You might also consider the pro quality Olympus E-1 dSLRperhaps these days just a little Mp challenged at 5Mp.

Out of production for some years now, but a very ergonomic camera and it's weatherproof/dustproof, quite rugged metal chassis.Riley.

I like to think the bs can never be higher than the ah..

DaveIsHere wrote:.

I am looking to finally make the move from my old Pentax P3n filmcamera to a Digital SLR, but have some specific requirements in mindand was looking for input from the folks here..

What Pentax lenses do you have? Are you acknowledged that current Pentax DSLRs will operate with all lenses you already have for you film Pentax camera?.

The three best options I've found from reading online are:.

Olympus Evolt 510 - best low-light imaging support from what I've read.

Huh, where do you read that? IMHO it is just opposite..

Nikon D80 - Seems to be the most popular all around DSLRNikon D200 - more expensive, but "ruggedized" a bit.

I would also suggest to look at Pentax K10D (weather sealed, image stabilisation, very convenient to use) and Canon 30D..

Edvinas..

Apart frpm the rugged aspect any dslr with a good fast lens can do what you want. What lenses do you have with that Pentax?.

I don't often say this but if at all possible wait a month or so. There's a persistent rumor that a succesor to the D200 will be announced sometime this month. If that is true then you will be able to pick up a D200 for less than it costs now.Don't wait for the Nikon D-whatever, have fun now!http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/..

Any DSLR from a Nikon / Canon / Pentax etc. will give you good pictures and all have comparable learning curves associated with them. The one specific issue you mention that makes a big difference is weatherproofing - for which you should consider the Pentax K10D (comparable in price / performance / facilities to the Nikon D80).Good luckMike..

Howdoes the 30D compare in rugedness to the D200?..

Travelinbri wrote:.

Howdoes the 30D compare in rugedness to the D200?.

Very similar. The 30D has good image quality and excellent dynamic range which would be good for shots that require it. It is behind the times with only 8Mpixel but that is not a big problem..

I would say the best features of the D200/D80 are the ergonomics. They are a pleasure to use. You will get virtually the same picture from a Canon or Pentax but you will not enjoy taking it so much..

There is an expectation that the Canon 30D is about to be replaced as well. So you might get a good rugged camera - D200 or 30D at a very good price if you wait just a while longer. But both cams have already dropped in price quite a bit..

If you are seriously considering the K10D you need to read this:.

Http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/K100D/K100DA.HTM.

As well as the review on this siteChris Elliott.

*Nikon* D Eighty + Fifty - Other equipment in Profile.

Http://PlacidoD.Zenfolio.com/..

Low light - any DSLR will do well in low light, especially compared with film. Don't worry about that..

The cameras come with software that will be fine to start with ( and beyond ), so don't worry about that. There are many alternatives, including some decent free ones. Worry about that later - you'll be covered when you open the box for you initial needs..

Rugged cameras would be the Pentax K10D, Nikon D200 and Canon 30D. The Samsung GX10 is a rebadged K10D. The Fuji S5 has the same body as the Nikon D200..

The D80 is a tough body, but lacks weather sealing, which the K10D and D200 have or just a tough body. I am unsure if the 30D has weather sealing..

Given you have Pentax lenses I would direct you towards the K10D. The K100D is not weather sealed, but the body seems quite tough to me - not like a plastic Canon 400D, for example. Note that older lenses are affected by the sensor size, which is 1.5 times smaller than a 35mm frame. This means that, while your focal lengths remain the same, the FOV is decreased. In effect a 50mm lens on a 35mm camera has a field of view like a 75mm lens on a 35mm camera when used on a DSLR. Initially that will irritate you, but you also get a side ebenfit - the lenses you have are 35mm frame, but the DSLR 'frame' is smaller and hence you get less of the border of the lens, and that usually means you get more of the sweat-spot..

For the K10D I think the kit 16-45 is well respected and gives a nice wide angle ( 24-68 on a 35mm equivalent )..

