My dad wants to buy my mom a new camera for her birthday in November (I trust she won't be reading this post). He wants my advice, and I assume he would prefer to have most everything figured out for him with a simple "Which of these 2 do you like?" to be left with. When I asked about the price range, he said roughly $500-$600, but he could probably go up or down.

Here is where it gets tricky. I was thinking about recommending one of those $500 megazoom point-and-shoots, but I was talking to my mom the other day about her old SLR (a Minolta, I think) and she said that I should invent someway to make a card slot on it (basically make it digital). She likes to have rather good lenses, but doesn't want to shoot film on a regular basis and doesn't want to buy a whole new stock of lenses.

I could recommend the old Digital Rebel from some discount place, which would fit into that price range with no additional lenses besides the kit, or I could find a nice point-and-shoot. If she got the Rebel, then we could exchange memory cards and lenses when I get my 20D, but if she got a point and shoot, she would have it and be done (not have to worry about all the extra gear) with simplicity to spare.

Any advice?

How much would you miss your 20D when your mom borrows it? That 500-600 would go a long way to lens purchases;-)

Ahh, but that would be all the time including out-of-town trips when I would want it with me (sewing conventions, tea parties, ect...). Also, I am not sure I will be able to get it by November. Definately by next summer, but I certainly don't have enough now. *smiles as debt is all paid off*

A little over the price range but how about the Maxxum 7D. Or, perhaps your mom could sell the old body and lens to aquire the Canon lens she would prefer with the Digital Rebel.

A little hard to do for a surprise, but maybe my dad and I could print her out a little certificate of "This! or This!" and see which one she chooses. Good idea. :-)

Her main lens on the Minolta was worth around $450, and I believe that was mainly for zoom capacity. People say that the kit lens 18-55mm is worth very little, but one would think it would be a significant improvement, quality wise, over a lens built into a point-and-shoot camera. If we gave her the kit lens 18-55mm and a mid-telephoto zoom lens, that would satisfy her (and, depending on the price, maybe a 50mm f/1.8 for dark places). I just hope that selling the one and buying the other would break even about $600.

In the meantime, I could ask my dad about the Maxxum 7D, but I doubt he will go for it. Do you think either side would have definite advantages or disadvantages that I should know about?

I am not familiar with Minolta at all...maybe someone here has a bit more in the way of pros and cons. Some point and shoots have superior optics built in. They must perform well between wide angle all the way out to super-telephoto.

The Maxxum 7D is nearly certainly out of reach, but perhaps the 5D would. I think it would be cool to have compatible cameras with my mom (lenses, flashes, and cards combined for family trips), but this will probably work out better for her. The list price for the body alone is $800, which may be a bit much considering she may not want to sell the old film if she can use the same lenses, but it is all up to my dad and what he thinks is wise and convenient. The main question I have now is reguarding the reliability of supercheap sites. Take Digital Liquidators for instance. Is it dangerous to buy the Digital Rebel (for example) for 12.5% less than they are normally sold for?

Call Canon USA and ask to make sure Digital Liquidators is an authorized dealer. If not, don't go there to get burned. 1-800-OK-CANON

This is the thing I hate about camera companies. None of them will break down and share or come up with a interchangable lens system. Olympus is trying to get them to do that. But no one will budge. It would be nice to be able to by a nice little Dig SLR and be able to us your moms lenses. But noooooooooooo" minolta only has one SLR with interchangable lenses a a resonable price. And if you buy one of the more lower cost nikons or canons you need to buy her new lenses. So the only thing I can say it to get her maybe a nikon 8800 or a fuji. they work quite well and are fairly reliable. But if she want to grow go with a canon or nikon and you and your dad can get her lenses over the next few years for the holidays and birthdays.

What about the Maxxum 5D? Isn't that fairly cheap?

Also, I called Canon, and they had no idea who was authorized and who wasn't, they just sell to humoungous distributors and let them do the work.

That would be a good choice.If your father is willing to go a bit higher. But make shure it is compatable with your mothers lenses.

I talked to him in the car today, but I think he was stressed about leaving home late. He said that he thinks digital zoom is a wonderful idea and can't imagine why it isn't very popular, he finds it difficult to believe that anybody would want to share a camera with someone else on a family vacation (ownership of pictures, ect.), and he thought that an SLR maybe unneccessary because they seem too much like nice point-and-shoot cameras. He thinks that a camera that could use her current lenses would be nice, but he doesn't think that they have become main stream (a.k.a. Consumer Reports doesn't rate them regularily), and he refuses to make a point-and-shoot decision just yet because the technology could change before November.

Very negative, yes, but it is amazing how his perspectives change with his mood. I will ask him again when it is tactful.

On the other hand, I have hope if we get her a Rebel after all. I am not sure where we could sell her old lenses and camera if necessary, but my dad said she tends to leave the telephoto on so she can get candid people shots "on their noses". This means that we could get her one of those new compact digital superzoom kits (a 28-300 or something else with a high upper range) that are now getting pretty high rankings. If I show him some facts, results, and ratings, he is persuaded. I just wish he saw DSLR's as mainstream as they are!

I would suggeting directing him to the www,dpreview.com site. They are very much up to date and give multiple owner reports as they come in.

