Need advise for my first DSLR?

Question

Olympus E-500 Twin Lens Kit with Olympus 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 & Olympus 40-150mm f/3.5 Lenses
vs
Olympus E-500 Standard Kit with Olympus 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 lens

Which one should I buy? what is the benefit of getting twin lens?

Or, I have a budget of A$1000, which one would you recommend? >> from this link
http://www.cameraaction.com.au/dept_v4_Row.asp?shelf=0&brand=0&view=0&dept=18

Thanks!

Answer 1

It's fun to see all those cameras priced in A$ for a change.

For me, the Olympus E-500 would be a non-starter. It has a 1.7 second startup time and a tiny viewfinder. If I couldn't pick up my camera and shoot instantly, and if I had to concentrate to see through the viewfinder, I don't think I'd ever be happy with my purchase - no matter how great the image quality or how good a bargain it was. (Not that the Olympus excells in either of those departments.)

For me, the most interesting options on your list are:

Top choice:
The Pentax K100D with the Sigma 18-125mm lens for A$999.
For one thing, this combination has image stabilization. None of the other under-A$1000 options offer this. Also, the Sigma lens provides a fantastic zoom range and good image quality. My friend uses this exact same lens for his world travels (as his ONLY lens) and he's very happy with it. I've seen his pictures and it's a great lens for the price.
K100D review: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxk100d/page24.asp

Second choice:
The Nikon D40 with Nikon 18-55mm lens for $999
For the same total price as the Pentax, you trade in the image stabilization and some zoom range but in return you get a camera that's a joy to use (easy controls, very responsive) and it has a tad better image quality. If you were willing to go over budget with the Olympus 2-lens kit, perhaps do the same here: consider the Nikon + 18-55 kit and get a Nikon 55-200mm lens seperately.
D40 review: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/page25.asp

The extra lens - with the Olympus package, and also with the Nikon - gives you extra zoom reach. With 1 lens you'd have 3x zoom. That's already good enough for about 80% of your shots. But with both lenses you have 11x zoom. This covers just about everything!

Answer 2

buy a PAnasonic DMC-LZ5.....is more better..than that..