Which digital camera would you recommend for students?

I

iubprof

Newbie
Local time
8:19 PM
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Messages
5
View My Gallery
Hi All in this Forum

I am teaching university classes that target visual literacy including image making in the context of digital technologies.

I need to recommend a digital camera/tripod purchase to my students, within student budgets.

I think the minimal requirements are raw mode files, some kind of manual focus and exposure control, and the camera needs to have a tripod mount and place to mount a spirit level if an electronic one is not provided.

Since my own Leica equipment is far too expensive for students, I don't know what to recommend to them, as I have little experience with less expensive equipment. I did have a Ricoh GRD for a while which I liked a lot, but the Ricoh GRD III might still be a little much for many students. Perhaps it is the least expensive option that does all of the above? Do you folks know?

Any suggestions from this wonderful community would be very welcome.

Thanks!
 
I'm not sure what a "student budget" is now days. Also do they need interchangable lenses?

One suggestion is a camera something like the FujiFilm cameras that look like DSLR units but have a stationary lens with long zooms, many options, and very good image processors.

I don't have a catalog here but a friend bought one for about $200 and I think it is a model S2800HD with 14mpg.

Here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...=aps&hvadid=7755047625&ref=pd_sl_79n3dozs5v_e

Other manufacturers make similar units.

Or they could go to KEH and by a used unit. I recently bought an Olympus DSLR 520 with lens for $330.

Something like that would be my suggestion.
 
Last edited:
I would say a camera that can be put into full manual control (M) with independent control of shutter speed and Aperture would be the minimum.
 
I think it is always safe to not give a particular model, but a general description of the camera you expect. When I started in school for photography 20 years ago or so, they would just say a fully manual SLR was a must. Most people already had this lying around somewhere. It didn't matter the brand, just that it fit that description. Of course that description doesn't fit today as much, but you get the idea. Perhaps you have to allow people to use what is commonly found in their homes... i.e. P&S / DSLR cameras.
 
Couldn't you have them use whatever they have, including cell phones? It seems like now things like iPhoneography and images instantly created and distributed via Twitter, Flickr and Instagram are the contemporary way of making images and would make an interesting course. Just a thought.
 
I teach photography at a liberal arts college and I recommend the cheapest DSLR from Nikon or Canon. Pentax or Sony would be fine too. With the kit lens. Since there are new models being introduced all the time, I just look on dpreview, or have them do it. For those who need to save money, they can get something like a Nikon D70, D100, D50 or D40 used at KEH.
 
Interesting question. I have been generally pondering the same for a course I'll teach next year--and I used to be on the faculty at IU (so I have a sense for the student body). I understand this is not for photography majors--and is for grad students. Thus, I'd recommend a camera that permits manual exposure and focus (as you said) and costs a max of $250. (For a similar undergrad course, I'd let them use whatever they want.) Someone said you should just recommend specs, but not specific cameras. For photography majors, I'd agree. For other majors (e.g., informatics), I disagree. Give specs AND some specific cameras, or the camera selection and puchasing process will become a nightmare. Regrettably. I don't have any particular models in mind, but others certainly will.
 
Go with a used Canon 20D or a Nikon D80, 70/s, D40/60/3000, D50 or D100 (in that order). 6-10mp should be plenty. Most of the cameras can be had for under $200 (which is about what most kids were paying when I took film classes about 7 or 8 years ago). The basic kit lenses are under $100 each and are pretty good, and 50's are the same price. Avoid the D30, D60 and 10D from the Canon side, as they don't take the EF-s lenses. Any of the various Canon Rebels would be fine, as well.

Just make a DSLR the requirement (and mention buying used), and you should be fine. I wouldn't bother with P&S cameras.

As for a tripod, have them go to Walmart and get a cheap one. If they're serious, they'll eventually get something better, but for now, it should be alright.
 
Last edited:
Nikon D3100.

Can be had with an 18-55mm kit lens that is AF, provides metering and all, but can also take all Nikkor SLR lenses, pre-AI, AI, AIs, AF. Has manual focusing and will not have metering in manual with pre-AI, AI and AIs. With newer AF lenses it will meter but focus will still be manual. In the case of using AF-lenses it allows for aperture-priority as well as shutter-priority.

Provides 14MP CMOS RAW, can shoot film, is light and small and cheap.

I have been using one for the last two weeks and love it. I shoot an 28/2.8 Panagor Pre-AI, a 58/1.4 Nikkor Pre-AI and a 105/2.5 Nikkor Pre-AI with it.

Older non-AF lenses can be picked up for a song and it takes any SLR Nikkor lens with the exception of the very wides, that jam against the mirror. Has both an OVF and LiveView.

Very versatile, great image quality, not too expensive anymore. Suppose the D5100 etc is a similar camera, see DPReview.com on other models of the series.

Wholeheartedly recommended!
 
give a non-arts grad/uni student a dslr and most will shut down.

if you want them to learn look for something simple and just let them go for out of the camera jpegs. let them figure out how to take a picture, get it on the computer and share it first, then teach them a desire to learn about making a good photo.