I plan to show him that site as I compare all the cameras (either the Rebel to the Maxxum 5D or the whole line up of point-and-shoot megazooms). Thanks!

Well, I find it hard to believe that Canon USA would give you the cold shoulder as the authorized dealer listr is also available online. Canon Canada was happy to give the information over the phone:-)

I'm with Darryl; I too find it hard to imagine that they would brush you off. I have had nothing but good experiences with them on the phone. Also, Canon Canada and Canon USA both act as their own distributors, selling directly to stores, so I'm thinking the rep you spoke to was either new or really out to lunch...

Both of them? Possibly. :-)

They didn't exactly give me the cold shoulder. The first guy said "I couldn't tell you", but the second guy I talked to for over an hour about cameras and lenses and places to buy them and warranties. Good stuff! He said he didn't know either, but he did give me a personal opinion on the site (which is better than nothing).

Will, what do you think of the whole case? I see 4 options:

1) Buy a $500 superzoom point-and-shoot.
2) Buy the Digital Rebel and a lens.
3) Sell film Minolta and lenses to buy the Digital Rebel and a good lens or two.
4) Buy the Maxxum 5D.

If you (anybody) can think of any other ideas, I am all ears. Thanks! :-)

I might throw the Nikon D50 into there. I haven't really read to much about it, but it is another slr that is fairly cheap. I think its around $1100 or $1200 CND. I have had good times with my D70 so i would think the D50 is probably a pretty decent camera. If i were you i might head over to dpreview and see what they say about it.

I agree with will , I've had no problems with the reps from either canao or nikon when wanting to find out something .

If it gets over $1,000, then there is no way. My dad is the one who complains that DSLR's haven't become mainstream yet, and that just proves his point. :-)

Remember im talking in Canada dollars. The D50 is priced at $864 American according to dpreview. The rebel XT is about the same price i beleive, so i would guess you can buy an rebel 3000d for cheaper, but i would think its getting hard to find unless you buy used. Again, i haven't researched the D50 very much, but its just another thing to keep in mind

for what i understand the D50 is the same as the D70 only less quality on the body, smaller screen, slower focusing, and possibly a smaller CCD but still 6.1Mp

Well, the date is sneaking up fairly quick. My dad has passed on to the point where he doesn't care anymore, but he is giving me a $1,000 budget for the operation. He says he wants me to pick out everything so all he has to do is lay down the plastic.

Mum already has a Minolta 28-80mm f/4-5.6 and a Minolta 70-210mm f/4.5-5.6 as well as a Minolta Program 3500xi flash, but the flash is probably designed for film cameras and the lenses are all pretty beat up (she doesn't even use lens caps on the front end of the lenses in her camera bag!).

The question is, if you had this equipment so far, how would you blow the G? (Please include 1 DSLR of some working variety). Side note: My dad is not bothered by purchasing a camera or any camera gear from the grey market.

Let me rephrase this:

You awake in the middle of a small villiage lying in the street listening to a 2-bit mono pc song. You stand thinking to yourself that you might be named Ansel when a friendly man with an EOS-1D Mark II N around his neck pushes you out of the way of an on-rushing car. He shows breifly instructs you on how to move around and then tells you that you will find $1,000 in your wallet which can be accessed by pressing "W". He walks you to the door of a camera shop, wishes you luck on your quest, and promptly vanishes. You find yourself walking into the shop where you see another friendly looking man, oddly with the same facial features, smiling at you. You decide that he doesn't look that helpful and turn to the shelves. What do you do?

"Sell film Minolta and lenses to buy the Digital Rebel and a good lens or two." Revisions include: Use that cash and the plastic $1000 to uprade to the XT with kit lens:-)

Kit lens meaning the 18-55? I hear she likes to zoom up on people's noses. Perhaps I could skip that and get one of those "Not your daddy's superzoom" lenses, probably Tamron. :-)

A Rebel XT? It is official? Does anyone have any experience with one of Tamron's super-zooms?

Where would be a cheap place or website where I could purchase everything needed to shoot with for exactly $1,000?

Yea I got the Tamron XR 28-300 on my rebel 300D. Great lens.Check out my photo Colors

Update:

Daddy will no longer give me a budget of $1,000 to buy everything. He will give me a $1,000 budget to buy a D-SLR in the most simple-usable setup possible while planning to buy a brand-name longer lens for Christmas. Suppose I opt for a Rebel XT with the 18-55mm and a memory card from B&H, how will that work for her? What longer, yet priced-for-family-photos Canon lens would be a good suggestion? (I can't wait to explain the 1.6x to her!)

Update:

I set up the purchase for a Digital Rebel XT with the 18-55mm kit lens (sorry guys). The kit includes an off-brand spare battery and a 1gb memory card and all the rest of the simple goodies. I also convinced my dad that purchasing the telephoto lens now would be a good idea, so she is getting a Canon 70-300mm IS USM and a PIXMA ip6600D printer to boot. It was that double-triple rebate currently promoted by Canon that pushed him over. I don't know if the telephoto is for Christmas or Birthday, but either way, mom should be happy.

Thanks to all who gave ideas. :-)

hey peoples i just bought the canon 70-300 telephoto it takes awsom photos even though its getting slammed in the reviews.i think your mom will be pleased with it stuffnstuff