<p>Son is taking Digital Photography next semester. It is a required course for his major. The professor sent out an email with the following information.
Student needs to provide their own camera. Camera should have manual exposure controls and RAW image file format.
Does anyone have a camera suggestions. I am not a camera person. I have a Sony cybershot and don’t know if my camera can do those things. The professor did not give any idea what sort or price range of camera is necessary. I am hoping we can buy him something that is not expensive.</p>
<p>What do you mean by “not expensive?” If the professor is talking about a digital SLR, you can get something like a Canon Digital Rebel for around $500.</p>
<p>mom60, the features the professor mentioned are found on digital SLRs, not on the “soapbar” cameras. Hut is right, your best bet would be one of the lower end SLR Canons or Nikons. Any mentioning of lenses? Those tend to be the major expense.</p>
<p>Why doesn’t S ask the prof for suggestions? Most profs can be reached thru e-mail even during the holidays.</p>
<p>I second NSM’s suggestion about e-mailing the professor. Compared to humanities, art classes tend to be very expensive because of the supplies and equipment costs! There should have been a warning attached to the description of this calss: “You are going to be out of big $$$”! One of our kids had to get an SLR camera (film) for her HS photography class. The $200 used camera is collecting dust somewhere… I suggest looking at specialized camera stores (in our area, that would be Cameras West, Kenmore Camera, etc.), they sometimes sell used equipment that people trade in to get discounts on newer models.</p>
<p>As long as professor did not specifically say that a DSLR is required, it probably isn’t. THere are MANY mid-price digital cameras that have manual controls. These certainly are available on names you are familiar with- Canon, Nikon etc. and an excellent camera can be had for considerably less than a DSLR. I believe some come with RAW capabilities now too. That may be a bit more difficult to find than the manual controls, but it’s easy to check. There are many digital photography and camera sites, here’s a couple to get you started. Do a bit of research so you have an idea of what you want when you go to shop.
[Steve’s</a> Digicams - Main Menu](<a href=“DVD Talk Forum”>DVD Talk Forum)</p>
<p>[Digital</a> Camera Help](<a href=“IPhoto Walks - Camera Help For Beginners And Beyond”>IPhoto Walks - Camera Help For Beginners And Beyond)</p>
<p>[Digital</a> Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ](<a href=“http://www.dpreview.com/]Digital”>http://www.dpreview.com/)</p>
<p>RAW is going to take a lot of memory.
I bought my D a DSLR for graduation- but she is an experienced photographer.</p>
<p>I think it is a Nikon D 40
[Digital</a> Cameras - A beginner’s guide - photo.net](<a href=“http://photo.net/equipment/digital/basics/]Digital”>http://photo.net/equipment/digital/basics/)</p>
<p>We have gotten great deals from B & H in NYC- online, also RitzCamera.</p>
<p>( a friend from Brooklyn calls B & H when she is homesick, it is run by Hassidic Jews, but B & H, doesn’t actually stand for beards and hats, but for the owners initials)</p>
<p>I didn’t even know what RAW was, so I found this interesting and informative article that claims you can find point and shoot cameras (relatively cheap) that have the feature:</p>
<p>[NYIP</a> - RAW Image Format - Learn How to Use RAW Format to the Most of Its Abilities, Even with Your Point-An](<a href=“http://www.nyip.com/ezine/digital/cameraraw.html]NYIP”>http://www.nyip.com/ezine/digital/cameraraw.html)</p>
<p>I just bought TODAY, for my wife to give me 
, a $99 fuji camera. 8 mp and small enough to fit in my shirt pocket. (Ritz Camera) Amazing what you can get today for $100.</p>
<p>What is your son’s major? I’m assuming it’s not photography, or he would already be equipped. If it’s graphic design, or other design major (is he learning photoshop?), it may not be worth it to buy a $500 digital SLR camera until he knows what he’s doing. (and these things have a way of multiplying costs – lenses, camera body, etc.) Some of the point and shoot cameras do have manual settings (where you can set the shutter speed and aperture opening yourself, rather than the camera doing it automatically). Probably, your best bet is to buy a used digital SLR. Photographers are always upgrading, so there are a lot of nice used cameras around.</p>
<p>bela
His major is Graphic Design. I have asked him to email the professor for more details. I hope we are not talking a 400-500 dollar camera.</p>
<p>Both S and I have Nikon D 40 cameras, and both of us love them.</p>
<p>My DD is taking Photography as part of her BFA. She was instructed to get a Nikkon D-40.
