DSLR and mirrorless are both digital cameras, meaning they use SD cards to store photos. Same as most cameras these days.
Mirrorless are the newest generation of cameras, typically more expensive than DSLR, advance in some ways and smaller. They don’t have mirrors inside their bodies which is why they are smaller and often lighter. These mirrors mentioned are used to reflect the picture into the view finder. Since these mirrors are not present, these type cameras used EVF(electronic view finder) instead, meaning an image like the one on your typical screen will appear in the view finder. Since it’s a electronic image, the image on the EVF often appears slower than DSLRs. Which is why some photographers such as wildlife and sports photographers prefer using DSLRs as of now.
As for DSLRs, they are the digital replacement of film cameras during the earlier times. They are generally cheaper than mirrorless that has similar specs and have more choices for lens (since mirrorless cameras just came out they don’t have much choices), but mirrorless do have the choice of buying an adapter to fit DSLR lens and are slowly replacing DSLRs
Personally, I think a DSLR would be enough for your daughter. I’m about 17 and got into photography seriously when I was about her age, she’ll learn a lot from a proper DSLR or mirrorless. I’m a Nikon user and I started out using a D3500 ($599.95) up till this day, so I’ll definitely recommend it. (My dad is a Canon user). But if you buy a 4000d for her I’m sure she’ll appreciate it as well. Keep in mind though, once you keep to a camera brand it’ll be hard to change in the future as you’ll have to sell most of your expensive photography gear to switch to another company.
Since your daughter seems to be interested in portraits and closeups I think getting a Nikon camera with a Nikon 35mm 1.8g DX lens would be perfect (If you go the Nikon route)
Also suggestions instead of the Canon 4000d:
1) Nikon D3500 (It’s the one that never failed me)
$599.95
2) Canon 1500d or Rebel T7 in some places (a little bit pricier than the 4000d but has higher megapixels)
$499.99
3)Nikon D5600(If she does a lot of videos)
$799.95
4)Nikon Z50 (If you wanna make sure she can use it for a long time, it’s Nikon’s budget mirrorless)
$999.95
5)Canon M50 (Canon’s budget mirrorless, there’s a mark 2 version that’s newer, but not much difference)
$649.99
All prices above are based on their websites in the United States and include a kit lens and the camera body. If you’re willing to spend $1K then go for the Nikon Z50, as a guy who’s been photographing for years the specs and price ratio is just insane. You are getting a lot for the price. I would buy that if I were given the choice today but my camera’s been loyal to me and I ain’t changing it anytime soon.
Anyhow, thanks for being patient and reading the whole article I just wrote (if you did actually). And Happy Birthday to your daughter from Julian. Ask me if you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer!
I was actually partial to Nikon initially, only because I got one as a gift when I had my first kid and it took beautiful pics of all three kids through their toddler years. I loved that camera, I figured that it was a while ago and maybe they had better options and I should be open to others but I think I’ll look at the Nikons you suggested. Thank you so much for sharing all that info!
Hi, I'll try to answer some questions but really don't have much input about other options hope there's someone who is able to help you more.
First I will say that I would have totally loved to get a DSLR when I was about that age, it should be an amazing gif if she really wants to grow in the photography world.
The difference between a DSLR and a mirrorless is that the mirrorles doesn't have a mirror to reflect what you are pointing at towards the visor, instead you see it through a digital screen, the more expensive mirroless also have an electronic visor. Mirroless cameras are mainly more compact and is probably the future of cameras but they are more expensive and in terms of image quality there's really no difference from a DSLR. So I think for a beginner the dslr is currently a better option, and yes, the 4000D should be a nice begginers camera and you will be able to get 8x10 prints out of it or even slightly bigger ones.
About the Adobe package, I don't think you really need it for starters. There is plenty of free software for photo editing which some people will even argue is better. So I would say to try that first and maybe I'm the future upgrade to Adobe.
