Which digital camera

[Graeme M]

Looking to upgrade to a decent camera. What do I want? Not much really. Good solid camera that will cope with dust etc as I like to take pics at the track. Clear quality photos. Good colour balance etc. Easy controls (I'm not real sharp when it comes to bloddy gadgets). Live View not critical (prefer a viewfinder).

I was keen on the Canon EOS450D and the Nikon D90, but at over $1000 they are a bit pricey for me. However, I see that the Pentax K200D is a little cheaper and sounds like a fairly decent camera for the price. Does anyone have experience with any of these three? Or have an alternative recommendation?

[Rossvickicampbell]

Graeme - a friend of mine is just tutoring me into the Canon 5 series camera - all very expensive however but the Canon range of 300, 350, 400 etc are good.  I still have my original 300D and have had an absolute blast with it.  Extrememly reliable, easy to use, good quality photos and still use it currently.  If you are looking at a 450 have a look at the 1000 as apparently it is effectively one model below the 450 (sounds strange I know).  Alternatively maybe have a look at a second hand 350, 400 etc?  I would recomend a canon at the drop of a hat.

cheers

Rossco

[E74]

Graeme,

There is a new 10mp Sony Digital SLR I saw at harvey norman for $899 on it looked like the goods, I have a Nikon D70 and its been OK, couldnt say its been great though

[firko]

I use a Canon D350 and it's been a pretty good camera althought did have some electronic problems at one stage. Thankfully Bill Forsyth had it attended to at his former workplace and it's been trouble free since. I went with the Canon so I could use all of the lenses from my Canon EOS SLRs. If you haven't got SLR lenses carry over issues, there are better deals than the Canon EOS 450 or Nikon D70/D90. They're good but too expensive when compared to some of theopposition. I guess you get what you pay for though.
I also have a neat little Nikon Coolpix S2 pocket camera and it's bulletproof. 

[DJRacing]

Graeme, I too use the Nikon D70 and it has been reliable but the dust does get to it at times. I think if you can keep to the two big names "Nikon and Canon" you at least get a great choice of lenses, and thats where the money should be spent(lenses). The Nikon D70 can have its little quirks and hiccups but the delay from when you press the shutter release button to when the photo is taken is very close to a normal(film) SLR camera and being able to have the use of the many different lenses is a bonus.
 Have a look at both the Canon and Nikon digital SLR cameras and see what kit(leanses, 4gb card) you can get and which camera you like.
  Happy shooting

When I win lotto I'll buy the Nikon D700

[suzuki43]

DJ lives-welcome home mate-Where have you been?.
PS See you in Taupo next Sunday

[mboddy]

Graeme,
There is a new 10mp Sony Digital SLR I saw at harvey norman for $899 on it looked like the goods, I have a Nikon D70 and its been OK, couldnt say its been great though

I have been a Canon man for years.
But at your price bracket I'd probably also back the Sony DSLR.
Gina has a Sony DSLR and it is great.

[IT490K]

I have had digital camera's for years.
Not digital SLR just good quality pocket size digital camera's.
As a graphic designer I am always using the camera.

From all of the different brands that I have tried CANON are by far
the toughest (never broken) and have always taken the best quality pics.
They may not be the lightest or slimmest of the bunch but they are well built.

Sony - Warranty after short time, cheap build.
Pentax - Warranty after short time, cheap build.
Casio - Warranty after short time, cheap build.
Olypmus - Warranty after short time, cheap build.

I was tossing up to buy my first SLR (Nikon D series) or a quality pocket job.
The camera I purhcased was a Canon IXUS 960 IS.
Titanium body, 12 megapixels - the camera has been a dream.
I can enlarge my photo's to A0 size and print them on a large format printer clear as day.

I will get an SLR one day but for now this little pup does all that I need it to.

"With a 12-megapixel sensor, this isn't a model designed for the occasional holiday or party snap.
More avid photographers, who are after a second compact camera, or amateurs wanting to improve
their skills, are the primary target of the 960 IS."

Read THIS REVIEW

Something along the lines of this model camera will cover most things.
For professional quality, greater image size and enlarging abilities you would have to go digital SLR. 

To throw something into the mix, my missus has had a Samsung camera for a few months now and it hasn't skipped a beat!

[DJRacing]

First picture is with the Olympus U7520sw and the second picture with the canon 

[IT490K]

Ji,

2 pictures from the same spot with the 2 different camera's would have been a fair comparison.
Comparing those 2 pics is like comparing chalk and cheese.

Jock

[mboddy]

Nice sunny day and no movement. Very easy. The little lense will give much worse pics when you give it a harder job to do.

[Graeme M]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and comments. I have taken these on board and am currently reading lots of reviews and owners reports. I agree that it doesn't matter as much what you use as how you take the pics. I am no gun photographer but have been taking photos for years starting with a Pentax K1000 and my own B+W developing setup and then moving on to a Pentax ME Super. These days I have a little Canon compact digital I bought several years ago and have to say it's been brilliant - I can actually do a lot with it for my needs. I believe most of the name brand cameras will be more camera than I am photographer. What attracted me to the Pentax K200D is its robust construction but also my obvious long standing preference for Pentax. However, the Canons are obviously known for being the pick in the digital world, while the Nikon's have a great record for performance. By the way, I also have an Olympus compact film camera which is very good, while my step-daughter has had a great run with a Pentax compact digital. My wife has a superb old Nikon film camera too. I really appreciate everyone's thoughts. Clearly, this camera business is much like bikes in terms of preferences and allegiances and opinions! I'll let you know which way I jump.

PS my wife has offered to buy the camera as a present for my 50th. Does this mean the sky's the limit? Hmmm...

[mboddy]

PS my wife has offered to buy the camera as a present for my 50th. Does this mean the sky's the limit?

If your budget has just grown then make sure you also look at the Canon EOS5D Mk2 and the EOS50D.

[Wombat]

Did you know that National Geographic requires from their contributors 5000 images per article. They only use 20.

I don't mean to hijack but I have to ask... 5000 images per article, are you sure?!
I doubt I've taken 5000 in my life.

[DJRacing]

This is a difficult question to answer (SLR-D  V's  Compact-D) because the compacts are getting better and better. But it should be said, that the versatility of an SLR is streets ahead of a compact. It just depends on what you want to do with your camera.
 Ji Gantor, you are asking alot when you ask someone to pick between SLR-D v's Compact from just looking at them in a posting on a forum. Have you alter/cropped/enhanced/re-sized/dodged/burnt in any of the pictures? Did you shoot with the SLR-D in raw mode? What were the different focal lengths used?
 The variables are too many to make a true guestimate, but, let me ask you something Ji Gantor;
 If asked/contracted/paid you to take a photograph of me racing my vintage motocross bike so I could blow the picture up to say 18inches by 24inches to hang on my wall, what camera would you choose to take of yours if you could only take one camera?  (of course this is just a stupid question as no one in their right mind would take a picture of me without fair of breaking their camera).

Anyway, I take another punt and put my balls on the line. At a guess, I would say the first picture of the moon was on the compact and I think the fourth picture was too.
The second and third pictures on the SLR.

Did you shoot at 1/125 of a second on F8/F11 ?


Anyway, good luck Graeme, and if you are used to using an SLR camera then you will fit right in with a digital one. For the life of me, I cant get used to looking at a little screen at the back of a camera and follow the action, so for me I need a viewfinder, and a shutter release button that works instantaneous so I get the picture I was wanting.
I think your a lucky man if your wife comes home with a camera or a slab of cold ones......Happy birthday ......ps...  is your birthday some time around CD6 ??  you might need the slab if it is