Intex

I also agree with the previous posters, The Nikon D40 or D40x is your BEST bet for a small SLR camera. If you would like to go a bit smaller yet, and less expensive, I would choose the Canon G9 or G7, one of the BEST Point and shoot cameras. I have the D40 and Leicas, and for travel, I would go for the G9, the D40 is still too bulky for me to carry around.

astein12

I'll throw in my 2 cents... if you don't already have any lenses, I'd lean towards a Nikon D40 (if you already have Nikon lenses, be careful in that the D40 is not fully compatible with some older Nikon lenses).

That said, it's generally the photographer that makes the photo, not the camera. Popular photography once sent out a bunch of amateurs with $2000 SLR's and a bunch of pro's with $4.99 disposables... guess whose photos were better.

The old photographers response to 'those are nice photos, you must have a really nice camera' is 'have you ever had a good meal and commented to the chef that he must have really nice pots?'

TylerTraveler

I LOVE my Canon Digital Rebel XT 350.

But I'll probably sell it to my sister and grab the XTI minor upgrade version for the heck of it.

You can check out all of my travel pictures here:

http://tylernofziger.com/messageboar...dcc454a4ad97c7

I took most with the Digital Rebel.

ShelliDawn

Intex, I'm curious as to what criteria makes you proclaim the Nikon D40 is the "BEST bet for a small dSLR"? Especially since you also state that it's still too bulky for you to carry around.

I don't want to get into a brand war, but that's a really bold statement to make. If you like/love the camera and want to recommend it, great. There are many camera manufacturers and models and most of them today are very good and it would be hard to choose something bad. It comes down to the buyer's personal preferences as to what best suits that person's needs.

The Olympus E-510 (body) is 136mm x 91.5mm x 68mm and weighs 470g (without battery or memory card). The Nikon D40x (body) is 126mm x 64mm x 94mm and weighs 495g (without battery, memory card or body cap). So the E-510 is slightly bigger, but the D40x is slightly heavier.

The Nikon 18-55 (28-85 in 35mm equiv) kit lens is 2.9" (74 mm) long by 2.7" (69 mm) diameter and weighs 7.4 oz (210 g). The Olympus 14-42 kit lens weighs (28-84 in 35mm equiv) is 65.5mm x 61mm and weighs 190g. Again, fairly similar.

If one was considering purchasing either camera, it would be prudent to check out and compare the other.

Oh, and the little brother to the E-510 is the E-410 and it's 129.5mm x 91mm x 53mm and weighs only 375g (body only).

astein12

Shelli,

I'm a longtime Olympus user, but also lean towards the Nikon. The biggest difference is that the Nikon has a much wider range of available lenses (including ones from 3rd party providers... Tamron, Sigma, etc.).

My biggest complaint about the D40 is that it's not compatible with older Nikon lenses... so I'm sticking to my D100.

irishface

Tyler, thanks for sharing your pics! I can't wait until I have time to look at them all.

ShelliDawn

astein12,

I have no issues with Nikon (or Canon or Panasonic or Pentax or...) cameras. It's when someone says unequivocally that "this" (whatever this is) is "the best". If one says "this is the best for me", no problem. But there is no "best" for all.

Yes, Nikon has more lenses to choose from, as does Canon. But for me the Olympus range of lenses covers all my shooting needs and I'll never be afford even a fraction of what's available. Nor would I carry more than 1 or 2 when travelling.

For me, I liked the IS in the E-510 body which means that I can buy less expensive and lighter/smaller lenses and still have that advantage. Some people don't like IS, some people prefer it in the lens. Each person must decide what features are important to them and pick the camera/system that best suits them.

Intex

Shellidawn:
Because you are going to get a hundred different opinions on what he/she should get, so instead of confusing the person more, I think its best that an "semi-expert" photographer as well as someone very familiar with the cameras (I have/had both). Give the gentleman an honest opinion with two choices, this or that, and end the dilenma.

One of the problems with photography, is that there are so many choices, the un-initiated spends too much time deciding which is the "best", and not enough time familiarizing himself/herself with the one they finally get.

rkkwan

I agree that if light weight and small-size is the priority, then consider the Olympus. Olympus uses the new "FourThirds" standard, so you can also use lenses from Panasonic and Leica, in additional to Olympus'. [Though the number still really trails Canon or Nikon.] Sigma also has some of its lens in FourThirds mount.

ShelliDawn

Intex,

I'm not sure what qualifies you or anyone else as a "semi-expert". Perhaps you could expand on your qualifications?

I'm also not sure what you are referring to when you say you've "have/had both". Do you mean have/had both a Nikon D40x and an Olympus E-510? If that's the case, then by all means, recommend one over the other, but please state what it is that that you believe gives it an advantage over the other.

However I totally disagree with your statement to "(g)ive the gentleman an honest opinion with two choices, this or that, and end the dilenma (sic)." My advice would be for someone to take some time and do some research about what the main features of dSLR cameras are, which features he/she feels are most important taking into consideration what types of photography is likely to be done, personal preferences etc. and choose the best camera for that person.