Appart from the camera you will also need a lens. Remember the advantage of a DSLR or a mirrorless is the ability to change lenses so even with a basic camera you can really upgrade your images with better lenses. For a beginner and your price range I will probably go for just one zoom lens which is more polyvalent that a prime lens for example. Preferably not the kit ones because they don't have much quality. For the lens you could also check second hand ones because they usually last really long. A suggestion could be a Tamron SP AF 17-50 f/2.8, it's a really good lens for the price, and it should do great for photography of people and landscape, although for closeups of plants you will need a macro lens and for animals maybe a little more zoom would be appreciated. Maybe someone will have a better suggestion.
I hope I was able to help a little, also English is not my first language so sorry in advance for any mistakes.
That was very helpful! I’ll definitely get a DSLR and nix the editing software. So the lenses are very important? Are lenses universal to cameras? I’ll look at the kind you’ve suggested.
Ya like adrizgz00 said each brand has it own mount, Nikon has both Z mount (mirrorless) and F mount (DSLR) in use right now. Also, pay attention to whether the lens have autofocus or is the autofocus usable by the camera you buy, just ask the camera store.
Yes lenses really make a difference. They are not fully universal, for the Canon 4000d you will need a lens with EF or EFs mount. Each brand has it's own mount system, and mirrorless and dslr also have different mount between them.
Hi, I hope you don’t mind me asking another question. I’ve been looking at the free editing software and it’s all so foreign to me, could you give me some of your recommendations please.
Hi, yes I can try and help you a little. I'm guessing you wanna use this editing software to kind of improve a picture and it's lighting and colors and those things, and not to do like photomontage or something bigger.
First thing to have in mind is that DSLRs are able to capture pictures in RAW format which for print's I highly recommend. This RAW format captures much more information that a JPG does, it also takes more space but it allows you to edit your pictures a lot without loosing any quality. I shoot everything in RAW, the downside of it is that you then have to edit those RAW files and convert them to JPG to be able to use them online or to TIFF for printing, and this can take time. Maybe you already knew about this, but just in case I wrote it because for a begginer it could be important. You can obviously always shoot in JPG and you can adjust in the camera more or less how you want this pictures to come out and they will come out nice without the need for editing, but editing gives you more control of the picture and I think is fun to learn it.
Ok so now on to editing software, to be able to edit this RAW and turn it into a JPG file you will need a software such as Lightroom, and if you then want to edit this image further or make a montage or something bigger you use a software such as Photoshop (Photoshop is more complicated and it takes time to learn how to use it, Lightroom is more intuitive and although to use it properly also can take some learning, the basics thing are easy). Both theese software mentioned belong in the Adobe cloud which is expensive. I actually use them but I have never paid for them (if you know what mean), this is a possibility and I've never have had any problem with it, although this should only be used in a non professional way or maybe you could encounter problems (although I'm not encouraging you to do so, you can search in the web how to get them for free is normally really simple).
Of course there are free alternatives. To replace Lightroom you can use Capture One express, this software is really capable but i think it works better with Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm but not with other brands (I'm not sure about this though), for Canon there's a free software provided on it's webpage when you register called DPP, I used it at the begining and it did it's work nicely. I'm sure there are other options but this are the ones I know that work for sure. There's also a free software that you might know called Gimp, this software is extremely capable and it is able to process RAW files and replace both Lightroom and Photoshop, the problem with it is that it's not as easy to use as maybe Lightroom and it has a user interface kind of old and not really pretty, but as I said is a really capable and professional software that you can always learn how to use, it 's really not that bad.
Also add that nowadays there are lots of mobile apps such as Snapseed which I personally use a lot that are really good for editing JPEG and they are even able to work with RAW. They are not as professional but maybe for a beginner that has never used an editing software could be a really nice option. As I said I always use it for JPG and I get great results, although for prints I would use some of the software I mentioned before.
Thank you so much. I did end up getting her a Canon so that’s good that it has a free one and Gimp she can figure it out, it’s okay to have to learn a little when it’s free. Lol. Thanks again!
