Need a little insight into the DSLR world. I have a Panasonic FZ7 and i like it ok. The lag time is ridiculous. And we have a new baby and would like to be able to get some better shots.
He is constantly moving around and when i set the shutter speed to anything faster than 1/160 the images turn out real dark.

I read that a DSLR would be my solution to this problem. I dont have alot to spend. Around $500 if possible and I was looking at the Nikon D40 or the Olympus E-520. All reviews I have read say the same thing...Dont get the D40 get the E-520....Dont get the E-520 get the D40.

I know you guys are pretty up on all the cameras these days and was wondering if anyone had some insight into what my best option would be. Im not even sure if my problems will be solved by getting a DSLR. If i need to look into another camera, im open to any and all suggestions.

Thanks alot

Hey. I really dont know much about how to set the shutter speed, but if you're getting a new camera, i'd look into a Canon Rebel xsi . I use one of them at school, and it takes some great photos w/out me messing with any settings. Thats my two cents, hope it helps.

I've had a Nikon D60 for about 18 months now and think it is wonderful. There are other respected photographers on this site who are very complimentary about the D40.

I use the Nikon D70....but I have heard nothing but good things about the Canon Rebel and the Nikon D40....I have had mine almost a year and I love it.

Don't forget that a nice DSLR needs a nice lens.
I think that the Nikon D40 is no longer available because it's replaced by the Nikon D60.
The D60 + 18-55 VR is not very expansive. If you can, try to find the D60 + the new 18-105 VR. A magic couple!
Link

There is a new Nikon out that is supposed to replace the D60. Its called the D3000. Seems to be the perfect beginner DSLR. Price is a little high right now as the "new" phase is still in effect, but hopefully it will drop in a few weeks.

I can still get the D40, but this D3000 is basically a D40 with a 10mp CCD sensor and 11 point focus instead of 3 point.
But it is 599$ MSRP.

I might wait a few weeks to see what some of the reviews are. I'll look into the D60 as well, but from what i read, this new cam is the replacement for the D60.

Hi Kris, before I dive into camera recommendations I just want to ask you a couple of questions to make sure of a couple of things. I'd hate to recommend you spend money unnecessarily - especially if you have a new baby :-)

I'm not familiar with your camera but I take it that it's this one. As it goes up to ISO 1600 and has a reasonably fast lens (f2.8-3.3) your photos shouldn't be coming out dark unless a) you live down a mine or b) something's going wrong somewhere! Apologies if you know everything I'm about to say but I don't want to recommend you buy an SLR unless you're familiar with this stuff - from the specs I'd be quite comfortable taking pictures of my kids with your camera - I took mine with a Minolta Dimage s304!

You mention that your photos turn out dark if you set the shutter faster than 1/160, but you don't say where you're taking them or what mode you're using on your camera (fully manual or auto).

If you're indoors with sunlight coming in a window and your camera is set to ISO 100 sensitivity then at f2.8 you may need a shutter speed as low as 1/30s to get a properly exposed image. To use a shutter speed of 1/160s without flash you'd perhaps need to increase the iso to 400-800. Have you done that or has the camera done it for you? If not then you may have simply underexposed - many cameras will happily let you do this if you're operating in a fully manual mode as they assume you know what you're doing!

I hope that didn't come across as patronising, but as you didn't mention your level of technical proficiency I wanted to be sure that you're aware of all this stuff - I'd hate for you to spend money when dialling in some different settings on your current camera could solve your problems.

Whether you're technically proficient or not, your current camera has two potential issues for good baby shots. You mentioned one - shutter lag. The other is that it has no hotshoe for an external flash. Moving to an SLR can solve both of these problems. When you add an external flash that you can angle in different directions you can get much nicer light by bouncing the flash.

You probably can't go far wrong with any of the Nikon D40, D40x, D60 etc. line as already recommended. I've owned a D40 personally and been very happy with the quality of the pictures. The 18-55mm kit lens it came with is very good. Adding an SB-400 flash would let you do bounce flash shots and still have a very compact camera kit that's easy to carry about, put under a buggy etc.

Ultimately though I'll always recommend that you try and understand why your photos didn't come out right before you buy another camera.