Investing $1000 in a camera and choosing a system that will likely be used for years to come is a not a trivial decision. It would be awful if someone paid that kind of money blindly, to find out that he/she would would have been better served by something else.

TRSW

If you want the ability of both wide angle and telephoto WITHOUT changing lenses, the Nikon D80 kit lens is a 18-135mm. Just a thought!!

Personally, my Nikon D50, works great for me. My work can be seen at:

www.pbase.com/trsw

Tom

PS Tyler - Good work, I enjoyed your photos

sshephard

I knew it was only a matter of time that we got into a "my dad is better than your dad" debate.

My guess is that the internal components of many of these name brand cameras are made by the same company.

My advice to people who come to me for advice is to get a camera that has a decent lens. For European travel that means maximum aperture of 2.8 to 3.5. (Or 4.0 if there is IS).

I also advise people to get a camera that shoots fairly clean images at 800 iso. Some of my favorite places to shoot are indoors: the Pantheon, Notre Dame, art museums, etc. And because I don't travel with a flash, I need to get by on available light.

Finally, I agree that the camera doesn't take the photo, the photographer does. I saw an interview with a professional photographer and he said that you don't praise the pot for the good meal; you praise the chef. But he also said that a quality pot makes it a bit easier for the chef to cook a good meal.

For what its worth, here's my web site. Most of these photos were taken with the Canon 5D.

http://tinyurl.com/32dmou

Clifton

There's no correct answer to this question. Not for brand nor body size. While smaller and lightweight seems to make most sense to me as an argument point, I know I like the secure grip on my D200 well enough not to consider trading down.

I did get to temporarily swap Nikons with a Swiss guy I met on a bus heading to Marrakech and I actually liked his D40 for how small and light it was. But holding it didn't feel all that natural, if that makes sense. Go to dpreview.com for a review, than go to a camera store and hold some, to see what works best for you.

robjame

Suggesting a camera for someone else is somewhat like recommending a car without knowing what is important to you.
Consumers Reports had an excellent article on dSLR cameras lately - check it out at the library.
I bought one recently... I knew I wanted anti-shake (in the camera not the lens), good dust removal system, robust camera with some seals for protection, good variety of lenses, easy to access controls
When I went to the store I had 3 models in mind. A good camera store will let you take them out and "play" with them. I cahnged my mind as to brand when I had each in my hands.
If you don't want to get serious maybe a prosumer model is for you.
There are some great experts on this forum - rkkwan is one.
Good luck and have fun!

sundown

The depreview.com site mentioned above is excellent. I own a Nikon D70 and it's a great camera. That said, it does no better on vacation-type photos than my Canon point-and-shoot which will fit in my pocket. But, you have no shutter lag with DSLRs, which can be a huge advantage, depending on what you shoot. (If I want an action shot of my 2-year old, I definitely use the DSLR.)

As noted by others above, it's impossible to pick a camera for someone else. Canon's DSLRs have always tended to be smaller and lighter. Some see that as a big advantage, while others think that makes them feel cheap and less sturdy than their Nikon counterparts. It totally depends on the individual.

sundown

Sorry for the typo. I meant to say dpreview.com. It has the most thorough and extensive camera reviews of anyplace I've seen. And written in a way that both the novice and pro can appreciate.

luvtravelin

thank you once again for all the response. Since I am at work, I didnt get a chance to read everyones responses carefully - but wanted to reply and let you know that I value your advice and opinions and will definitely read each one when I get home. Having scanned over the responses it seems like the top 2 cameras recommended are canon rebel and nikon d40. Robespierre - you asked me about the lens depth, etc - well it is a automatic camera. It does have a manual mode - but I really dont understand how to use it. Similarily, I will have to teach my self a bit about photography since I have never used a SLR...but like the results. I also read someone saying it is more the photographer and not so much the camera. That is so true and I totally agree. I would consider my photos above average. Hmmm maybe - I can try to put some online and share them with you. I will do that when I get a chance later today - thanks again.

TC

Well it looks like the Nikon people have all spoken on this issue. However, my good friend bought a new Pentax prior to his trip to Africa and the photos are amazing! On the strength of his satisfaction -- and the fact that I've owned a Pentax film camera for many years, we just purchased the new K100D Super. We got the "kit" with a 18-55 lens for about $400. Although we haven't used/received it yet, I really am impressed with the reviews.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0706/07...k100dsuper.asp

rkkwan

Again, while the D40 and Rebel are very good and popular cameras, if you aren't planning to "build" your dSLR system much, please do not overlook the other brands. Like the Olympi that are small and has in-camera image stabilization. [Both Canon and Nikon uses in-lens one, so you have to get the more expensive lenses with IS.]

Or there are great deals with Pentax's dSLRs, which has probably as good a value as Nikon's D40.

Clifton

And for those who are getting the same results from an SLR as from a point as shoot, do definitely do some reading on setting your f stop. Other than proper lighting and planning your composition, I feel the right depth of focus makes so much difference.