Best low cost easy to use SLR digital camera
 

Looking to get better photos than an iPhone but not looking to take over from Scuvallo (although, he does meet some nice girls). Looking in the mid $200s with a wide to maybe 135 mm zoom. Could settle for a wide to 85mm
There is a dizzying array of availables, thought I would ask the brain trust here. When I was serious about photography Canon and Nikon were the show, Pentax a distant 3rd.

Now?

No affiliation: https://kenrockwell.com/

I read his site 12 years ago and ended up with a Nikon D40... It's still going. Haven't really felt the need to upgrade.

Though these days he's recommending Canon a bit more.

Canon and Nikon still have the best glass out there if that matters, and sounds like it does if you want better than what a newish iPhone can do.

I would argue no "dslr." That implies a moving mirror. Rather, look at mirrorless digital or point and shoot.

My wife is all in on canon. Great stuff. I have a tiny Ricoh GR. A one trick pony.

Go to Costco or similar and see what name brand is in your price range.

An aside, the iPhone can take GREAT pictures. There is some serious mojo in there.

IMHO you can't go wrong with Nikon or Cannon thou I hear good things about Sony and Fuji.

At that price point you may not get interchangeable lens (unless you buy used).

Be aware that the mm rating on digital lens is not the same as film cameras.

I got a Nikon D80 kit (bag and two lenses) off CL for $200, I upgraded to a D7200.

If anyone is interested in the D80 PM me, it was supposed to be a hand me down to my wife but she hasn't touched it in over a year.

I also studied https://kenrockwell.com/ before buying

Not an expert by any means, but i would suggest that you check out a used camera store and pick up a few. I quickly discovered that i preferred the shape of the canon grips. The rest of the specs are so similar it probably doesn't matter which brand you choose.

PM sent....

I've got a Nikon Coolpix that I bought at Costco. It has worked great for me.

I am using a sony alpha 6000 (mirrorless). Has been great and offers flexibility of manual modes plus a bunch of “auto” options.
Nice size and form factor also.

At mid $200 price range you will be looking at a used dlsr. Arguments over brands are more about the glass rather than the body - and glass gets spendy really fast. A few years back I bought a used D5100 with the kit lens, bag, memory cards, and HDMI cable for $250 off CL. My previous SLR was a Nikon FM (manual) shooting 35mm film so I understand the basics about F/stop and shutter. That said there are thousands of settings on a modern dlsr to monkey with and admittedly I just don't have the time to play with it. So with that, I will be totally honest here, my wife's iPhone X, provides much nicer pictures than I can manage with my dlsr. Frustrating ;)

me too. Sony a6000. not too spendy, not too big, extra lenses in a bundle pack.
More settings than I will ever use. :eek:

Simple answer, either Nikon or Canon. I find the Canon menus easier to use and more logical. Either one has an infinite supply of lenses from cheap to so expensive you can only lease them.

It is a slippery slope. The advanced enthusiasts dream of pro gear. A full frame sensor make images look a lot better, and way less noise. Buy one that is used. Lots of people with deep pockets want the latest and greatest, and they sell their older gear and get the bleeding edge.

Just read the camera forums and check out the number of cycles, or how many pictures has it taken. Don't buy one with too many snaps.

Enjoy.

And as a P.S. buy and learn the full version of Photoshop. It is the de-facto standard. It is not that much money, and can make magic happen.