Any camera gurus?
 

Daughter is looking for a decent camera probably a slr one.
This is for her portfolio work on hair styles.
She's looked at Nikon cool pic B500 also cannon & Sony models but 'be not a clue what I'm looking for or what's best etc. Budget around £250 so if anyone does have some suggestions on whi model specs etc are best I'd be grateful.

I am very out of touch on current ranges but, lighting is going to paramount for 'hairstyle shots' The B500 is not an SLR, rather a compact camera within an SLR style body. But crucially the flash is fixed, pointing forward, and that will create an issue with shadows when taking shots. A flash that allows her to 'bounce' (ie point it) it to the ceiling would be highly desirable.

First question is, is she interested in photography and wishes to use the camera for other subjects?

If yes, I fear your budget may not be sufficient, however it is a substantial start, and rather than starting 'cheaper' to see how it goes,only to find you will be spending more than that sooner rather than later to get the level of photography she is looking for. Your budget though will go a long way to something more beneficial. Perhaps £400-£450.

If the answer would be 'no' , my favourite camera is a Samsung WB 250, although it is over 3 years old now. But the articulated flash is quite simply amazing! As well as the other features packed into it, from fully automatic, to fully manual (including focus!) . My own, I have a small piece of blu tac stuck to it always, to allow me to hold the flash back to point upwards (but it is small enough that you can hold it with your shutter finger) See image below

http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...1&d=1472390326

very simple to use, switch it to auto, and off you go, or to the other extreme, completely manual. Even remote control using a smartphone too. Small enough to put into a handbag, and use for nights out too.

Going to the other end of the spectrum, I would want to have an SLR, with an 18-55mm lens, and a separate flashgun. Buying used would be the way to go for this, to keep close to your budget. Something like a Canon 500d or 550dwith kit lens (18-55mm) and get something like a Jessops 360 flashgun to allow for bouncing off the ceiling.

we have a Nikon D3200 which does great pics, around your budget, very easy to use on auto and would still give fab pics for her portfolio

we usually buy our cameras second hand and use the money saved to buy a better lens ;)

I'll just add that the Nikon looks to have no viewfinder which can be a problem shooting outside on bright days. Maybe she just wants to shoot inside so not a problem.

I'm a canon user so I'm going to recommend a 400d or similar as an ideal starter unit. Have a look here
https://www.mpb.com/en-uk/

Thread moved for more specific coverage

I would also recommend a Canon D-SLR (i have a 400D). They are very versatile, and if there is likely to be a growing interest in photography, the lenses are quite cheap and plentiful on the second-hand market.
I would also recommend Olympus models, such as the E500 - if buying used, they are quite a bit cheaper than the Canon equivalent but i have found the lenses to cost a lot more.

Have a look at the Sony alpha range of DSLRs. Often cheaper than the equivalent nikon or canon, but they can produce very nice pics. You could pick up an a200, a couple of lenses and a flash unit for less than £250 if you look around. It'll be more than adequate for starting out.

You can add Nikon, Pentax and a few other manufacturers to that list. It is hard to buy a poor camera these days. A lot depends on how and where she wants to shoot the hairstyles. For a typical portrait the usual method would involve off camera flash. She may not want to get that involved so maybe on camera flash that can bounce of ceiling is ok. She may not want to use flash at all and maybe shoot outside (with or without flash).

Typical focal lengths for a portrait (I guess this is the type of shot she will be looking for) would be 50mm or 85mm or higher, even up to 200mm. But 50mm would be a good starter and is covered by most kit zoom lenses. (full frame equivalent)


Good advice from CLf above



Here is a shot with a 60mm lens on an APS-C sensor (sorry for all the Jargon) with one off camera flash outdoors. I tried this for the first time a few weeks ago so could be better. She is not meant to be modelling hair:} but you can see how the flash has lit her hair and put a catchlight in her eye.

I think this illustrates how much effect lighting can have . This maybe what she wants or maybe she wants not to bother so much with the light.


https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8568/2...510fce2b_c.jpg
Portrait by Paul Stickley, on Flickr