Advice for camera now and future.

[kenack]

I've left my 80s Nikon equipment alone for the last 10 years and went to Nikon PS for what I needed. It wasn't very good but easy and since they have both died it's time to move ahead. So?

Budget

* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible. No more than $800 to start, after the learning curve, another $2000.

Size

* What size camera are you looking for? I have large hands and don't like a cramped body.

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you? Not sure but not less than 6 and probably more like 10.

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify) I really need an effective range of a minimum of 28 to 200 or more.

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)8-10

Do you care for manual controls? yes

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for? Buildings, landscapes, interiors, beaches, surfing, motorcycle action pics, travel, family, brochures. I need the camera to be fairly strong since I will be carrying it on a motorcycle all over the world!

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not? up to 20"

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

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos? yes

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate? no

Are there particular models you already have in mind? no

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
wide angle is needed to some degree(not fish eye), IS would be nice, I don't need it today and could wait up to 3 months for something coming out.
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thanks,

Ken

www.kenackerson.com

[youredd]

I personally like Canon very much, it's the only brand I'll buy

[SpecialK]

There really is not much of a "learning curve" if you are referring to camera settings. Many options are "set and forget", and the others are not difficult.

Since additional lenses are normally first on the "to buy" list, expect most of that $2000 to be used sooner than later.

A "large" Canon rules out the XTi or XSi, so you would be over $1000 for the next step up. The Nikon D80 may fit your needs and hands, though it will stretch your initial budget a little.

The Pentax K10D is large, has a lot of features, and only just went out of production so you should be able to find one with a little hunting for less than the others.

[kenack]

I have decided to buy the Olympus E-510 after playing with some of the competition locally. The only one I didn't get to handle was the Pentax. The 510 feels good in my hands as did the D80 and the Sony.

Thanks for this forum!

Ken

[kenack]

I started to order it from B&H but the salesman talked me out of it. He said I should either start with Nikon D40 or spnd more and get the D80 with the 18-135 Nikkor.

I'm in the indecision mode again!

Ken

[stever06]

So....
How did a salesman talk himself out of a sale and throw you back into a buying choice head spin?:confused:

[raven15]

You should call back and tell them that you know what you are after, and it is the E-510, because you already tried it and prefer it over the D40.

If you still have your Nikon lenses and they are compatible, the Nikon D80 body would be the natural choice, for $800. It fits your budget and needs very well. You will want a wider angle lens in the near future, because of the crop factor on dSLR's that will eliminate the wide angle on any old film lenses. If you no longer have lenses, the Olympus would be a good choice.

The new Pentax K200 should be more durable than other cameras.

[kenack]

My old Nikon lens are circa 1980-83 and are totally manual with the split screen focusing which I understand do not work easily with the digital bodies, so I guess the old glass and bodies will hit ebay.

One of the reasons I liked the Olympus is that it felt good, was fairly light, cheap to get started again, decent kit lens that would cover pretty much the range spectrum, and the opportunity to pick up old OL glass at reasonable prices. The features it had were also very desirable, dust system and in the body auto focus and anti shake. I almost feel these features to be mandatory.

That is why I'm now looking at the Pentax/Samsung system and the Sony A200 along with the OL 510 or the new 420. I can wait a few months for the new stuff and maybe pick up a close out at a great price. I just missed a great deal from a private seller on Craigs list for the Samsung GX10 with both lens, flash, card, and a how to book, for $475. Damn!

The only problem is I can't find any local stores that carry the Pentax/Samsung so I can play with them.

As far as the salesman from B&H, I think he just didn't want to talk to me after I told him what I was looking for, or he is just very Nikon biased. I was Nikon brand loyal until I bought my last 2 point and shoot Nikons, both of which developed problems in a fairly short time and when sent back the for repair, the bill would have been as much or than replacement. My wife has sent back her Canon video camera and had it repaired and they never charged a penny, my daughter had the same experience with her Canon camera, and all these were years out of warranty. That is why I wanted to buy Canon this time and had hoped I'd like the Rebel but it felt cheap and too small and the cost of the lens seemed prohibitive.

I'll keep looking and reading for now and I really don't need it until June anyway. I appreciate everyones advice and will continue to read the forum posts and learn more about good digital photography.

One last question, why do some people seem to hate the common 3/2 format and love the 4/5? and others it's the reverse?

Thanks,

Ken

You can see some of why I need a better camera on my web site at
www.kenackerson.com