How would U choose a camera 4 your wife? (hsbnd)

My question deals with beginning, not simply what's excellent. My wife would like to try photography, but I am not sure which path to follow. At first, I thought maybe she could borrow a 3rd body if I get one, like a Canon 80D / M5. But she clarified wanting her own camera in case I'm out hiking or exploring. Also, I recalled starting years ago with a Canon SX 10 IS and enjoying the basics of that when I started. My wife doesn't like complexity. Tends to "hate" computers, but is willing to learn in bite size. Over the years, for any of you who have watched wives or husbands successfully get started, can you recall things that may help me sort through a decision?

My wife is 60, and not a techno person. She may share a few pics on Facebook, but I'm pretty sure she won't find Wifi, GPS or interconnectivity of interest. Her phone is for calls and texts. She uses the internet via laptop only. She also said she doesn't want to take portraits of photos of people. Mainly other stuff like scenery, plants, animals, etc..

If you have helped others choose, what sort of questions do you find useful to ask to narrow-down the selection?

I would ask her, "what would want a camera to do that your smartphone can't." With this information, I would then be able to explain the additional complexity tradeoffs involved and help her make the best choice accordingly.

The new Iphone 8plus or Samsung Note 8 - both have very good cameras

For my wife whose tech inclinations are similar to yours I asked her to choose by size and feel among some decent point and shoot models at a big box store that I usually avoid like the plague.

If we'd had texkam's good advice it would have saved us some time wasted considering only small models that might be carried full time in a purse. Once we figured in the phone, she choose an SX530 because she liked it.

For a shooter who is not going to worry about details, I think the most important question is "Do you like it?"

I just let my wife shoot one of mine. I taught her how to put it to the green box and make sure the lens was in AF and IS. Simple enough so that she doens't have to fiddle with things and the quality is way better than a phone camera.

mdvaden wrote in post #18474678
My wife doesn't like complexity. Tends to "hate" computers, but is willing to learn in bite size.

AZGeorge wrote in post #18474716
choose . . . among some decent point and shoot models at a big box store

I agree with AZGeorge's idea. Starting from zero with a DSLR means having to learn too much at once. But go to a camera store where the staff actually knows something about the merchandise and can explain the pros and cons of different models to a novice.

My assumption would be that you want to stay within a certain product line as you already have lenses to use. Second, who the heck comes up with the nonsense of a DSLR is too much to learn at once? There is auto mode, Av, TV, manual, etc. You go at your own pace.

The biggest deciding factor for me when I got into it was how the body felt in my hands. Nikon had a smaller body and I have large hands so it didn't feel right and felt cramped. I settled on a Canon T3i. Then I got hold of a 5DII and it fit way better and now I got my 1Dx and it is perfect.

I have to agree with the above. A DSLR can be just as easy to shoot as a PS camera on full auto. Point, focus, click. The real difference is a DSLR can also be taken out of full auto and every little parameter controlled.

wallstreetoneil wrote in post #18474708
The new Iphone 8plus or Samsung Note 8 - both have very good cameras

We're thinking more along the lines of more real camera ability. For example, if my wife wanted to photograph some ducks in the middle of a big pond, she'd need a drone to fly an iphone closer. The severe limitations of phones is why I've never used one for my forest photos over the past 10 years or so. Just too many limitations.

I tried an SX260HS and G15 for my wife. She remains happy with her Samsung cell phone for photo.

AZGeorge wrote in post #18474716
For my wife whose tech inclinations are similar to yours I asked her to choose by size and feel among some decent point and shoot models at a big box store that I usually avoid like the plague.

If we'd had texkam's good advice it would have saved us some time wasted considering only small models that might be carried full time in a purse. Once we figured in the phone, she choose an SX530 because she liked it.

For a shooter who is not going to worry about details, I think the most important question is "Do you like it?"

That's in the ballpark of a couple I showed her online today.

Amidst browsing, the question of RAW vs. JPG came to mind. I started with JPG only, then went RAW years later.

I'm wondering if RAW from point and shoots will mean much.

mdvaden wrote in post #18474928
That's in the ballpark of a couple I showed her online today.

Amidst browsing, the question of RAW vs. JPG came to mind. I started with JPG only, then went RAW years later.

I'm wondering if RAW from point and shoots will mean much.

I tried processing some raws from the G15. Not worth the trouble.

mdvaden wrote in post #18474678
My question deals with beginning, not simply what's excellent. My wife would like to try photography, but I am not sure which path to follow. At first, I thought maybe she could borrow a 3rd body if I get one, like a Canon 80D / M5. But she clarified wanting her own camera in case I'm out hiking or exploring. Also, I recalled starting years ago with a Canon SX 10 IS and enjoying the basics of that when I started. My wife doesn't like complexity. Tends to "hate" computers, but is willing to learn in bite size. Over the years, for any of you who have watched wives or husbands successfully get started, can you recall things that may help me sort through a decision?

