$200-$300 budget for DSLR + Lens

Those are both great lenses, esp for the price and esp used.
For sure! They're both here (arrived yesterday), and we just have to get a clear day to go out and test them. The 10-18mm needs a new lens cap, since the old one no longer locks properly into place. And the 55-250 needs a lens hood. Cheap fixes, though!
 
I wouldn't spend too much on the hood.

Unless you are shooting within a few degrees of the primary light source, it won't make a long difference and, in my opinion, significantly degrades the handling of lightweight telephoto lenses.
 
Quick update--all the lenses test out fine. I'm debating upgrading my DSLR body to an A68 but it's not a high priority. She's set with decent lenses now, so we'll have a lot of opportunity to put them to use out west next month.
 
The Canon T3i worked perfectly all through the winter semester and on our vacation in July and August, and was working well in a video class up to about a month ago. Now it seems that after a while, there are two fixed blue spots on the video images, and also some video noise in darker scenes. For the video shoot in this class, they needed two cameras and rented an identical T3i from the AVC, and it worked properly. I tried it on video for maybe 10 minutes or so after it had been on and warmed up, and had no issues. But of course, for the class assignments, the camera is showing the blue spots, and the image is noisier from her camera than the school's T3i.

I'm thinking the sensor has dead pixels, or semi-dead that appear after the camera has been in use for a while. Since I can't yet duplicate the problem, I can't see which conditions are causing it.

I just wonder how much this will take to get it fixed, or if it's even worth fixing. It has worked perfectly up until November.

BTW, she also has a black & white photography course next semester. And this will be on film. So I had to do a crash course on film photography for her. I will let her use my old Minolta gear since it has no resale value to it, and I have a lot of lenses.
 
Last edited:
Are the spots tiny, like individual dead pixels? Do a search in the manual or online for a way to reset the dead-pixel/spot memory if there is one.
 
Are the spots tiny, like individual dead pixels? Do a search in the manual or online for a way to reset the dead-pixel/spot memory if there is one.
I'll have her try that--on the Canon, it involves a manual sensor cleaning for a minute, with the lens removed and the cap on the camera. This locks the mirror up and allows the camera to remap the image sensor. From what I've just read, she likely has "hot pixels" on the camera, which appear when the camera is warmed up. At least it will be ready to go for next semester, if it works. (It might need to be repeated.) Otherwise, we'll have to send it out and get it repaired.
 
I found the procedure to remap the Canon's sensor, but we haven't had time to do it. I'll probably have her stop by later this week so we can give it a try. I am thinking this should cure the problems it is having.

For the film class coming up in the Winter semester, we have our hands on a good, working Nikon N80 with a kit lens (28-80mm). Since it is only for the one semester (that I know of), this will do--we're not looking for ultimate quality here. The big issue I have is that I'm not a Nikon person, and the types of lenses available are confusing. I'd thought of finding a wider angle lens (as they'll be taking a lot of pictures in the city) like the 17-35mm I have for my own cameras, but unless she really gets into film big time, which I doubt, I can't see dumping a hundred or two on a lens that might only be used for a couple of months.

They will also be doing darkroom work, so she's going to have expenses for film and paper. (And I think it is also a B&W class, so it should be very interesting to follow.) What's neat is that while they are a student, they are free to use any of the college's facilities any time they want to, as long as they bring or pay for their own supplies. So she could do darkroom work at any time up until she graduates.
 
That F80 and the 28-80 should be a fine choice.

If she wants something more rewarding to use in manual focus, the 35-70 f3.5 AIs. Spectacular lens and it was my main lens for a while on my F100 back in the day and they are cheap these days as they are just outside of what most folks want that are shooting film to be retro. Not a prime, not a super shallow depth of field. It will work on most non entry level Nikon digital cameras. Basically the Nikon D90 and up.

Another lens that can be found for pretty cheap is the push/pull version of the 80-200 f2.8. It's 95% as good as the current 70-200 in adequate light and can be found for chump change. It will really help take portraits to the next level. It is autofocus but the AF is a bit slow so isn't a great choice for sports type stuff. This is a non-issue for portraits. I've seen them as low as $350 in great condition and $275 with slight drawbacks that shouldn't impact portrait shots.
 
N80 is a very capable film camera. Hope she enjoys it.
It seems well maintained, and the shutter fires as expected. We haven't tried it with film yet, as I was hoping to find out what type of film they want her to use in the class, and/or what they have the ability to develop in the lab.

The only odd thing is that the rubberized body is tacky. I'm not sure what to try on that.
That F80 and the 28-80 should be a fine choice.
I think it'll be fine for the class! She was excited to get it, and the camera was one of the top "pro-sumer" cameras they offered. (It's disgusting to see how inexpensive the body goes for these days!)

I just don't know which series of lenses I would even look at. I realize just about all will work, but with it being an AF camera, I'd prefer everything work as it should, with the option to go manual as needed.
 
I gotcha. I just meant that some people want the manual focus experience, esp when shooting film. If that was goal, there are great lenses available at a great price. Most of the lower end AF lenses are pretty difficult to use for manual focus. Their manual focus ability is basically an afterthought.

I think that setup is a great choice for autofocus use!
 
Back
Top Bottom