLR and a top level point and shoot both in automatic mode will be indistinguishable.

We ended up buying a Cannon EOS T6 with two lens and a carrying case from B&H for $599 free shipping and not tax. I feel like I should have taken Guitar Soup's advice, but the little lady insisted on a DSLR.

Thank you again for the great advice. The Outdoor board has never let me down.