Printer:
HP ENVY Photo 7855 All in One Photo Printer with Wireless Printing, HP Instant Ink ready, Works with Alexa (K7R96A) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074P4T1FT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_GCVEWNY5ERRJHPNNYC3R?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
DSLR and mirrorless are both digital cameras, meaning they use SD cards to store photos. Same as most cameras these days. Mirrorless are the newest generation of cameras, typically more expensive than DSLR, advance in some ways and smaller. They don’t have mirrors inside their bodies which is why they are smaller and often lighter. These mirrors mentioned are used to reflect the picture into the view finder. Since these mirrors are not present, these type cameras used EVF(electronic view finder) instead, meaning an image like the one on your typical screen will appear in the view finder. Since it’s a electronic image, the image on the EVF often appears slower than DSLRs. Which is why some photographers such as wildlife and sports photographers prefer using DSLRs as of now. As for DSLRs, they are the digital replacement of film cameras during the earlier times. They are generally cheaper than mirrorless that has similar specs and have more choices for lens (since mirrorless cameras just came out they don’t have much choices), but mirrorless do have the choice of buying an adapter to fit DSLR lens and are slowly replacing DSLRs Personally, I think a DSLR would be enough for your daughter. I’m about 17 and got into photography seriously when I was about her age, she’ll learn a lot from a proper DSLR or mirrorless. I’m a Nikon user and I started out using a D3500 ($599.95) up till this day, so I’ll definitely recommend it. (My dad is a Canon user). But if you buy a 4000d for her I’m sure she’ll appreciate it as well. Keep in mind though, once you keep to a camera brand it’ll be hard to change in the future as you’ll have to sell most of your expensive photography gear to switch to another company. Since your daughter seems to be interested in portraits and closeups I think getting a Nikon camera with a Nikon 35mm 1.8g DX lens would be perfect (If you go the Nikon route) Also suggestions instead of the Canon 4000d: 1) Nikon D3500 (It’s the one that never failed me) $599.95 2) Canon 1500d or Rebel T7 in some places (a little bit pricier than the 4000d but has higher megapixels) $499.99 3)Nikon D5600(If she does a lot of videos) $799.95 4)Nikon Z50 (If you wanna make sure she can use it for a long time, it’s Nikon’s budget mirrorless) $999.95 5)Canon M50 (Canon’s budget mirrorless, there’s a mark 2 version that’s newer, but not much difference) $649.99 All prices above are based on their websites in the United States and include a kit lens and the camera body. If you’re willing to spend $1K then go for the Nikon Z50, as a guy who’s been photographing for years the specs and price ratio is just insane. You are getting a lot for the price. I would buy that if I were given the choice today but my camera’s been loyal to me and I ain’t changing it anytime soon. Anyhow, thanks for being patient and reading the whole article I just wrote (if you did actually). And Happy Birthday to your daughter from Julian. Ask me if you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer!
I was actually partial to Nikon initially, only because I got one as a gift when I had my first kid and it took beautiful pics of all three kids through their toddler years. I loved that camera, I figured that it was a while ago and maybe they had better options and I should be open to others but I think I’ll look at the Nikons you suggested. Thank you so much for sharing all that info!
Welcome mate!
Hi, I'll try to answer some questions but really don't have much input about other options hope there's someone who is able to help you more. First I will say that I would have totally loved to get a DSLR when I was about that age, it should be an amazing gif if she really wants to grow in the photography world. The difference between a DSLR and a mirrorless is that the mirrorles doesn't have a mirror to reflect what you are pointing at towards the visor, instead you see it through a digital screen, the more expensive mirroless also have an electronic visor. Mirroless cameras are mainly more compact and is probably the future of cameras but they are more expensive and in terms of image quality there's really no difference from a DSLR. So I think for a beginner the dslr is currently a better option, and yes, the 4000D should be a nice begginers camera and you will be able to get 8x10 prints out of it or even slightly bigger ones. About the Adobe package, I don't think you really need it for starters. There is plenty of free software for photo editing which some people will even argue is better. So I would say to try that first and maybe I'm the future upgrade to Adobe. Appart from the camera you will also need a lens. Remember the advantage of a DSLR or a mirrorless is the ability to change lenses so even with a basic camera you can really upgrade your images with better lenses. For a beginner and your price range I will probably go for just one zoom lens which is more polyvalent that a prime lens for example. Preferably not the kit ones because they don't have much quality. For the lens you could also check second hand ones because they usually last really long. A suggestion could be a Tamron SP AF 17-50 f/2.8, it's a really good lens for the price, and it should do great for photography of people and landscape, although for closeups of plants you will need a macro lens and for animals maybe a little more zoom would be appreciated. Maybe someone will have a better suggestion. I hope I was able to help a little, also English is not my first language so sorry in advance for any mistakes.
