OK, excellent.
The $300 budget does mean that you won't be able to purchase a brand new camera (the least-expensive DSLRs currently on the market start at $450-$500), but you said you were willing to consider refurbished gear, so here is what I would recommend:
Canon Rebel XT body, $215
+ Canon 18-55 zoom lens, $79
Total: $294
You would still need to buy a memory card, but that shouldn't cost you more than $10-$15 and you can get one almost anywhere.
At some point down the road you'll probably want a telephoto zoom lens; I'd recommend one of these:
Canon 70-210 lens, $126
The gear I linked above is not factory refurbished by Canon, but has been tested, cleaned, and has a 6-month warranty from KEH Camera. (I've purchased gear from KEH in the past and have always had good experiences with them. I'm not connected to them in any way; just a happy customer. They are well-known in the photography industry as one of the best and most affordable places to buy pre-owned gear from. I know lots of professional photographers who buy from them.)
I wasn't able to find any Sony gear in your price range, but you can't really go wrong with Canon. I did find a couple of Olympuses that would fit your budget but they're older and not quite as versatile as the Canon above.
The $300 budget does mean that you won't be able to purchase a brand new camera (the least-expensive DSLRs currently on the market start at $450-$500), but you said you were willing to consider refurbished gear, so here is what I would recommend:
Canon Rebel XT body, $215
+ Canon 18-55 zoom lens, $79
Total: $294
You would still need to buy a memory card, but that shouldn't cost you more than $10-$15 and you can get one almost anywhere.
At some point down the road you'll probably want a telephoto zoom lens; I'd recommend one of these:
Canon 70-210 lens, $126
The gear I linked above is not factory refurbished by Canon, but has been tested, cleaned, and has a 6-month warranty from KEH Camera. (I've purchased gear from KEH in the past and have always had good experiences with them. I'm not connected to them in any way; just a happy customer. They are well-known in the photography industry as one of the best and most affordable places to buy pre-owned gear from. I know lots of professional photographers who buy from them.)
I wasn't able to find any Sony gear in your price range, but you can't really go wrong with Canon. I did find a couple of Olympuses that would fit your budget but they're older and not quite as versatile as the Canon above.
MEC407
Moderator:
Pan Am Railways — Boston & Maine/Maine Central — Delaware & Hudson
Central Maine & Quebec/Montreal, Maine & Atlantic/Bangor & Aroostook
Providence & Worcester — New England — GE Locomotives
Moderator:
Pan Am Railways — Boston & Maine/Maine Central — Delaware & Hudson
Central Maine & Quebec/Montreal, Maine & Atlantic/Bangor & Aroostook
Providence & Worcester — New England — GE Locomotives
