Which dSLR and which lenses?

[Militaris]

For quite same time I have been considering purchasing a dSLR. I would like suggestions on what lenses and other accessories would suit my needs best, while at the same time minimizing expense.


Budget: Would like to spend less then $2000 NZD. ($1300 USD). I plan on buying 2nd hand lenses to save on costs.

Size Smaller the better.

Features
All of the standard features on dSLR. Would love to have Bulb.

General Usage
What will you generally use the camera for?
Night photography. I really love the look of photos taken at night but with enough light through to make the night scenery clearly visible. (Probably does not require a auto-focusing lens)

Swimming fish. So photos taken through water.

Birds and other wild life, probably would require a telescopic zoom.

At the moment i have looked at the following cameras,

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
Not many indoors, but quite a bit at night,

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
The main action would be flying birds.

Miscellaneous
Are there particular models you already have in mind

Pentax:
Cheapest of the dSLR, I also like the fact that many of the older lenses can be used, and I often see them going for quite cheap, although have little ideas on how good the lenses are. Which could prove to be a great cost saver.

Nikon D50
Slightly interested, although one of the more expensive options. Quite a good selection of lenses.

Canon EOS 350D
Seems like a good camera, large selection of lens, only slightly more then the others. Low noise levels.

Olympus E500
This is the 2nd to cheapest option, smaller lens choice. Have heard that the lenses are more compact then the other brands.

Fuji S2 pro
Quite a bit older, but a few second hand ones have been floating around.

[CptOfGondor]

Olympus is ok. Although their ISO capability is not as good as the rest. Pentax SMC K Glass is amazing. Some very good quality stuff. Not sure about their FA ones. The DA 18-55mm kit that comes with dSLR is alright. Many people say that the DA 50-200mm is a very good lens and with the conversion it makes for a good choice as it covers the equivalent of 75-300mm.

Make sure you get that 50mm SMC-M or SMC-A. Should be a nice staple. One thing to note is that, with your selection of dSLRs, none have a spilt-screen microprism to aid manual focus. Meaning, you'll have to really squint at the viewfinder and even then, there might be some small errors in focus. I guess AF is a priority nowadays.

The Canon 350D is also a pretty good choice. But with the majority of lenses heavily 'teched', your card may run dry at the counter. Over here in Canada, the 350D w/ Kit still hovers around $900-$1000CAN. You'll probably get this from alot of Canon owners but a popular lens choice is the 70-200mm L f4. The cheapest price tag of any L lens but very good glass. However this gots for about $700-$800CAN. So really, after the 350D purchase, if lucky, you might be able to throw in the 75-300mm DC (DC motor..non USM..cheapie for $229)

So really, from a cost perspective, I'd suggest you try out the Pentax and the D50. Although with the Pentax K-Mount, you'll be able to buy more glass with the same amount of money. (Just remember, autofocus is gonna be a priority over manual because unlike film SLRs, you don't have MF aids anymore)

(Also take a look at the Sony R1. Maybe not as welll suited for long distance but a top notch prosumer.)

[drew_viii]

you better decide which lens line-up you are favor in... lets say you want night photography, then maybe you would like to have some fast lens to capture more light...although some lens have its own counter part in different mounts or brands, but still, there would be some differences in image quality and color.. so i suggest you better check which lens would be suitable for you then thats the time to decide which camera body you'll go for...

[Militaris]

Just did a rough price check. These are about the cheapest I can get them for locally. The first price is for grey market, 2nd is for retai. All with 1 kit lensl.

Pentax * $1000 $1250
Nikon D50 $1150 $1400
Nikon D70s $1385 (w/o kit)
Canon EOS 350D$1300 $1400
Olympus E500 $1150 $1200

I also had a quick look at lens (little on pentax lenses locally)
Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 EX HSM $1350
Sigma 70-300MM F4-5.6 Apo DG Macro $370

Canon EF 70-200 F4L USM $1300
Canon EF 75-300mm USM f4/5.6 $400
Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II $170

Nikon AF 70-300MM ED F4-5.6 $535
Nikon AF 50mm f/1.8D $199

Couple of options.

Option A
Canon EOS 350D $1300
18-55mm Zoom
Sigma 70-300MM F4-5.6 Apo DG Macro $370
Canon EF 50mm f1.8 II $170
Total: $1840

Option B
Nikon D50 $1150
18-55mm
Sigma 70-300MM F4-5.6 Apo DG Macro $370
Nikon AF 50mm f/1.8D $199
total: $1720

[Militaris]

Just a note, if I decide to buy the lenses 2nd hand I would get them for around 15-50% cheaper then the normal price.

I would also like a suggestion for a flash.

At the moment I am favouring the canon , and the difficulty to locate and price pentax lenses. Although I would ask for quotes at a few local stores once I work out what I require.