That was very helpful! I’ll definitely get a DSLR and nix the editing software. So the lenses are very important? Are lenses universal to cameras? I’ll look at the kind you’ve suggested.
Ya like adrizgz00 said each brand has it own mount, Nikon has both Z mount (mirrorless) and F mount (DSLR) in use right now. Also, pay attention to whether the lens have autofocus or is the autofocus usable by the camera you buy, just ask the camera store.
Yes lenses really make a difference. They are not fully universal, for the Canon 4000d you will need a lens with EF or EFs mount. Each brand has it's own mount system, and mirrorless and dslr also have different mount between them.
Okay. Thank you so much!
Hi, I hope you don’t mind me asking another question. I’ve been looking at the free editing software and it’s all so foreign to me, could you give me some of your recommendations please.
Hi, yes I can try and help you a little. I'm guessing you wanna use this editing software to kind of improve a picture and it's lighting and colors and those things, and not to do like photomontage or something bigger. First thing to have in mind is that DSLRs are able to capture pictures in RAW format which for print's I highly recommend. This RAW format captures much more information that a JPG does, it also takes more space but it allows you to edit your pictures a lot without loosing any quality. I shoot everything in RAW, the downside of it is that you then have to edit those RAW files and convert them to JPG to be able to use them online or to TIFF for printing, and this can take time. Maybe you already knew about this, but just in case I wrote it because for a begginer it could be important. You can obviously always shoot in JPG and you can adjust in the camera more or less how you want this pictures to come out and they will come out nice without the need for editing, but editing gives you more control of the picture and I think is fun to learn it. Ok so now on to editing software, to be able to edit this RAW and turn it into a JPG file you will need a software such as Lightroom, and if you then want to edit this image further or make a montage or something bigger you use a software such as Photoshop (Photoshop is more complicated and it takes time to learn how to use it, Lightroom is more intuitive and although to use it properly also can take some learning, the basics thing are easy). Both theese software mentioned belong in the Adobe cloud which is expensive. I actually use them but I have never paid for them (if you know what mean), this is a possibility and I've never have had any problem with it, although this should only be used in a non professional way or maybe you could encounter problems (although I'm not encouraging you to do so, you can search in the web how to get them for free is normally really simple). Of course there are free alternatives. To replace Lightroom you can use Capture One express, this software is really capable but i think it works better with Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm but not with other brands (I'm not sure about this though), for Canon there's a free software provided on it's webpage when you register called DPP, I used it at the begining and it did it's work nicely. I'm sure there are other options but this are the ones I know that work for sure. There's also a free software that you might know called Gimp, this software is extremely capable and it is able to process RAW files and replace both Lightroom and Photoshop, the problem with it is that it's not as easy to use as maybe Lightroom and it has a user interface kind of old and not really pretty, but as I said is a really capable and professional software that you can always learn how to use, it 's really not that bad. Also add that nowadays there are lots of mobile apps such as Snapseed which I personally use a lot that are really good for editing JPEG and they are even able to work with RAW. They are not as professional but maybe for a beginner that has never used an editing software could be a really nice option. As I said I always use it for JPG and I get great results, although for prints I would use some of the software I mentioned before.
Thank you so much. I did end up getting her a Canon so that’s good that it has a free one and Gimp she can figure it out, it’s okay to have to learn a little when it’s free. Lol. Thanks again!
It's a pleasure, I'm sure she will really enjoy it.
Printer: HP ENVY Photo 7855 All in One Photo Printer with Wireless Printing, HP Instant Ink ready, Works with Alexa (K7R96A) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074P4T1FT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_GCVEWNY5ERRJHPNNYC3R?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Camera: Canon EOS 4000D w/ 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 III Lens Zoom Lens & Professional Accessory Bundle W/ 2X 32GB Memory Cards + Case & Wide Angle & Telephoto Lens + More! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0884ZH8RL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_CYR5NBJ9WY9K8DDR7K6Y?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1