Hi folks. I've been using a Fujifilm F-11 compact for the last year or so but now, as my skills have increased, the limitations of my camera are becoming all too apparent. I'm in the market for a DSLR and I'm getting a bit confused. I've ruled out the Canon EOS 40 because it's too small. It doesn't really fit in my shovel-like hands. The Nikon D40X has much the same problem. I'm now looking at a Canon EOS 30, Nikon D80 and a Pentax K10D. I really like the idea of owning Canon or Nikon but I'm not so sure about Pentax. Thing is, the Pentax has far more features than the competition for the price. I can't find any of these in local shops so I'm not sure how they handle. Anyone here with any experience of these models? How are they in use? Also, does anyone know of any new products on the horizon? I imagine Canon and Nikon are going to have to up their game in light of the feature set found on the Pentax.

Thanks in advance for any help folks.

I upgraded from a point and shoot (also a fuji) to the Olympus e-volt E-500. these days it's price is very reasonable, and feels great in my working man's hands...the two lens kit isn't pro-level but a very good combo for the price

I'll need to look into that one. I hadn't really considered Olympus (for no good reason). Thanks for the heads-up.

good luck.

I have the Olympus E-300 with the dual lens kit, a couple of few less bells than the E-500 but very, very good camera as well. I just purchased a Nikon D50 (which is now discontinued) and because of that, much cheaper. Also a great camera to start with. Good luck.
Tony

How much does it matter whether a camera has a dust-removal feature? I mean, it seems most aren't very good and people end up cleaning manually anyway. I ask because the Nikon D80 doesn't have it but it does tick all the other boxes. Oh, and image stabilisation - does it work?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/FrameWork/Product_Resources/DigitalQuickGuide1.pdf

that might help...it's a guide to buying a digital camera..fairly in-depth too...yes, there's a few shameless plugs for the store in there, but hey...they did put the thing together...and with no strings.

That's not a bad guide but I kinda know all that stuff already. I'm more looking for actual user experiences. Like "does the camera actually do what it says on the tin? That kind of thing. I've bookmarked it though. Thanks.

ok, wasn't sure what your knowledge/experience level is. this might help instead:

http://dpreview.com/reviews/

Thanks. That's a good link. I practically live on that site at the moment. I just thought I'd ask the question here as you guys are all such good photographers. Your opinions are what really counts to me.

ok, then here's the long and short of my camera: the image quality is usually anywhere from good to great, depending on lighting, speed, and whether or not I remember to use the right settings:o)
the menus are fairly easy to navigate, and for a camera in this price range, fairly extensive. reaction time isn't always the fastest, but seeing how most of your gallery (nice work btw) seems to contain landscape and architecture images, this might be a non-issue.

I like my D50. People say the Pentax K10d is more 'bang for the buck' vs teh D80, but hey, you're not going to use nikon lenses. >_> Another good choice is the 30d which i believe would be your best bet.

...but of course the K10d has internal IS and is weather sealed and what not (thats the K10d right? not the k100d).

I can't speak for the camears other than the D50 9which is great) but you may wan't to check out the forums at dpreview...they discuss what cameras to get 24-7.

the forums are a good idea, Noah...forgot to mention that when I linked the site

Hi, back again. Thanks to your tips I've spent a long time in other forums, lol. Anyway, I've changed everything completely since my last post and this is where I'm at. I've got more money to spend than I thought so, after visiting my local Jessop's and handling the Nikon D80 and the Pentax K10D I fell in love with the Nikon. Unfortunately I also managed to get a hands-on with a Nikon D200 as well. Marvellous! So...it's between the Nikon D80 with a Nikkor 18-200mm VR lens or a Nikon D200 with a Tamron 17-55mm lens. I don't really need the long end of the Nikkor lens and so I really want to go for the D200. My worry is that the lenses the D200 really deserves are way out of my price league, and likely to stay that way too. I don't really know if the Tamron lens is up to the job. It gets good ratings and it's f2.8 throughout it's range so it can't be all that bad. Coming from my wee compact I'm likey to be impressed with anything. Both combinations come to about the same price - £900-£1200. What do you folks think?

Hehe... "I fell in love with the Nikon" ;-)
I'm working with a D70 + Nikkor 18-200 VR. Excellent couple!
I think the D80 + 18-200 VR would be greater yet.
The advantage of the 18-200 is that you'll rarely change of lens and avoid dust on the sensor...
Note: the dust-removal systems don't work very well, except for the Olympus...

I agree the 18-200 looks like a good lens but I'm a bit concerned that the lens might creep when slung over a shoulder. Have you found this to be the case? Another thing while I'm at it, What is the name of the filter I need which just protects the lens? Is it called a 'daylight' filter? We share the same logic as regards anti-dust 'devices' too. They can't work 100% so I'll need to clean the sensor anyway. Might as well clean it properly. Besides, it's just one more thing to go wrong.

I use the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi. Great features, easy to use and it's a 10 megapixel camera. Easy to read 2.5 display, great when in the field. Good dust features on this as well. Hard to beat for the money. I use the Tamron AF 18-200mm Di-II lens to avoid lens swaps which also helps to keep dust off the sensor. A note on lens creep...the Tamron has a lock on it to prevent that. I have yet to even use it.

I've looked and tried the Canon but it's too small for my hands. I have hads like shovels. I'll have a look at that lens though because that sounds good. I've a feeling it'll burst the budget though.

I've heard the K10d has the most 'bang for the buck'.

That lens is the same price as the shorter Tamron zoom I'd selected. This is the problem here. I've been on the verge of spending the money and always seem to find something else to consider. Can anyone tell me if the D200 is worth the extra over a D80? If not I could get the battery grip for the D80 and that would probably make it more comfortable.

