you want to check the camera to make sure it has all the standard settings that a camera should have.
this list contains but is not limited to:
- White Balance
- F-Stop
- ISO
- Shutter Speed
- Macro
- Flash
if it has those basic principles then it should be good for point-shoot photography.
Except that if he wants point and shoot, he should just use a point and shoot. All digital cameras have these things, and on many of them, they're adjustable (even on point and shoots).
Here's a bit of advice from me (I plan to make photography/videography part of my college major); while having a nice camera can help, please remember (and don't let people tell you otherwise) - the quality of the photos you take is almost completely based on the experience and talent of the photographer. Having a nice camera to go along with it is nice, but don't busy your budget on a $2000 one (I know you're not) because you think it'll take better pictures.
You take the pictures, not the camera.
Anyway, in terms of the camera, it's just fine (actually, it's a very popular starter DSLR). If it's new, go ahead and get it. Sometimes the cheaper SLR's are even preferred by professional photographers; the camera I have, a Nikon D50, is an old SLR, yet many people still prefer it over some of the newer, more expensive cameras. What you should really be concerned about is the lens. For shooting the borealis, that lens should be ok, but if you want to shoot small macro objects, you'll only be able to get about 10 inches from the object before losing focus, and if you want to shoot landscape, you'll want to look into a lens with a larger zoom (higher mm rating on the lens).
