My mother-in-law wants to use up her air miles before they expire and decided she could get my wife and I a camera. We were told we could choose one of the following cameras: Sony A68 Nikon D3400 Pentax S-2S Canon EOS Rebel T5 18-55mm IS II Kit Canon EOS Rebel T6i 18-55mm IS STM Kit Our camera experience up to now has been a little point and shoots in full auto mode. We would most likely use the camera for kids birthdays, Christmas, etc. I've reviewed the options through various sites and came to the conclusion, I don't know enough about cameras know which will suit me best. Does any one have any recommendations for a novice?
Can't say about the Sony, Nikon or Pentax but if it came down to a choice between the Canons I would go for the T6i (750D over here) partly because as it's a newer model but mostly because the lens it comes with is much better (the 18-55 STM is way better than the IS II). Are you sure that the other options come with lenses?
They are all good cameras but I would go for the Sony A68 because of the backward compatibility with old Minolta Alpha lenses and the in-camera image stabilization and the 79 focus points.
Shortly after I post my question I hear that Air Miles has backed down on the expiration reward points. Luck for me, my mother-in-law still wants to give us the camera. Thanks for the feedback. I have been trying to check to see what lenses each camera comes with, but I don't have access to the rewards page so far this is all I have: Sony A68 Nikon D3400 18-55mm VR lens kit Pentax S-2S 18-55mm Canon EOS Rebel T5 18-55mm IS II Kit Canon EOS Rebel T6i 18-55mm IS STM Kit So it looks like the Sony might be without a lens. One other question, ignoring the list is there any camera you'd strongly recommend to a novice?
Theoretically, the Sony A68 should come with a 18-55 as well. Now about your other question, there is a truckload of cameras that could be recommended, be digital or analogue. These days you can pretty much grab anything from Olympus to Nikon, even Samsung manufacture good cameras. You could also get an older dSLR for peanuts on ebay and learn on it before deciding whether or not you want to invest more money.
I've got a Nikon D3200 and it'd make a fantastic entry-level camera, so I'd put in a vote for the D3400. I'm sure the Canons are also very good however the T6i will likely be more advanced. Sarting out in photography is like anything else - you will learn quicker by doing.
I am coming to the conclusion that I might as well draw a number from a hat than try a select between these cameras. I have noted a couple feature that seem like they might help be decision makers but they also might be pointless for me. Does pentaprism vs pentamirror viewfinder really matter? Or is that a feature that only experiance photographers care about? Is a weather-sealed body and lenses worth considering?
A pentaprism should give you a brighter viewfinder. That and the 100% viewfinder coverage is a feature of the Pentax K-S2. I also like the K-S2 weatherproofing. I have a Pentax K-3 II and weatherproofing gives me the confidence to keep shooting when the weather takes a turn. Where the Pentax models sometimes fall behind the competition is in autofocus and less choice in modern lenses (although you get an endless selection of K mount lenses stretching back for years). That being said any of the camera systems from any of the manufacturers should give you enough choice to cater for you needs but I can understand why genuine pros go for Canon/Nikon.
Thank you all for your recommendations. I think I'll go with the Cannon T6i as it probably will best serve me and my wife for photos (and movies) of the family.