My wife is 60, and not a techno person. She may share a few pics on Facebook, but I'm pretty sure she won't find Wifi, GPS or interconnectivity of interest. Her phone is for calls and texts. She uses the internet via laptop only. She also said she doesn't want to take portraits of photos of people. Mainly other stuff like scenery, plants, animals, etc..

If you have helped others choose, what sort of questions do you find useful to ask to narrow-down the selection?

You can do great photography with a cellphone. This is one of the first hurdles to get over, w hen approaching "doing photography." Photography doesn't mean "get a big dSLR because its higher quality." Snapshots from a dSLR that are poor are still poor images. Go take a look at some of the images in the 5DIV, 1DXII threads, etc. A $5k camera can still be used to make a bad photograph and sadly there are always snapshots in these threads from amazing cameras that are just a brick wall, a faucet, random stuff inside their house, just playing with the camera and posting it as a photograph. Not trying to be rude, but it's just an example. My point is that getting a big great camera doesn't automatically enter one into the state of mind of doing photography and the art & skill of creating a photograph.

So if your wife is really looking to create photographs, with purpose, not just snapshot everything and sift through later and not edit or process or care to do much more than that, then keep it super simple, a cellphone can be great for this, so can a very simple P&S, or a friendly smaller compact of some kind. It also greatly matters what she wants to shoot. It's not always fun for someone to walk around with a huge dSLR and huge lens and feel out of place while trying to be creative, or maybe it's just heavy. Ergonomics and weight matter.

I'd look into a camera that has a decent JPG engine and can be nice in full automatic mode with an LCD and some smaller, but nice lens options.

Maybe consider a Fuji EX1 and a pancake lens like the 27mm F2.8 or the 18mm F2. Small. Handsome. Easy. Nice JPGs.

Or the M5 or M6 and share glass with you.

My lady wanted to do photography and started with a dSLR (Canon XSi + 40mm F2.8 STM & 85mm F1.8 & 18-55mm) and prime lenses. Too much bother to always charge batteries, check settings, know what the buttons even are. Stopped using it. Got a Canon S100. Used that one once. Cellphone was as good, in her hands, as the S100. Couldn't be bothered with using settings and understanding the stuff. It was more than just a P&S from the early 2000's. Got the EOS-M. Tried that, with the LCD, touch screen. This worked more often. She used it more. Left it in A+ and just pointed it at things (the kid) and was taking photos. But, remembering to charge batteries and stuff, that's always the killer. She's using her cellphone still. She doesn't forget to charge it. She doesn't have to set anything. It's WYSIWYG on the LCD and can be rapidly edited/shared without havign to process to touch a computer, ever. The cellphone wins.

Very best,

Back in the day my wife started out by 'borrowing' my 5Dii with whatever lens it had on it, shooting it either in green box or aperture priority ... particularly if that was how it was set up when I last put it down. She enjoyed shooting people and had a much more engaging way with them than I have ever had ... she would get really good shots, sometimes not with the very best composition but, since she decided early to get in close with her photographs, that often didn't matter so much.

But the 5Dii is heavy and there were two of us wanting to use it. She wanted something easier to carry around and a bit less obtrusive. We settled on the SL1, which I bought her as a present with the EF-S 18-55 IS and EF-S 55-250 IS, two batteries and a case. That was a great success. It was taken everywhere, mostly with the 18-55 on it but with the 55-250 getting use at outdoor shows and events ... mostly in green box mode but, again, some aperture priority here and there. Batteries were kept charged. I wasn't allowed anywhere near it. You give a gift ... you don't get to have it given back.

I have some good photographs and some great memories courtesy of that camera.

mdvaden wrote in post #18474928
. . . I'm wondering if RAW from point and shoots will mean much.

Opinions vary. For me, it's a big deal.

I am my (smart and beautiful) wife's digital darkroom. I'm happy her camera produces RAW. On her own she would be JPG all the way. When friends provide a JPG for "fixing" I always ask if they happen to have whatever RAW format their camera can produce.

In general, I think some shooters who do not want to fuss with digits, pixels and capture settings can capture better images than those of us who know and use all the technical stuff. Cams that produce both RAW and JPG seem to be about ideal. JGP's can quickly be used and the RAW used to produce a print for the wall.

Perhaps it's going a bit overboard, but it seems to me that RAW capture and the processing options it allows or enhances is one the defining differences between a good phone image and one produced by a single-purpose camera. Many phones can produce great images, but that takes great luck or high skill.