I've been doing the same comparo you have, actually. the D80 is a little slower on the draw, has a 1/4000 limit as opposed to a 1/8000 on the D200. also, the D80 shoots at 3 fps. the D200..5fps. storage is a little different, too. the D80 uses SD, I think, while the D200 uses CF. there's more, but just those stats alone got my attention

oh, one more thing. the D200 has a stronger, better sealed body, and Nikon claims it can be used in rain and much colder weather.

I was on the verge of not posting this, but since i've written it, i'm posting it. Just remember: don't believe everything you read.

The problem with caedes is the limited amount of users on forums with a K10d, K110d, D80, D200, D50, D40, 5D, 30D, 20D, K100d, etc. Lol. For this reason, i'd recommend you ask people on the dpreview.com forums. The thing is, people are going to ask:

What are you going to use it for? How much experience do you have? Have you read the reviews? And stuff like that...i'm sure you've read a bunch of reviews on the cameras, but if you want sports photos, i'd recommend a 30d (5fps), if you're doing landscapes with a larger budget- a 5d (partly b/c of the quality and b/c of the larger sensor for wideangles shots)...and then you have to throw in what lenses you want so that also dictates what you buy.

...it's mostly personal preference. Look at the dpreview sample photos and test shots. Or look for what lens you like, then work backwards. yes, the d200 is better than the d80, but from the test shots and what not, i'd say just get the d80 (but i've never tried either of them). It matters how much $$$ you're willing to sacrifice and for what purposes. The d50 has great quality as it is - for me at least. You don't have to shell out a ton of cash (for a camera body) unless you're going to print posters.

comparison of some good choices...i'm not exactly sure what your price range is (hence the EOS MkIII,) :D

When i bought my camera it was simple: I already have 3 nikon lenses, i'll buy a nikon camera. The cheapest one was the D50, and the D80 was a) too much b) my dad wasn't going to flush a ton of money down the drain since i was very new to the hobby and wasn't even sure if i was going to use it. So the d50 it was.

As you can see, digicamman is happy with his camera (rebel xti), ppigeon is happy with is d70, i'm happy with the d50...yeah, you won't be dissapointed even with the cheapest dslr and lenses - thats for sure.

Oh, one more thing: do you REALLY need the camera setup you're choosing? Is it overkill to go for a $1500 body when you only need a $500?

PS: I've dropped my camera in the slow (and it got covered, deep, you know, couldent get it out sort of thing), and then i went in the car - smart - so it started to melt...then i decided that wasnt too smart, so i went back outside and blew the rest off. Took me a minute or two to get it all off, and another few to dry it off with my sweater. It still works! :) So i guess mine would be usable in the rain, sortof. remember not all lenses arn't waterproof. I would use a plastic bag (thats what i do when its snowing now) - it covers the lens and camera and its all dry, except for the UV filter in the front. :S

Lately i've been digging it into the dirt for a low POV, and it still works (still not dust on the sensor)!

...i'm just waiting for it to quite on me - which will never happen.

First off, yes, I've seen your name around dpreview. I've posted questions on Steves Digicams and not got very far. As for what body to go for and is it worth spending the extra, well that's what I'm asking you. You tell me. I don't know if there's any difference in performance but there sure is in handling. The D200 feels superb in the hand, and that's very important to me. But you're right of course. I've seen the shots you take and I've seen the shots Digi takes and you're both vastly more skillful than I. But I'm not familiar with digital SLR's at all and so that's why I'm asking for help. The D200 must cost so much more for a reason surely.

Judging by your type of photography (landscapy/still life), the D80 would seem like the better choice (taking into account the cost) [judging by the main points third eye mentioned a few posts up].

D200 or D80 discussion. They seem to lean towards the D200 b/c of the more 'control' and 'power' and it seems more 'professional.'

Anyways - had to squeeze every amount of usefulness out of me - i think i'm spent on info.

PS: I said the K10d is the best bang for the buck like twice in a row! I dont even remember writting the first comment! hmmm.....

Hi again. Well, after taking all the advice from here and other forums I decided Digi and Noah were right. I've ordered the Nikon D80 with an Nikkor 18-135mm zoom, optional battery grip, two SD cards, spare battery & UV filter. This lot kept the price under £1000 so the wife's happy and the battery grip should cure the slight handling problems I had with the D80. The lens isn't the fastest but it is the optimum choice for my upcoming Corsican adventure and I'll see what I can get later in the year.

Why go for Nikon? Well, simply put, I can't stand the control layout and handling on the Canon D400. I know in a lot of respects it's a superior camera but it's flaws are important to me. The lack of any anti-dust device is mitigated by the fact I'll have only the one lens anyway so the camera won't be 'open' very often. The Pentax K10D was in the running for a while and the prices are really good for what you get but... I went around a few forums and began to hear of problems regarding reliability and quality control. I suppose this happens quite often when brand new products hit the shelves and I've had my fingers burned as an early adopter before, too many times actually. So that's why the Nikon. I figure it's been around long enough for any firmware or production problems to have been ironed out.

Let me thank you all for the help and advice. It really is very much appreciated.

Now, who owns a D80 so I can pick their brains, lol.

Congrats and good luck with your D80, Gordon :-)
The Nikkor 18-200 VR has no lock. It's a little problem when you are walking say 1/2 mile or more. The 18-135 is a very good choice. I'm sure you'll bring us some beautiful captures!

Hope you have fun with your D80...

...there is just thing i forgot to mention (if you bought online): where did you buy from?

I bought from WarehouseExpress.