[Scott Douglas]

I knew you guys would have a good list of questions to ask him.

I don't know his budget. Being a new doctor with a growing family, it could be lower than expected or it could be higher than I would have thought possible. I just don't know.

I agree that camera choice is kind of like buying into a family when it comes to lenses.

I'm pretty sure it'll be 35mm film as that is what his dad asked me about initially.

He is a bike racer, so he may like the mechanical side of photography when it comes to cameras.

I've been thinking over what I'd reco based on what I know and I'm thinking of approaching it this way. Buy an automatic camera that will give good results if getting into developing the film is more of what he's after. If he's more into the making of photographs, not just snap shots, get a mechanical camera that doesn't need batteries to operate. Force the need to learn about photography ie the exposure trio, shutter speed/ISO/aperture setting.

Being a guy who loves his digital cameras, I'd try to talk him into getting a Sony RX10 IV. It'd be like getting a whole camera setup with multiple lenses all at once. It could be used to learn photography from the photo end of things but wouldn't include the dark room experience.

I'll let you know if/when I hear from him what he's really after as far as the photo experience goes.