Which camera should I buy?

[firebirdx01]

Hey, I'm in the market for a new camera. I used to dable in photography (non-digital) in high school and am considering buying a digital camera as a chance to continue this old hobby of mine. Although it is just for fun at the moment, I am very professional minded and prefer lots of manual control, high quality and the ability to shoot in many conditions. I am willing to spend just over $600 if needed, but am willing to start cheaper ($300?) if it makes more sense for me to step up gradually rather than invest in a big purchase now. I have been so far pleased with some of the photos I've seen people taking on the Canon Rebel XT but have also been looking at the Canon S2 IS. I've noticed though that non-dSLR cameras seem to have a kind of fuzzy mixed colors when zoomed up close, where the dSLRs seem more accurate to the non-digital photography I am used to. At the same time though I am not really happy with the concept of crop factor with a dSLR. (I'm guessing its inevitable though).

Still since the market is constantly changing, I am wondering if any of you have advice on what to do. The Samsung NV7 OPS looks amazing, and I'm tempted to wait on it, but in the end that kind of doesn't matter. I simply want is a camera that can provide me with clean pro-like work without breaking my bank in the $2k area. I'd love to get the EOS but wouldn't we all?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here are my answers to the questionaire.

This short questionnaire will help the rest of us make good camera recommendations for you. Please answer each question carefully and succinctly.

The questions marked with a * are the most important.

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Budget

* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.

My budget is $600-700.

Size

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?

Size does not matter.

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you?

Printable quality. 6-7 megapixels.

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)

More is ideal, I'd prefer ultra-zoom.

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)

10

Do you care for manual controls?

Yes.

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?

Artistic photos of landscapes in outdoor conditions. Headshots in indoor lighting. Not really a huge fan of action shots.

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?

Yes, this may be a possibility.

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?

No, appropriate lighting will be used if needed.

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?

No.

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?
No.

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
Canon Rebel XT, but I am looking for alternatives. I have heard the included 18-55 mm lens is not too good. Nikon D50 was another promising one. Samsung Digimax GX-1L?


(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
Image Stabilization for shooting without tripod is preferred. Wide angle is also nice.

[AlexMonro]

You seem to be inclined towards a DSLR, but your budget is going to be rather tight for a decent range of lenses, especially if you want image stabilisation on a long zoom. Most DSLRs have IS in the lens, but there have been some recent annoucements from Sony & Pentax (IIRC) of cameras with an anti-shake sytem in the body that moves the sensor, so you only pay for it once, rather than with each lens. I think they would still push your budget too far though. You might be able to find a second hand Minolta Dynax 7D at a good price, and save up for getting a long zoom later.

The other alternative is to look at the compact ultrazoom DSLR-like "bridge" cameras, which have many of the controls and features of DSLRs, but with smaller sensors (so noisier at high ISO sensitivity), electronic rather than optical viewfinders, and non-removeable lenses, so you're stuck with the lens that comes with the camera, but you don't have to worry about getting dust on the sensor when changing lenses. The best of these is the Sony R1, with a DSLR-sized sensor, but only 24-120mm equiv zoom range, and (in decreasing order of sensor size) Fuji S9000 (28-300mm equiv, no IS, 80-1600 ISO with relatively good noise), Panasonic FZ30 (35-420mm equiv, IS, 80-400 ISO).

There used to be several 8Mpixel bridge cameras with slightly larger sensors, such as the Konica-Minolta A200 and the Nikon 8800, but they seem to have gone out of production - you might find one as end-of-line discount.

[firebirdx01]

ok taking my time to do my research some more, and getting a better sense of pricing for digital camera SLR entry...hows this sound:

I'm still partly pushing for a Rebel XT body because of the low start up time / good shooting fps and thinking for the lens going with a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM. I can work out the zoom later when I got more $$$ but I figure this way I'd go about:

$570 body + $290 lens = $860

Alternatively I'm thinking of Canon EF 28-105 F/3.5-4.5 II USM for $220.

I figure I'll at the very least have decent beginner glass and hardware.

Later on, I'll save up later for a decent zoom and maybe afford one by next year if I'm lucky.

[TenD]

That's a good start. Most College Photo 101 classes when I was college age only let you use a 50mm lens and the f/1.4 is a very good lens. Should be a good sharp combo.

[AlexMonro]

Because it has a sensor rather smaller than the standard 24x36mm 35mm film frame, the Rebel XT has a "crop factor", or focal length multiplier, of 1.6, which means that the 50mm f/1.4 will have a field of view equivalent to an 80mm lens on a 35mm film camera. This might be a bit long as your standard lens for landscapes - I find I'm using the 28mm equiv end of the zoom on my Fuji S9500 a lot more than I thought I would for my landscape shots.

For a standard prime, you might find the EF 28mm f/1.4 USM more suitable, which would have a field of view equivalent to about 45mm, or if that pushes your budget too far, you could consider the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM, which has the smaller coverage circle for cropped sensors.

If you feel a zoom would be useful, and can forego a couple of stops of max aperture, the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC might suit you - it keeps the f/2.8 full open throughout the zoom range.