The Pentax K100D and K10D also have in-body anti-shake, which is quite useful, although not a replacement for a good tripod !.

Wander over to the Pentax SLR forum and see what folks there say - there are plenty of people who have switch from film there too..

The Oly E-510 is a nice camera, however it limits you to the 4/3 system of lenses, and I am not sure if the body is rugged enough for you..

A note on RAW :.

If you plan to shoot in high contrast scenes consider shooting in RAW. That's a shock to the system, perhaps, but don't be intimidated by the concept. On some DSLRs you can shoot RAW+JPEG and even if you shoot RAW alone you can get the JPEG automatically when you sit in front of a PC for a few minutes..

The advantage of RAW is that you can recover otherwise lost low- and highlight detail better. JPEG is quite limited in this respect. Think of RAW as a digital negative - you can keep it and "redevelop" it later if you want. A JPEG is almost like a print, in that, while you can work from it, it is like working from a scan of a print, rather than a negative. I hope that explains it in terms you can relate to..

Processing a RAW is not, in practice, much different from processing a JPEG, except you work from more detailed data which has not already been processed..

StephenG.

Pentax K100DFuji S5200Fuji E900PCLinuxOS..

Edvinas wrote:.

What Pentax lenses do you have? Are you acknowledged that currentPentax DSLRs will operate with all lenses you already have for youfilm Pentax camera?.

I only have a couple of lenses for the Pentax, none of which are super-high quality now, but were decent when I bought then 15-years ago. So I'm not wedded to the lenses. Compatibility is nice, but not something I am factoring into my purchase decision..

Olympus Evolt 510 - best low-light imaging support from what I've read.

Huh, where do you read that? IMHO it is just opposite..

This was my general opinion from reading various reviews online, including on this site, that indicated the 410 and 510 seem to have the best image quality at higher ISO numbers of all the "entry-level" DSLR's..

Nikon D80 - Seems to be the most popular all around DSLRNikon D200 - more expensive, but "ruggedized" a bit.

I would also suggest to look at Pentax K10D (weather sealed, imagestabilisation, very convenient to use) and Canon 30D..

Edvinas.

Thanks for the comments. I had initially disconsidered the K10D because of comments about issues with it's image processing resulting in lost highlight data. My belief was that would cause problems with lower-light shots, but that could be an invalid inference on my part. I had forgotten about K10D's weather-sealing, so I will add it back to the list of possible camera's...

Wijnands wrote:.

I don't often say this but if at all possible wait a month or so.There's a persistent rumor that a succesor to the D200 will beannounced sometime this month. If that is true then you will be ableto pick up a D200 for less than it costs now.Don't wait for the Nikon D-whatever, have fun now!http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/.

I was looking at the D200 because Costco briefly had it on sale last month through their website for a body and 2 lenses for only $1499 (if I remember right). However, it is no longer listed there as a valid option..

Would you recommend the D200 over something like the K10D as a significant-enough improvement to warrant waiting, or spending more? From watching DSLR's the last couple of years, they seem to be like computers. Wait 6 months to a year and a whole new generation of technology is out for the same prices or less. That's one of the reasons I was looking at something like the D200, as theoretically, it will be longer before the base technology is surpassed. And of course, the weather-sealing..

Thanks for the comments...

DaveIsHere wrote:.

Would you recommend the D200 over something like the K10D as asignificant-enough improvement to warrant waiting, or spending more?.

There are very few of us that have first hand up to date experience of more than one system. So most of us have internet "experience" of other makes. Maybe we have greater insight into the strengths and weaknesses of a system as a result of our own camera use, but you will find there is often a sort of tribal loyalty to ones brand..

From watching DSLR's the last couple of years, they seem to be likecomputers. Wait 6 months to a year and a whole new generation oftechnology is out for the same prices or less. That's one of thereasons I was looking at something like the D200, as theoretically,it will be longer before the base technology is surpassed. And ofcourse, the weather-sealing..

