Im a Senior in high school and im graduating in a couple weeks. Next year im going into collage for photography and im pretty excited!

my parents want to get me a camera for my graduation present and ive been looking through cameras and im not really sure what camera would be a good solid camera that will get me good experience and take better quality photos
please help

Short answer - Nikon D80

Long answer -

OK, I have been looking at cameras for about 3 months now myself. It is like banging your head against the wall. The latest and greatest looks and sounds real good, but then the old (2-4 year old) cameras are a great value. The latest and greatest will be old news long before you graduate college!
So, pick a brand. Buy a $500 or more DSLR in that brand. Then buy lenses that cost as much or more than the camera for each one. :-O
Yep, the camera is the cheap part that goes obsolete very quickly these days. They really are just a little computer with a light sensor attached. The lenses are the valuable part. Professional lenses make professional quality photos and have very good resale value. (in case you change your mind). New cameras lose most of their value very quickly. Further, if you plan to be a professional photographer you will want to buy lenses that will still work when you upgrade to a camera with a full frame sensor (Very Expensive). Some lenses are made for the smaller sensors in the consumer grade cameras and will not work on the cameras with full frame sensors.

Enough ranting I think.
A Cannon or Nikon DSLR in the $500 to $700 range should get you going. If you can afford it, buy the camera body only and a professional grade zoom lense. This will get you better pictures than getting the camera with lense included. The "kit" lenses are always lower quality than the professional lenses.
It is hard to make any kind of specific recomendations because there is an infinate number of options. And it is all a mater of what your specific purposes are.


For specific info on specific cameras and lenses this site is great.
http://www.dpreview.com/

For a good general education from the point of view of a Nikon fanatic try this one. Don't forget it is a blog. Big on opinon light on the facts. Ken Rockwell

Get an early start on your education with
100 steps to improve your photography

Last but not least, Photography makes a great hobby but aparently a very poor profession. As a hobby you get to shoot what you want when you want. As a profession you have a business to run and shoot only what your paid to shoot and on someone elses schedule. Make sure you know what your getting into. Here are two points of view.
how-to-become-a-professional-photographer
how-to-become-a-professional-photographer

Be sure to read the comments people have left after each article.

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS . A P&S (point & shoot)...10MP, 20x optical zoom, 28mm wide, RAW, ISO 3200. ALL MY SHOTS have been with a Canon P&S; SD450, S2 IS and S5 IS. It's tons of fun for a lot less buck per the bang!!

The D80 is a good call, but's a little long in the tooth by now. I'd suggest a D60, or if your parents' budget allow for it, a D90. Either of those two bodies, combined with a zoom lens like a Sigma 18-200 will give you lots of learning opportunities. Then, when and if your career, study, or even interest grows, upgrade to better pro-grade lenses.

Good luck, and congrats on the upcoming graduation :o)

Noah - for the last 18 years, you have been told what to think and how to think. Now you have reached a level in life where you are expected to think for yourself. So tasks like, what to think and how to think have become a confusing challenge. I think like so many millions of individuals, who like you, have gone thru this stage, you will wind-up doing well. Lets get to your question, what to think and how to think about a camera. I dont know about your college standards, but, when my daughter took photography in College, she was required to use a film camera. She was required to keep a log of all her shots and settings. Only near completion of the course, was she allowed to use a digital camera. When she graduated, I of course wanted to purchase her a nice camera. I asked her to think about her activities, and her preferences. As an active person, she preferred a Point and Shoot type camera she could place in her pocket and GO!, and yet generate nice quality photos. A larger Digital SLR was nice, but maybe nicer when she got older and more experienced. A DSLR is more expensive and a larger unit to lug around. I think, that Photography can quickly become an expensive hobby. Before spending a lot of money to purchase what you think you want, I would make sure you have a passion for the hobby and you get enjoyment from it. Otherwise you just have an expensive dust catcher sitting on the shelf. Discover yourself, and determine your style of shooting. Then find the best possible equipment your money can afford, and get off your butt and use it. I have bought a lot of nice equipment for cheap money, from people who acted before they thought. All the above advice you received is good advice. Now you decide what to think and how to think about a new camera. Your parents will be happy, your camera vendor will be happy, we here on CAEDES will all be happy, because you will delight us with photos that are thought of as "good stuff". By the way Congratulations on your Graduation.

I bought my first digital--a Canon Powershot G5 in 2004. In 2008 I bought a Canon 40D with a 300 mm lens and a closer lens. I can assure you, my Powershot takes much better photos than my very expensive one. It's not the camera--it's the person behind the camera. And, if you wish to start off learning composition and light, get a Powershot.
Congratulations on graduating and best of luck with whatever you do. If you want to see my photos with my Powershot (all my Katrina photos are Powershot) go to www.pbase.com/septembermorn.
Coleen Perilloux Landry
New Orleans, LA

I am now using a Nikon D60 with the kit lens (18-55mm) and a zoom lens (55-200mm) and I can't speak highly enough about it. I love it and have taken some of my best pictures with it (though some might say that's for you to say, not me!). However, most people find that Digital SLR cameras are not easy when you first get one. I used a Fuji F31fd for three years first. It's a good point and shoot and, I think, easier to learn the basics on than a DSLR. I loved my Fuji and still have it in the car just in case.

Thanks everyone for the tips
I ended up getting a Canon Rebel T1i i did a some searchin and it's newer and has a lot of good features.

Also thank you for the words on Graduation I just had the ceremony last Saturday and it feels good to be done with.

I agree the Nikon D80 which is the camera I have is a wonderful camera. But, congrads on the Graduation and good luck in college.

What about a Nikon D3000? It's supposed to be the replacement for the D80 but I haven't heard anything about it.

Any idea about the new Panasonic Lyumix G2?