Is a Canon T90 too much for a beginner?

Question

A friend of a friend is selling his old Canon T90 in good condition with a "50mm f1.4 normal lens", for a super-low price.
I hardly know anything about photography, and am not planning a career or anything serious in it, but I'm interested in learning. Problem is, I can't decide whether to go for this T90 or not.

I've heard the T90 is a great camera. But can I use it as a total beginner, and then "grow" with it? Or is the T90 simply too complex (i.e. I won't have a clue how to start)?

Answer 1

There's no such thing as 'too much' camera ;-)
You can set it to automatic and take manual control bit by bit when and if you get more comfortable with the various features.
The T90 was a fantastic workhorse and the 50m f/1.4 is a seriously good lens for low light photography and a good starter lens for general photography. This setup does have a few downsides compared to modern (digital) cameras however:
* It uses the old FD lens mount. The 50mm f/1.4 and any other lenses you get for it will NOT work on a new Canon SLR (if you ever upgrade). All modern Canons, both film and digital, use the EF lens mount system.
* The T90 doesn't have auto-focus. This doesn't have to be a biggie but AF is standard with all modern cameras.
* Being a film camera, the cheap purchase price will be offset by the cost of film & film development. You'll reach the break even point very rapidly if you shoot a lot! With digital you also get instant feedback with every shot, etc.
* The T90 was introduced in 1986 and if this camera was used a lot it may be close to needing a new shutter. This is a $300 repair. Also, Canon stopped making specific parts for the T90 in 1998.
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In all, this is a very capable camera - it should provide great fun and take beautiful pictures, but I personally wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole... it's too old.
I'd rather get a Canon EOS model or a Nikon so I could use the lenses on their digital models, too.
And if you can spare around $600 you can get a digital SLR kit. Something like the Canon Rebel XT or a Nikon D40, including an auto-focus zoom lens and a memory card. Photography (and learning about photography) is so much more fun when you don't have to worry about the price of every click.