There is no exact parallel. In theory you could buy a PC and use the same software for ever and it would be just as efficient as the day you bought it but the reality is that software programs get ever larger and slow down your older PC..

A digital camera is not quite the same. There is no question of replacing the software. Save for minor updates the firmware in your cam remains the same and the camera should work as efficiently in 10 years time as it does now..

The meteoric phase of digicam development is over. I am on my 4th DSLR since 1999 but the gaps between purchases get longer as the pace of technology slows..

Resolution on DSLRs is pretty good. The next holy grail should be dynamic range (Though it may turn out to be high ISO which should be less important). You will get pretty good results with most 10Mpixel DSLRs. Improvments now are often in algorithms and the like in the firmware. You can proof yourself against technological change somewhat by shooting RAW. That way you can use the latest algorithms on that difficult shot taken yesterday to reprocess it in 5 years time..

Chris Elliott.

*Nikon* D Eighty + Fifty - Other equipment in Profile.

Http://PlacidoD.Zenfolio.com/..

So I've gone over many of the excellent comments and had a few more questions:.

I looked at the Pentax K10D after it was suggested, and after reading every review and comment I can find, I think I'm going to eliminate that camera as an option. There seem to be too many questions about lens availability and high noise over ISO 400. It will remain as my "last ditch" option for now..

The Nikon D80 is my next "bottom" choice. It looks like a great camera with lots of options, my only possible concern is that it is not weather sealed at all..

Then we come to the Nikon D200 and Canon 30D. Both are apparently about to be replaced, possibly in as little time as a month for the Canon. From the sample pictures on sites like the Digital Camera Resource Page, it looks like the Nikon has slightly less noise at higher ISO levels and slightly cleaner images (along with a higher resolution), while the Canon seems to have slightly better color quality (with a lower resolution). But it's real close either way..

Does anyone have any comments on the build quality between the 2? The Nikon is supposed to be pretty well weather-sealed, but I'm not sure about the Canon..

And finally, does anyone think it might be worth waiting until September at least to see if the 40D comes out as recent rumors indicate it might?.

I appreciate all the comments I've gotten. Thanks!..

I have the 30D, and I like it a lot, and it feels pretty sturdy and has already taken some banging (Im currently traveling with mine) having said that, if I could go back in time, based on ruggedness and weathersealing, Id get the D200...

DaveIsHere wrote:.

So I've gone over many of the excellent comments and had a few morequestions:.

I looked at the Pentax K10D after it was suggested, and after readingevery review and comment I can find, I think I'm going to eliminatethat camera as an option. There seem to be too many questions aboutlens availability and high noise over ISO 400. It will remain as my"last ditch" option for now..

The Nikon D80 is my next "bottom" choice. It looks like a greatcamera with lots of options, my only possible concern is that it isnot weather sealed at all..

It can, like all Nikons, still take a lot of abuse..

Then we come to the Nikon D200 and Canon 30D. Both are apparentlyabout to be replaced, possibly in as little time as a month for theCanon. From the sample pictures on sites like the Digital CameraResource Page, it looks like the Nikon has slightly less noise athigher ISO levels and slightly cleaner images (along with a higherresolution), while the Canon seems to have slightly better colorquality (with a lower resolution). But it's real close either way..

It is, which is what makes choosing a camera so difficult..

Does anyone have any comments on the build quality between the 2?The Nikon is supposed to be pretty well weather-sealed, but I'm notsure about the Canon..

Neither am I. I do know that the 30D is the cheapest Canon that feels like a real camera in my hands..

And finally, does anyone think it might be worth waiting untilSeptember at least to see if the 40D comes out as recent rumorsindicate it might?.

As I said earlier, it may be worth it to see if a D200 succesor comes out at the end of the month. Not only to see if that's a viable option but also because it will bring prices of the D200 down and it will mean a large supply on the used market..

Don't wait for the Nikon D-whatever, have fun now!http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/..