Cheap camera...with viewfinder?

[Ken g6]

Hi, all,

I'm looking to buy my Mom a cheap-but-decent digital camera for Christmas, to replace one that broke recently. I figure $200 or less should be a good range. I could do more if necessary. Point-and-shoot is fine, and most likely. Detachable lenses aren't a problem, though - she used to be a pro photographer decades ago.

One weird requirement, though: She never got used to viewfinding with a screen. So I'd like it to have a viewfinder. SLR is fine, so long as you put your eye up to the camera. But I don't really expect any SLRs in my price range. Offset optical is also fine, though it would be nice if it zoomed with the camera zoom.

Suggestions?

 

[CuriousMike]

I just googled "point and shoot with viewfinder" ... and a lot of results lie....

The Fujifilm FinePix S8200 did pop up - I don't know anything about it.

I assume all of these will use a super-low-grade EVF for the viewfinder. Eh.

Man, if you could stretch it out (quite a bit) you could enter a real DSLR - something like a refurbished Nikon D3200 would be about $300.
Keep your eyes open for either a Canon or Nikon kit deal in the next few days... yeah, it's $100 more than your stretch goal, but...
1. It's Mom
2. It's a real camera

 

[Ken g6]

Hm, interesting. Thanks, Mike.

Another idea comes to mind. Mom has an old film SLR camera someplace, with some lenses for it. I can't remember the brand, but I think it's Japanese, and I know the lenses screw on - no quick-release. I also notice that the body-only version of the Nikon D3200 refurb is $250. So, what do you think the chances are that those old lenses could be used on the new camera? And I assume an adapter would be less than $60?

 

[CuriousMike]

Using older lenses with newer body can work - but there are caveats that might make it not worthwhile.

You really want to verify what she has first - adapters vary in their ability and Brand A -> Brand B capabilities.

For Nikons earlier lenses, they will invariably mount without an adapter - but you will lose auto-focus and auto-exposure capabilities - it'd be a full manual camera.

I'm not a Canon guy, but I know Canon lenses underwent some change in the 80's - something to consider there.

You can find the typical kit lens for the Nikon ( 18-55 ) for ~ $50 used on CL / eBay. But then you can find the body+lens refurb for similar.

 

[CuriousMike]

FYI, if you have a Fry's - and this pains me because I'm a Nikon Fanboy -- but this canon will be a good deal

 

[CuriousMike]

https://photographylife.com/incredible-deals-on-entry-level-nikon-and-canon-cameras

 

[Ken g6]

No Fry's in Colorado.

It seems like the price range on this thing keeps going up. :hmm: I don't want it to be so expensive that Mom is afraid to take it wherever she goes, for fear of theft or breaking it.

 

[fralexandr]

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/c...m-is-ii-lens-kit-refurbished?WT.mc_id=C126149
refurbished t5 w/ kit lens for $200 free shipping

 

[CuriousMike]

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/c...m-is-ii-lens-kit-refurbished?WT.mc_id=C126149
refurbished t5 w/ kit lens for $200 free shipping

Grab that.

 

[Pocatello]

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/c...m-is-ii-lens-kit-refurbished?WT.mc_id=C126149
refurbished t5 w/ kit lens for $200 free shipping

Canon is giving these away. If I'm in need of a camera, I would buy that.

 

[Ken g6]

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/c...m-is-ii-lens-kit-refurbished?WT.mc_id=C126149
refurbished t5 w/ kit lens for $200 free shipping

After lots of fighting with their website, I finally got this ordered. Thanks, all! :thumbsup:

 

[Muse]

Hm, interesting. Thanks, Mike.

Another idea comes to mind. Mom has an old film SLR camera someplace, with some lenses for it. I can't remember the brand, but I think it's Japanese, and I know the lenses screw on - no quick-release. I also notice that the body-only version of the Nikon D3200 refurb is $250. So, what do you think the chances are that those old lenses could be used on the new camera? And I assume an adapter would be less than $60?

Well, find out what kind of lenses those are. Chances are good you can get a DSLR body that will accept those lenses. Myself, I got a Pentax DSLR and it uses the old Pentax lenses, there are a ton of them out there, it uses other lenses too.

Well, that one ordered is $229 right now, maybe you picked it up for $200.

 

[Ken g6]

Yeah, I jumped on the $200 deal. Having auto-focus and power zoom were kind of important to me. The package should arrive in a couple of days.

 

[ElFenix]

Hm, interesting. Thanks, Mike.

Another idea comes to mind. Mom has an old film SLR camera someplace, with some lenses for it. I can't remember the brand, but I think it's Japanese, and I know the lenses screw on - no quick-release. I also notice that the body-only version of the Nikon D3200 refurb is $250. So, what do you think the chances are that those old lenses could be used on the new camera? And I assume an adapter would be less than $60?

screw mount is most likely a 35+ year old pentax. they'll work on pentax bodies just fine with adapter, and pentax has focus peaking (peeking?) to help with the manual focus. those lenses won't adapt to nikon because the nikon depth from the lens mount to the sensor is too long. iirc, they will adapt to canon. even better, canon's meter runs even when the camera doesn't detect a lens, so the camera will meter and if you set it to aperture priority can shoot in auto exposure (pentax should do the same). but she'd have to manually stop the lens down (there's a switch on the lens to do that) each and every time she wants to take a picture (on pentax this would be auto if it's an auto lens, iirc). so, not an ideal solution by any means. so unless the lenses are exceedingly high quality or odd (high magnification macro lenses and bellows lenses come to mind), it's probably more of a pain in the butt than it's worth.

 

[sdifox]

Hm, interesting. Thanks, Mike.

Another idea comes to mind. Mom has an old film SLR camera someplace, with some lenses for it. I can't remember the brand, but I think it's Japanese, and I know the lenses screw on - no quick-release. I also notice that the body-only version of the Nikon D3200 refurb is $250. So, what do you think the chances are that those old lenses could be used on the new camera? And I assume an adapter would be less than $60?

Chances are the films on the lenses are all gone by now and you have mould growing on the glass. Waste of time.