DSLR Recommendation

[funkknight]

Budget

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

$800 - $1200

Size

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

Not too concerned about size. Though don't want something that feels like it's gonna break easily.

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you?

Need good quality photos. Doesn't need to be absolute perfect, but good enough where I can focus on the image and not the camera's imperfections.

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

Standard

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

8 - 9

Do you care for manual controls?

Typicall all I would use is the manual controls.

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?

Mostly for learning more about Depth of Field, Effects of Shutter Speed, Aperature, Lighting, etc. I'm looking to improve my artistic photos (using B&W Film), which is currently difficult without a reliable place to self-develop the film and prints. (Too large of a gap between taking the actual shot, and seeing the results).

Would also be used for non-artistic outings.

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

Rarely if ever.

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

Yes.

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?

Rarely.

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?

Like: Nikon.
Try to avoid, but if it's the best fit...: Sony.

Are there particular models you already have in mind?

Nikon D40.

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)

[whitesun]

If you go to www.expresscameras.com/ and click on "clearence", you will see the Nikon D80 on sale for $400.00. A lot of camera for the money and you can grow into it.
WS

[cdifoto]

If you go to www.expresscameras.com/ and click on "clearence", you will see the Nikon D80 on sale for $400.00. A lot of camera for the money and you can grow into it.
WS

ExpressCameras is a fraud. A new release from a legitimate seller would never be a clearance item.

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Express_Cameras

[JPRATT]

ExpressCameras is a fraud. A new release from a legitimate seller would never be a clearance item.

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Express_Cameras

Ha, I knew it was to good to be true. Look at all the bad reviews.. And every thing seems to be out of stock with them... hahaha

[funkknight]

Sounds like the same scam operation that some guy or another ran into earlier this year. His blog story about his experiance ended up getting digged (dugged?) and before you knew it, the company was getting 'harrasing' emails and phone calls from people who read the story. Within the span of a day.

But before this thread ends up hijacked by tales of woe and mischief... :) Any recommendations for me on which camera(s) I should look into for my purposes?

[SpecialK]

Hi:

I am not a Nikon person (too big ergonomically for me, and expensive lenses) but I've read all about them :-) The D40 would do what you need, but you're stuck getting the kit lens. Kit lenses from any manufacturer are mediocre at best, and not particularly suited for low light use.

Because of the required kit lens and the somewhat short list of autofocus lenses for the D40, I would get a D50 body only, which is not much more than a D40, then get a third party lens to better fit you needs. The Sigma 18-50 f2.8 is pretty highly rated, and has a contant aperture of 2.8. That is a 2-stop advantage over the kit lens at the long end.

That lens is about $379. There are other variations, such as 24-70 and brands, such as Tamron, but you will be in that ball park.

But if you already have 2 or 3 "good" Minolta lenses, the A100 might be a good choice and it has built in stabilization which helps in low light.