Well, let's see here... Can you look up a Nikon D40+kit for a similar price. D40 is a terrific camera and well worth the money. I have it together with Nikon D200 and it's automation is just perfect. I don't tink any owner of a D40 would disagree. Image qquality blows everyone in the price range of 1500$ with ease.

The kit lens is marvelous and covers 18-55mm (27-82mm), which is great for everayday use and gives the chance to upgrade in few years. This if you would like an DSLR.(D40 autofocuses with AF-S lens only, get only AF-S for this camera).

If you lika e bridge camera, I would also suggest Canon S5IS which is really superb. Has all the manual controls, and a far reaching focal length of 400+mm. While you would want an wide lens adapter for eenclosed places. Image quality is good and ISO performance is also good. Not comparable to an DSLR, but really good. It has a compact body and a retractable lens..

If you would like a bit more controll over the camera, you can get the panasonic FZ50 or FZ30 which are great cameras. You need to remember that Panasonic cameras cannot handle ISO very well. BUT this camera has manual zoom ring on the lens so it gives a bit more controll over the camera. (need wide adapter).

If you like a small P&S (point and shoot) camera I would recommend the Canon A710/A720 the G7/G9, the A650 and the SX100, which are basicly the same in everything except the zoom (focal length ratio), All have manual controls and a good image quality, as you can expect from a small camera. The price is a bit lower, but you can also get an wide adapter for enclosed spacew with any of them. 710/720 have a greater zoom range of 6x (35-35x6) and the SX100 has 10x that is (36-360), others have a bit less. So if you want a small camera that brings good pictures, with a bit of reach, these are the way to go. (Recommend - A650)..

Hi M, thank you and I'm looking through right now. Leaning towards the SLR and that Nikon D40 has a very good rating..

What do you think of buying a new or refurbished camera? My brother feels it's not a good idea (that is one input) and I know some things you just don't want to buy used. Is a refurbished or used camera a smart option?.

Thanks again for the valuable recommendations.Samuel..

Well I have no experience with used cameras... So I would only suggest that you see if it was used by a newspaper or comercial, because those have been into many shots, in a short time.(Don't get one of those) With new you have warranty, and if something goes wrong... I would go for a new, even if it means waiting a month to collect some $$. Also prices have dropped at my city for 38$ in three weeks, since Nikon, Sony and Canon announced their models... I recommend new...

Sfullman wrote:.

Hi,.

Very first post on this forum. My entire experience with digital isa 99$ walmart Kodak which is 3 years old..

My first digital was a mustek with vga-resolution - a psychedelic camera, cheap and funny. then got me a pentax EL-200 with 1,9 MP, moved up to a canon S1 IS. in 2005 the picture quality of the canon didn't please me any more and DSLRs were just becoming afordable. now i'm a prowd owner of a pentax K10D after I sold my first DSLR (pentax *ist DS)..

My brother in AK is aphotographer and graphic designer and recommends either a Sony or aCanon..

Sony has just one model out currently; the alpha 700 was just announced and i'd take a close look at the price tag; sony-lenses are amongst the most expensive out there too. the canon 40D looks quite tempting, then the new nikon D300 looks even more tempting, but then again the nikon will cost even more....

Here is the deal, I have a 500 budget and want to get a camera whichallows me some control over the process, and really would like to getone with replaceable lenses - but I can be talked out of that..

Wouldn't want to talk you out of that!.

My main use of this camera will be taking photographs of people andpeople settings; macros and nature photography would be nice. Anyrecommendations?.

The K10D would be overkill for a beginner (although prices have dropped a lot; you should be able to pick up one with kit lens for 800 USD or even less nowadays)..

I'd recommend the pentax K100D super. it's probably the best value-for-money you can get currently. it is fully manually controlable, yet has scene modes plus a "green" (point-and-shoot) mode. it has in-body stabilization (you won't get that with any nikon or canon as they have chosen to base stabilization in the lenses only - you'll have to buy special and expensive stabilizied lenses to get stabilization)..

