What is the best digital SLR for a beginner?

Question

I also want a lens that can shoot at a pretty good distance, so a kit with 2 lenses would be ideal. I was thinking mayber Olympus Evolt or Nikon D40. I would like to keep it below $800.

Answer 1

The Nikon D40 is a great little camera, very easy to use and quite reasonably priced. It will get you in the Nikon family which is a great place to be. If you buy accessories and lenses, you will be able to use everything on any Nikon that you might upgrade to later on.

Here are a few reviews, in case you have not read them yet. Be sure to note that they are several pages long and some of the reviews also have some sample images that you can look at.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_reviews/nikon_d40.html
http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3756/camera-test-nikon-d40.html
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/d40-recommendations.htm

I hate to see people slam the camera because it can't autofocus with older Nikon lenses. It is true that there is a "slight problem" with older Nikon lenses not autofocusing on the D40, but if you do not own a bag full of older lenses, it is not going to be a problem. It is barely a problem anyhow. If you check www.nikonusa.com for "AF-S" lenses, which are ALL 100% compatible with the D40, you will find 23 lenses, including 7 "VR" (vibration Reduction) lenses and one true macro lens with "VR". There are another 25-plus lenses in the current catalog that provide all functions except autofocus as well as many (possibly dozens) "out of print" lenses that will work just as well. In addition, although these lens will not autofocus, most of them will still give focus confirmation. From the D40 manual: "If the lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 of faster, the viewfinder focus indicator can be used to confirm whether the portion of the subject in the selected focus area is in focus. After positioning the subject in the active focus area, press the shutter release button halfway and rotate the lens focusing ring until the in-focus indicator is displayed."

The D40 only has 3 autofocus zones arranged horizontally at the center, 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. This might be considered a limitation, but realistically, most people will find this perfectly adequate, especially if you are moving up from a point and shoot with only a center zone.

You can get the D40 with the 18-55 kit lens at B&H Photo (available through Yahoo! Shopping or at 1-800-622-4987) for $550 (May 2007). You will want to add a decent SD memory card and I recommend a Sandisk Ultra II or Lexar Platinum II - either 1 GB or 2 GB would be great. You can get one from B&H also for $30-45. There is an entry-level 55-200 mm zoom lens that does a decent job that you can get for $170. My wife has this lens and it's fine, but we just replaced it with the new 55-200 VR for the advantage of vibration reduction. It only costs $250. I bought one right away, as I kind of figured it would go out of stock soon, since it's a bargain for a VR lens.

Anyhow, you can get your D40 with the 18-55 kit lens (a good lens), the regular 55-200 lens, and a decent card for $750-800, keeping you below your budget limit. You'd have a very nice camera system for a beginner or a not-so-beginner, too.

Answer 2

oly will give the best bang for the buck
unless you want to manual focus the nikon d40 options are limited because many nikon lenses need a higher end body like the d80 or d200 to auto focus while all current lenses of canon and olympus will with any body.

with that limited of a budget i say the oly since you said you needed a long lens and you will need a standard zoom aswell

-if you plan on using flash heavily nikon has the easiest to use system

if you plan on dim light candid shots of things like family events or concerts then look to canons 350d(xt) or new 400d(xti) for best high iso low light pictures

as long as your in good lighting the oly will give you the most features for under 800

Answer 3

For me Pentax has the entire services, the construct nice and is by means of a long way the most affordable nice process to shop for into. Pentax has been quietly making one of the vital quality lenses on the earth for over 50 years, and they may be able to all be used on their variety of DSLR's (a few have barriers, for illustration if the lens was once designed for give up down metering it nonetheless might be give up down metering, if it was once designed for handbook consciousness it nonetheless might be handbook consciousness, however the photograph nice will nonetheless be there and at an overly low cost rate), all of those lenses may have anti shake as its constructed into the digital camera no longer simply the up, down, left and proper as within the Canon and Nikon however rotation too, no 'additional' to pay. The record of simply undeniable exceptional strategies is going on. Want extra? Suppose your capturing Raw clear of house however desire a speedy print from a few print keep, no main issue you'll be able to convert any Raw dossier(s) to Jpeg in digital camera with complete manage of brightness, color stability, polishing and many others. and many others.. More? Most DSLR's (besides the Nikon D40) present in digital camera bracketing, however Pentax presents in digital camera bracketing for color stability, distinction and ISO as good because the extra natural publicity. More? Suppose your in handbook mode however are discovering it tricky to get simply the proper publicity, your digital camera is also hooked up to a microscope, bellows or recognizing scope for illustration, simply press the Green Button and the digital camera will immediately deliver you a studying as if you happen to had been in aperture precedence mode although the lens isn't hooked up to the digital camera it is going to deliver a studying at the quantity of sunshine it sees (identical to the historic long-established give up down metering). More? Most individuals use Aperture Priority so they may be able to set the intensity of subject, physical activities photographers use shutter precedence so the can freeze the motion, in Tav Mode you'll be able to do each, you place the aperture and shutter pace and the digital camera will adjust the ISO relying at the mild degree to be had. Good proposal eh? The record is going on. Chris

Answer 4

Best price and choice for a begginer: Pentax K100.
NO BRAINER.
Check the reviews compare to Nikon D40 and Canon EOS 30D at dpreview.com and megapixel.net

Answer 5

Get the D40. It has huge collection of lenses. You won 't regret it.

Answer 6

Get the most expensive one that you can afford.

Answer 7

i loved my rebel xt (its a wicked camera)


but now i love my d80