BASIC mechanics, how to look at pictures, and the ability to take criticism on their photos.

that would be my curriculum.

I mean, I go to a very highly rated grad program and I gotta tell you, 95% of the kids here are mechanical only. very smart, but some of the least curious people I've ever met in my life. putting something in front of them that will take a high degree of self learning is unlikely to end well for you IMO.

it's true, you will have some people like me in your classes but they will be a huge minority. I learned how to take pictures on a meterless om-1. I blew through something like 25 rolls of film in my first week just learning how to operate the damn thing and expose it properly. it's just not going to happen with most of your students.

let the more advanced mechanics come to those who want to learn them. let the knowledge of how to take a good photograph come to those who want to learn. lead the horse, dont try to make it drink.

or something like that.

besides the s90 is still 300 dollars -_-
 
What I would suggest the students to get is a referb Nikon D40s/D60. Do not get any current lenses but rather get an old Nikkor 24/2.8 and 50/1.4. That will give them a effective 35/75 combo which will help them learn perspective.

While the lenses will focus correctly there is no coupling for exposure which is not a bad thing. They can either use a hand held meter or learn to shoot the way many of us do without a meter. Now the Nikon has the ability to show the picture and a histogram after the picture is taken so that they can actually use that to see how there exposure is. With this approach they will learn about exposure and perhaps depth of field.

If you want them to have something longer get an old 105/2.5 a very fine lens that can be found at a good price. You can also get an old bellows unit for the camera and put the lenses on it for macro work.

This setup should:
Not cost an arm and a leg.
Will avoid zoom lenses which IMHO are not the best to learn with
Is small enough to carry everywhere
Provide the quality of images they will want to produce
Be resellable if they want to get rid of it at the end
Provide them two kick-butt lenses if they want to go film (all they need to add is a 105/2.5)

While I love my GRD if you want them to learn exposure and depth of field this is not the camera.

B2
 
Pablito said:
I teach photography at a liberal arts college and I recommend the cheapest DSLR from Nikon or Canon. Pentax or Sony would be fine too. With the kit lens. Since there are new models being introduced all the time, I just look on dpreview, or have them do it. For those who need to save money, they can get something like a Nikon D70, D100, D50 or D40 used at KEH.
Click to expand...

+1. Any of these would be great. I could not sell my D70+18-70 so I ended up giving it away (with less than 4000 actuations) to a friend who is now having a lot of fun with it.

Scott
 
There are a lot of fine Nikon D70s and later cameras that still have a lot of life left. Most of the early digital Canon Rebels have broken but the Nikons are still working ;-)

I much rather see people using a DSLR than a compact, especially for learning purposes.

The Nikon D70 is particularly good because you can use the older AIS lenses, unlike a lot of the later entry-level DSLR cameras. I think it also has a nicer pentaprism than the D40-D60, 3100, etc. better for manual focusing. Get a $150 D70 and a $60 50/1.8 AIS lens....
 
Digicams mostly suck (although many will output RAW files) due to the almost-infinite depth of field and lack of manual controls. Realistically, you're looking at a cheap DSLR. I would stick to Nikon as they have stuck to the same mechanical lens mount over the years, so you can buy cheap old AIS manual focus lenses.

Personally (for shallow DOF when required) I'd only want a full-frame body like the D700 but that will be way outside a student budget, sadly, so you'll need new wide-angles or old super wide-angles because of the crop factor.
 
Are your kids studying photography or images? If they are studying the how-to's of photography, a fully adjustable camera, and RAW mode are indispensable. On the other hand, if they are learning about the use of images, then I agree with redisburning when he suggests that students who are not photographers will not want to deal with the technical side of photography. Look into the current use of smart phone cameras. That is what students have and use.

iubprof said:
Hi All in this Forum

I am teaching university classes that target visual literacy including image making in the context of digital technologies.

I need to recommend a digital camera/tripod purchase to my students, within student budgets.

I think the minimal requirements are raw mode files, some kind of manual focus and exposure control, and the camera needs to have a tripod mount and place to mount a spirit level if an electronic one is not provided.

Since my own Leica equipment is far too expensive for students, I don't know what to recommend to them, as I have little experience with less expensive equipment. I did have a Ricoh GRD for a while which I liked a lot, but the Ricoh GRD III might still be a little much for many students. Perhaps it is the least expensive option that does all of the above? Do you folks know?

Any suggestions from this wonderful community would be very welcome.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

lxforrest
A DIY retro digital camera project - Blog #1 Origin of an idea
Replies
0
Views
263
lxforrest
lxforrest
Jamie Pillers
One camera, one lens?
2 3
Replies
48
Views
2K
38Deardorff
38Deardorff
lxforrest
A DIY retro digital camera project - Blog #9 First ever shutter lag testing for screen-free digital camera
Replies
9
Views
313
shawn
S
caila77
Which camera made you fall in love with photography?
4 5 6
Replies
111
Views
8K
underlord
underlord
8
Want Would You Say Are Sharp 35mm Films?
2 3
Replies
49
Views
4K
Freakscene
Freakscene
Back
Top Bottom