advice on camera for daughter for college

[Dave Anton]

I think that if your daughter wants to start off with a nikon, then nikon it is. i think that this would be a better choice, especially if she wants to get into fashion. I beleive that a 35mm will allow her to explore ideas faster (and cheaper than MF or LF). As far as the camera being autmatic, i think that it should at least come with auto exposure, if not autofocus. I have seen many contact sheets from students using manual mode with old 35mm cameras and having their exposure vary wildly throughout the roll. Because they don't have the experiance for a reference in exposure, they will spend 2-3 semesters with the same problem. With a reliable built in meter and the camera set on "program" the exposures will be more consistent. As she developes more experiance (and understand how her TTL meter works) she can deviate from regular readings to produce her desired effect. I have found this to be the quickest way to learn. A good second hand nikon with a fast flach sync will last a long time. MF might be introduced when image quality begins to interfere with her 35mm work. And as far as digital is concerned, film scanners are a standard in today's schools. This will give her excellent digital results. I beleive the most important factor should be that she doesn't feel trapped with her camera. she should feel free to explore her ideas with it. I hope this helps. Dave.

[Dave Anton]

My response given above was supposed to be split into paragraphs, but for some reason it didn't show up like that?! I hope it still makes sense?!

[Jacque Staskon]

This response is coming from someone who has been an instructor of college age students since 1984, so take it with a grain of salt. She will only be required to use a 135mm camera and a 50 mm lens. She will want all the bells and whistles. Figure out what your budget will be. Take her to the local camera store, let her play with what she wants and what you can afford. Remind her that part of her assignments will be focusing manually, setting apertures, shutter speeds and the like. If she has auto everything, she will learn nothing about photography and everything about gadgets. In the past several of my students (mostly women) have come into class with Rebel "g's" or something similar and have found that they cannot do the assignments. They cannot control the ISO settings, use infrared film, or get depth of field preview. All important aspects of beginning photo and advanced photo. These same students have traded in their newer auto everything slr's for used manual slr's. The things that are important for a beginner is. Shutter control Aperture control, focus control, ISO control, self timer, depth of field control, (so they can control their focus and aperture more effectively). These are the assignments she will get. Hopefully her instructor will make her slow down a bit, and learn photography, not point and shoot work. Also lead her to a camera that she feels comfortable with. Her hands may be too small for a Nikon F2 but just right for a Pentax ME. Make sure that she can see the entire viewfinder. All the lights and arrows are important. Her 35mm camera must be able to become a part of her, an extension of her vision,not yours, if it is too large or small it will stay a thing and not a friend. Remember the cost of accessories and lenses as well. The reason the 50mm lens is so important to start with, it makes the student work for the composition. Improves their view, style, and confidence. Just a thought. j

[Oliver Sharp]

I definitely concur with the previous posters who suggested that you talk to the school first. I'm taking a studio class at SVA, and it is a mix of large format (which we borrow from the school) and smaller format shooting (using any camera we own). The students mostly use 35mm but a couple of us shoot medium format. It doesn't really matter, frankly. A couple things to think about:

(1) if you shoot in the studio, you don't need auto-anything.

(2) you DO NEED a PC socket to connect to the strobes - a couple people didn't have them in their auto-whizbang cameras, and they couldn't shoot any pictures that day. Oops.

(3) gear gets banged around a bit when you have many people and heavy lighting gear in the same small space. Keep to simple and sturdy stuff.

(4) zooms are not necessary in the studio, though they are always convenient.

In my opinion, an ideal starter outfit for studio fashion is something like a Nikon FM2 with a 105mm lens (1.8, 2.5, 2.8 macro lenses all work fine). Tough, simple, easy to use, not too expensive, and capable of producing top-quality results. This setup will allow you to take most of the pictures that you see in current fashion magazines and will last for decades. Opinions will vary widely and there are perfectly good choices from every major manufacturer, but I do think it's worthwhile to get a fast fixed lens in the 85-105 range - there is a reason that this is the classic portrait lens.

I love medium format but I wouldn't recommend buying anything like that for your daughter right away. Get her something that won't be in the way so she can learn how to shoot first before fussing over the gear.

Cheers.

[alan dale]

all this palaver is entertaining, but I suspect you should just contact the instructor. At my school, we were required to have a 35mm camera and a tripod was a good idea. The rest was availible to be checked out for use.

[Fender]

I agree with the ask the instructor advise, but I'll also add my 2 cents in here.

My daughter took a photography class her senior year of college and asked me for a camera. Her instructor specificly asked the class to bring a manually controlled camera. I had a Minolta SRT MCII, which is a great manual everything camera with needle match metering and a nice 50mm lens. I had the camera CLA'ed for around $75.00 and sent it off to her. Her instructor used it as an example of what she wanted everyone to use in terms of manual control.

She learned a lot about what different shutter speed / aperature settings would do for her. She now uses a Nikon N2002 which she keeps in aperature priorty mode most of the time. It is very rewarding to see the work she has produced and to be able to discuss the how and why of each picture.

Best Regards,