That would be the correct camera. Im not a beginner, but by far an expert...I know what the F stop and Shutter speed do, but im not quite sure im using the 2 in the right order together.

What it seems like to me is when i take the picture with a fast shutter speed, lets say 1/200 or so, of a subject up close with the flash, the subject is lit up just fine but the background isnt. Its like the shutter closes before the light has a chance to reach the background.

My main problem with the camera being dark is when i try to take sports pictures indoors. Like my nephew's basketball games. I have to have a fast shutter to freeze the action, but where Im so far away up in the stands, everything turns out dark. The iso setting on this camera arent the greatest, anything above 400 turns out VERY grainy. 400 isnt the best quality either.

And i usually use it in Shutter Priority mode when i take the pics with the fast shutter speed. Its very weird, Sometimes I can only take the F stop down to 3.3 and not the 2.8 like I want.

I want to learn more, but dont have the time. I know just enough to mess with the settings but not enough to put 2 and 2 together and sync the settings. Does that make sense?

I have decided to wait at least till the christmas season before getting a DSLR. Prices will be much better by then, and then I can make a decision to get a SLR or just stick with my current camera...

This camera I have now was rated one of the top 5 in its class when i got it. So i mean, it must be decent.

Well there are several solutions to your problem to try before buying a new camera. When using it at 1/160 shutter speed

1) increase the ISO to at least 200 and increase the aperture size (lower number = larger aperture ) it will allow more light to reach the sensor

2) try using it in "sports mode"... Also when shooting stuff like the basketball games, give it a try with burst mode enabled (several quick shots in a row) and start shooting right before you think the action you might want to capture starts, you are more likely to get a good shot.

Kris, I am not sure what camera you are using but your camera should have came with a operating manual. In the manual it should explain the settings and how to change them. I would take a look and see what it tells you.

Hello Kris, I picked up on your comment " The lag time is ridiculous", and that you have a new baby. Gosh those kids are darn fast, especially when the camera does not seem to understand you have to shoot quickly. Panasonic makes a good camera, it is not the camera that causes a lag time, but surprisingly, the memory card. If you are using a older cheaper card, it takes time for all the information to be written and saved. They have overcome these problems with new generation cards identifiable with names like X4 or Extream III, etc. Get a good fast card, and you will notice that the lag time will disappear. A new card is about $40 much cheaper than a new DSLR. Lag time can also be caused by weak batteries, especially if the camera sits for long periods of time. An older rechargeable battery can loose up to 1% of its charge per day when sitting, always have good batteries. Lag time and dark pictures,can also be caused by weak batteries trying to charge the flash unit. Kids do move fast, and they dont understand Mom & Dad want to capture every moment, you may not always have the opportunity to check the batteries. So assuming you keep your current camera, you will encounter two more problems, dark images, and red eye. Look at the size of the flash unit built into your camera, pretty small. The effective range on the flash is only about 8-10 ft. You need to pay attention to your lighting and if necessary purchase a slave flash. A slave flash is an auxiliary unit about the size of a pack of cigarettes that works wireless. I use a Metz slave, because it is not dedicated to any particular brand. The effective range of lets say my Metz slave is 86 ft. Big difference. You have a wide angle lens on your Panasonic camera, so you can get in close. At a close range, a 8ft flash should be sufficient, but red eye will be a common problem. If nothing else is available, slip a piece of clean white paper over the flash unit, this will diffuse the light and minimize red eye, there are other tricks you can use, like dont shoot directly into the eyes. I hope you get the idea on how to avoid red eye. When you put your camera into your hands, there are two brains that want to operate it. One of those brains belongs to you and the other to the camera. Because kids are fast, put the camera on Auto, (I will get those who disagree with me, and thats OK), use the cameras brain to do the technical work so you can use your brain to focus on the creative work. You did not describe the environment you are shooting in to cause your pictures to turn out real dark, so I am going to assume you live no different than I do, and it is more likely an operator error of camera settings that causes this problem. Always read your manual after you make your mistakes, the information becomes more meaningful. All the tips from everyone above are valuable and worthy of experiment. If you do get a new DSLR, you will still have to purchase a new memory card to utilize all the latest features. Have fun. Moose