Upgrade from Nikon Coolpix L340

[IAintAfraidOfNoGoats]

My daughter currently has this camera. She is 15 and this is her first real camera. She has been taking photography classes for some time now. I am looking at upgrading her to something that has more functionality as this only has built in presets and scene functions. I'd like to get some advice on what a good second step option would be for her. Id appreciate any help, direction, advice you could give. Thanks in advance.

[DanK]

It's not possible to give you good advice without knowing more about what her goals are and how she is going to use it. For example, some people are better off with small, more portable cameras. Some need interchangeable lenses; others don't. So the more you can tell us, the more we can narrow it down.

That said, if she wants to learn to be a better photographer, you need something that offers full control--that is, a camera that allows her to control aperture, shutter speed, metering mode, and ISO. There are bridge cameras a step up from what she has that offer these controls, along with a single, non-interchangeable zoom lens. If whatever she wants to learn makes interchangeable lenses a sensible way to go, the major manufacturers offer budget models that are quite capable.

So tell us more...

[rpcrowe]

There is a plethora of used cameras available out there at prices ranging from darn dirt cheap to fairly expensive.

The advantage of a bridge camera is that it comes equipped with a lens - sometimes a fairly good one.

My son-in-law documented his African safari using a Canon SX50HS which can be had used on eBay for between $150 and $200 and the results were excellent.

I have a Godox TT350C flash selling on eBay right not which would match the SX50HS quite nicely... It is in very good shape and the bid is only $20 with $7.85 for shipping.

[Manfred M]

The first question I would have to ask is what limitations your daughter is finding with the Coolpix L340. Unless she finds she is unable to get the types of images she wants, perhaps there is no need to upgrade at this point. The Coolpix is a superzoom camera that is fairly capable.

Your budget and your daughter's interests are going to be a couple of key considerations here. Another important factor will be the key interests she has. If she wants to do portraits, street photography or landscapes, that would tend to lead in one direction. If she wants to do sports, event photography, bird or wildlife, that would be a completely different direction.

In my view one needs a camera that allows the user to select the ISO, shutter speed and aperture is a clear minimum requirement. The focal length range of the lens is another. In addition to the camera, you should also be looking at a tool that will let your daughter do at least some fairly basic editing work; adjusting exposure, straightening the image, correcting colour casts, etc.

If your daughter has been taking photography classes, you might wish to speak with her instructor to see if he / she might have some

[Acorn]

I don't have much experience of using a bridge camera, but the Nikon Coolpix has a good reputation. But perhaps a drawback, especially if you wish to produce big enlargements, is its sensor size - not much larger than the nail on your little finger on which is crammed 20 megapixels.

[DanK]

I think it is worth explaining the point that both Manfred and I made about control. If I read the specs correctly, the L340 is basically a high-end point-and-shoot. It does allow you to select among a bunch of canned postprocessing modes, called "Scene Modes", but beyond that, you just aim and push the shutter. If all one wants is to capture what is in front of you, that's all you need.

However, if your daughter wants to learn how to create images that are more than snapshots, she has to learn the fundamentals and be able to control them. Photos look different when shot at f/4 than when shot at f/16. Getting a good exposure is easy when the lighting is simple, but many times, it requires that you understand how the metering works and how to make the camera get what you want. And so on.

Most people using cameras today are content with capturing images that you can get without that control. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with that. However, before making sensible recommendations for cameras, we need to know which path your daughter wants to take. For the most part, the cameras that are good for the first path aren't good for the second, and vice versa. If she wants to take the latter route, the more information, the better.

I know a number of people who had some reason to move up from a point-and-shoot, say, because of the birth of a child, and didn't think though this question. A number looked at what I and others use and purchased entry-level DSLRs but then ended up using them almost like a point and shoot. They haven't bought a single additional lens, so they have no need whatever for an interchangeable lens camera. They never bought a flash--they use the built-in flash--so they don't need a hot shoe. They would have done perfectly well with something simpler and smaller.

To narrow this down, these might be sensible first questions:
1. which of the two paths above does she want to follow?
2. If the second path, is it likely that she will need additional lenses--e.g., a telephoto lens, or a macro lens?
3. How important is size? Does she want something as big as a DSLR (better ergonomics than really small cameras, IMHO), or something smaller and lighter (easier to lug around, and therefore more likely to be on hand when you need it.)

If she wants the first path, then my first question would be Manfred's: what does she want to do that the current camera, which is designed for that first path, doesn't do well?

If you buy a camera without a clear idea of what she wants it for--no matter how much advice you get from others--you stand a good chance of buying the wrong thing.

[IAintAfraidOfNoGoats]

Lol. I thought I was the one asking the questions?. I appreciate the responses.
First thing I was thinking about getting it as a gift so that's why I wasn't consulting her on what she thought or her teacher either I suppose. So that was the one thing.
As far as reasons to upgrade. She takes good pictures with it now she likes it she knows how to use it. She can get what she wants with the presets usually. But all it has is presets and scene selections for aperture shutter speed and ISO. She can't adjust each individual one or like aperture priority or shutter speed priority or anything like that. And she is learning about it in class so it would be nice to have one with the capability then she could be using what she was learning
As far as what she shoots...nature, architecture,animals, landscapes, some ortrait.

She has asperations of being a professional photographer. She wants to create. Not just point and say oh there's a cute puppy.

[William W]

. . . I was thinking about getting it as a gift . . . She has asperations [sic] of being a professional photographer. She wants to create. Not just point and say oh there's a cute puppy.

If she is passionate about learning Photography and she has high goals in that field, then, I think the best gift a Dad could give her is to print out a gift certificate “One New Camera – with love from Dad XXX” and accompany her through the process of choosing and buying it.

Follow the guidance here apropos the functionality of it being capable of manual control, but there are a million choices and if she is as keen as you describe, then her next camera will be a personal tool: it needs to fit her hand, fit her way of thinking and feel just right for her.

WW

PS - what's your name?

[IAintAfraidOfNoGoats]

If she is passionate about learning Photography and she has high goals in that field, then, I think the best gift a Dad could give her is to print out a gift certificate “One New Camera – with love from Dad XXX” and accompany her through the process of choosing and buying it.

Follow the guidance here apropos the functionality of it being capable of manual control, but there are a million choices and if she is as keen as you describe, then her next camera will be a personal tool: it needs to fit her hand, fit her way of thinking and feel just right for her.

WW

PS - what's your name?

That was actually my very next thought. This is going to be an extension of her creatively. Might need that "just right" feel to it.
That may end up being the ticket. I'm still going to research some of the suggestions that were made.
Thanks for all the replies.
My name is Ryan by the way.

[William W]

'Onya, Ryan.