I checked with a family friend who is a documentarian, photographer and writer and was told the Nikkon has an advantage as the lenses are interchangeable as you upgrade the “box” you dont loose your inventory of various lenses.
Nikkon has a price setting agreement and anti competitive anti american policy and all D-40 are advertised at $449 with instant rebate. Go into the store and barter. I got $419 for a full kit and lense attachment, full guarantee. DD, the artist, is totally thrilled with the quality.</p>
<p>TheresaCPA- thank you. He is also planning on a BFA. As much as I hate it I think we might end up getting the Nikon D-40 or the Canon G10. I think they are about the same price. I am having him email the prof before we actually buy anything. Luckily I had not really bought him any holiday gifts. I was not planning on spending $500 dollars on him!</p>
<p>Iam thinking about starting a thread for camera bags next.
My daughter plans on traveling through parts of the world, where you don’t necessarily want to advertise that you have enough camera equipment to raise a family for a year.</p>
<p>I like the crumpler bags- haven’t bought one yet though</p>
<p>I kinda think a DSLR, is a huge step for someone who doesn’t have an SLR or even compact
camera though.</p>
<p>The course requirements seem pretty specific: manual controls and raw. Unfortunately, buying new, does mean in the range of $400-500. If that is what you need to do, I would recommend the Canon G10. There are other options but they will be about the same cost. The best option would be to buy used, maybe from a student who had the same problem when they took the course. </p>
<p>Photography can be an expensive hobby. Camera bodies become obsolete within 2-3 years. It is true that good DSLR lenses can be used for years, but good lenses are expensive. The “kit” lenses that come with introductory models are usually not worth much. Medium quality lenses can be considered an “investment” but they are usually in the price range of $400-$1000 or more.</p>
<p>A Canon G10 is about $400 (on Amazon, may be cheaper elsewhere). A Digital Rebel XS is a bit under $5000. The G10 is a nice compact camera, but it doesn’t have interchangeable lenses. I have a Canon 20D DSLR which I like very much, and have had good luck with some (relatively) inexpensive lenses from Tamron.</p>
<p>D has a requirement at Parsons for a digital camera, this one…</p>
<p>[PowerShot</a> A590 Digital Camera](<a href=“http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=183&modelid=16336]PowerShot”>http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=183&modelid=16336)</p>
<p>I don’t know what RAW is, but D loves this camera and its features (for the money) can hardly be beat.</p>
<p>I have the “upgrade” to “justaMom’s” D’s camera, PowerShot A720 IS, which I bought in the spring to replace its predecessor (which I had dropped and broken). I also have an earlier edition of the Digital Rebel, which more and more stays in the closet as I have gotten spoiled by convenience and light weight. With either of these cameras, you can shoot everything in “auto” or, as your experience level and curiosity increases, you can learn about the manual controls. THe main advantage to the A720 over the A590 is that it has greater optical zoom. I am a bit disappointed with the battery life and the shutter lag following flash use, but otherwise love this little camera. However, I am pretty sure there is no raw option. I enjoy tinkering a bit with my photos, but I have never used RAW on the DSLR. For my purposes (and I suspect for the vast majority of us) I am happy without. But, I am not taking a course which requires it! Just wanted to second "justamom"s suggestion for a reasonably priced very capable camera that is easily portable as well as learnable and gets great results!</p>
<p>One additional tip–if you want to use the camera to take any kind of action photos (like sports), you pretty much need an SLR. The others lag too much–unless they’ve greatly improved recently.</p>
<p>If it is any consolation on the cost, my son is a bio major and had to buy a text book last semester that was over $300! And after he is done with the class, he probably won’t even look at it again. At least a camera is something he can use for quite some time after he is done with his class.</p>