I get the feeling there are a few knowlegable camera buffs on this forum, so I wondered if anyone has any tips or advice on chosing a camera, or even better any words of wisdom on features etc to look for or avoid when chosing.

I have a compact digital which I love, great for happy snaps etc and I have really enjoyed being able to play around with all the features etc, and have found I have experimented much more with this than I ever did with my film SLR.

Time has come to splash out with a digital SLR....

I am still an amature and will not be wanting to spend a fortune, but would like to be able to get better photos, especially macro details and realistic colours in low light light conditions. I have started looking at all the specs etc but there is so many options and tech talk I feel a bit swamped .


Any advice? any good web sites?

I recently bought the Canon 400D which is a pretty good 10 Mpixel but one word of warning, the Canon lens that comes as standard (18/55mm zoom) is pretty poor. Buy the body only and some second hand lenses off ebay - which is what I've just done.

Have you tried a search on EF? There are a couple of threads that discuss this subject. At least one of them gives a list of web sites for reviews.

But the first thing to decide (IMO) is budget limit. Also, more sensor pixels is not necessarily better.

It'll be relatively expensive unless you go for second hand.

Read several reviews of both the same and different cameras, and see which one(s) appeal to you and how you think you will use it. Spend time on this or you might end up with a camera you don't like or a hobby you're not interested in.

I go with Sony all the way. They have great lenses. I would advise you to read as many camera reviews as you can before you buy one. Below are two of the sites I used before I bought my Cybershot. Haven't regretted a day since.

http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/index.html
http://www.steves-digicams.com

Ok I admit my first search was a bit haphazard, so after I put my specs on I found this thread:

OT Post? Any opinions or advice on choice of DSLR?

so will start with these web sites.

thanks for the advice... and keep it coming!

Pamopam

I work as a photographer and am always asked this question at work.

I always recommend a Canon digital SLR. Canon's handling and ergonomics are second to none and they do some great entry level SLR cameras. Instead of going for the latest model with all the bells and whistles, I would try a 350d orsimilar which you can pick up quite "cheaply" on www.ricardo.ch .

www.steves-digicams.com is a fantastic resource for all things digital including camera reviews. I never buy anything before checking out the site.

If I can be of any more help then please don't hesitate to PM me.