The K100D has an AF-motor in the body (the nikon D40 doesn't) and the K100Dsuper even supports the new motorized pentax SDM-lenses (but these are quite expensive, so you might not care about the "super" model too much). with the nikon D40 none of the less expensive sigmas, tamrons, tokinas, chinons etc. will autofocus because of the lack of an AF-motor on the D40 - also here you are stuck with the 2 cheap motorized nikon kit-lenses and expensive nikon lenses with built-in motor..

Another plus of the pentax: it will meter with any lens, even with a half a century old takumar lens, pentax smc-m or smc-a lens (you'll find tons of pentax-k-mount lenses for 20-100 USD on the bay). nikon D40/80 will not meter with manual lenses, you'd have to go for the 2000 USD D200 or D300 to get that feature..

Since you want to do portaits and macros, manual lenses could be a good option if you want to go cheap. besides, the pentax K100D offers mirror-lock-up to stabilize the camera (especially good with macro fotography), the nikons don't (again: you'd have to get a D200/300 or higher for this feature in nikon-land)..

Picture quality on the nikon D40 and K100D is more or less equal (look at the full reviews on this site)..

For an enthusiast or advanced amateur pentax also has a sufficient upgrade path now (K10D, 2 new models tentatively announced for september/october; new lenses)..

And would you recommend purchasing a used camera?.

Maybe try to get a new, but discontinued model via eBay or look out for rebates; maybe wait for new anouncements after which prices for the K100D/super might drop a little (although they are already quite low)..

But, in the end it boils down to what feels right for you, what feels most comfortable in your hands....

Finally, years ago a doctor showed me how lens optics work in detail,but I was too stupid to write it down afterward. Any suggestsions onlinks to good discussions of lens optics/physics and how cameraswork? The main thing I remember was that there are trade-offsbetween any choice, like fstop and shutter speed, and that's what I'dlike to learn again..

Many thanks,Samuel.

Http://sternbild.zenfolio.com (gallery)http://schaffnerlos.blogspot.com (Vienna - image & text blog - in German)..

Dejan Malikovski wrote:.

Well, let's see here... Can you look up a Nikon D40+kit for a similarprice. D40 is a terrific camera and well worth the money. I have ittogether with Nikon D200 and it's automation is just perfect. I don'ttink any owner of a D40 would disagree. Image qquality blows everyonein the price range of 1500$ with ease.

The kit lens is marvelous and covers 18-55mm (27-82mm),which is great for everayday use and gives the chance to upgrade infew years. This if you would like an DSLR.(D40 autofocuses with AF-Slens only, get only AF-S for this camera).

If you lika e bridge camera, I would also suggest Canon S5IS which isreally superb. Has all the manual controls, and a far reaching focallength of 400+mm. While you would want an wide lens adapter foreenclosed places. Image quality is good and ISO performance is alsogood. Not comparable to an DSLR, but really good. It has a compactbody and a retractable lens..

If you would like a bit more controll over the camera, you can getthe panasonic FZ50 or FZ30 which are great cameras. You need toremember that Panasonic cameras cannot handle ISO very well. BUT thiscamera has manual zoom ring on the lens so it gives a bit morecontroll over the camera. (need wide adapter).

If you like a small P&S (point and shoot) camera I would recommendthe Canon A710/A720 the G7/G9, the A650 and the SX100, which arebasicly the same in everything except the zoom (focal length ratio),All have manual controls and a good image quality, as you can expectfrom a small camera. The price is a bit lower, but you can also getan wide adapter for enclosed spacew with any of them. 710/720 have agreater zoom range of 6x (35-35x6) and the SX100 has 10x that is(36-360), others have a bit less. So if you want a small camera thatbrings good pictures, with a bit of reach, these are the way to go.(Recommend - A650).

Id disagree with getting a d40, I just sold mine. It only takes AFS lenses totally limiting your lenses collection, all AFS lenses are seriously expensive for even the low quality ones. You cant really buy second hand nikon lenses as they wont auto focus on the d40. (unless it's AFS, which are basically expensive).

If you want to be creative and buy a zoom lens in the future I wouldnt get a d40. d50 second hand or pentax k100d...