Dslr for a newbie

A friend of mine asked me if I can find a secondhand camera (gbp 250,00) for her doughter. It will be her first camera.
What do you suggest? For that budget Is better a Pentax, like K-r (or something else), or a canikon (much easier to sell if she would not like the photography)?
Could you help me?

My recommendation for a first DSLR would be to spend less than £250 and get a K-x. Absolutely superb camera that you can buy in good condition for about £150 or even less.

This was my first DSLR and I have owned four of them, two of which are in the possession of my two sons! The sensor on the K-x (12.3mp) is great, especially in low light and almost equals a K-5 for low light performance.

I don't have one to sell, but I'm sure you could easily find a good example.

Regards
David

Agree 100%
The kx produces excellent photos and is so easy to use. It's small,
light and robust (and is available in variouse colours!) I have the Kx and K5, and it's true about the low light performance.

Excellent camera!

Agree with the above but at the moment I think a new K500 at SRS is the current bargain at £298 body only....

link

I do wonder though if a camera without viewfinder focus indicators is really ideal for someone new and keen to learn about good photography? It seems to me that without this feature it would be fairly difficult to develop any autofocus skills.

I'm sure the camera is excellent for what it offers - how does the sensor compare to a k50?

Pentax Kr every single time, Still one of my all time favorite cameras and the camera that made my mind up to stay with Pentax,

You can pick these up for around the £120-£150 mark body only then you have over £100 to buy the Pentax 35mm f2.4, If she is new to photography and wants to learn, this package is as good as it gets for the money and sticking with the Pentax brand.

Another vote for the K-x. Takes great pictures, and for a first DSLR is a great learning tool. I agree that the lack of autofocus indicators is a nuisance, but it's not a big problem. If you set it to use centre point AF (which I tend to mostly use anyway) then it's much less of an issue.

Never had a Kx as I had a Kr and would recommend a Kr for someone new.

You're trying to second guess the capabilities and learning ability of someone you don't even know?

It always seems strange to me why people do this.


IMO I think it's down to budget, which was specified at around £250.

I would disagree on that assumption. Pentax cams sell well on ebay, you'd have no problem shifting it for a good price if she didn't take to snapping

Difficult to know without talking to the daughter, but if she's anything like mine, I'd carve out some of that budget for a WiFi card or buy a WiFi enabled camera. Connectivity and sharing photographs is really important to my (17 year old) daughter so a camera that can't do that will be left at home after the novelty has worn off, whereas the cameraphone will be used.

This is described as a "first camera" rather than 'first serious camera" in which case I think some reflection on whether a dSLR is necessarily the right way to go is also worth having. Wildcard...Pentax Q (or micro Four Thirds). Or buy an MX-1 at the really good close out prices they're available for now.

K-x every time with a kit lens and a bunch of manual lenses to play with. Still under £200 total.
The lack of focus lights is only a miner nuisance if you're used to better stuff.
I sold mine but couldn't resist buying another a bit later! Easily holds it's own against the K5 for every-day photography.

The K100 D was my starter and still have it however with the new menu systems in the Kr and newer cameras probably the Kr would be my choice if she wants to stay with Pentax.

Ian

I'd recommend the K-x too. The display of focus points is a double edged sword. So many think that when one illuminates that the subject is in focus. Which is of course incorrect. The green hexagon indicates in focus, just as it did on the SF7 and SFX when people managed without focus point displays.

Just use centre point and recompose. If it served the likes of myself, Alistair Prentice and David Storm for wildlife pictures, I'm sure it'll cope with general photography

So could you set centre-focus point on the K500?