entry level digital slr camera recommendations

[dolph]

i'm looking for a digital camera with basic slr features. i'd like to keep it around $500, give or take a couple hundred. cameras that seem to match the criteria i'm interested in are:

minolta dimage 5-7

fujifilm finepix s602z

olympus e-10

if you can think of any others i should consider, please suggest. the camera will be used for a wide variety of pictures, but probably mostly outdoors (monument shots - i'll be in washington dc). tia

hp is out, i mistakenly thought it had manually controlled functions.

also, the nikon 5000 and 5700, and possibly the sony f717

 

[Sluggo]

Jebus....$500 is the entry level camera now?

For a couple of hundred more, you can snag a Canon G2.

 

[notfred]

Of those, only the Minolta and Olympus are actually SLR cameras.

 

[spanky]

some dude was selling his canon slr cheap in FS/FT... this was like one or two days ago, so if u search for canon within the past three days, i am sure u can find it.

 

[dolph]

bump for new cameras

 

[Linflas]

EDIT:
Doh, missed the digital part, NM.

 

[N8Magic]

Originally posted by: spankyOO7
some dude was selling his canon slr cheap in FS/FT... this was like one or two days ago, so if u search for canon within the past three days, i am sure u can find it.

It's sold now, but it was a SMOKING deal at only $100.00.

 

[Ornery]

possibly the sony f717

Entry level?

I've seen it for as low as $800.00 at Best Buy a month ago, so that may be doable. That is unquestionably the best camera to be had in that price range, so if you can afford that much, buy it with confidence!

Digital Photography DSC-F717 Review

• "...Even a year on from my DSC-F707 review I find myself unable to name a new five megapixel prosumer digital camera which takes better pictures than the DSC-F717, and that is saying a lot."

Steve's Digicams F717 Review

• "...I find it safe to say none will out-perform the F717. From the high resolution 5MP 2/3" imager and the ultra-sharp Zeiss lens to the robust and accurate image processing, this camera is sure to satisfy even the most demanding of users..."

Imaging Resource F717 Review

• "...you've got an "enthusiast" camera that stacks up against anything on the market. Sony innovations like NightShot and NightFraming are just further icing on the cake. Despite its sophistication though, the F717 manages to remain a very user-friendly and approachable camera - There's no reason for a novice to pass it by in favor of a lesser model, as its full-auto mode is as easy to use to use as anything out there."

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: Ornery
possibly the sony f717

Entry level?

I've seen it for as low as $800.00 at Best Buy a month ago, so that may be doable. That is unquestionably the best camera to be had in that price range, so if you can afford that much, buy it with confidence!

Digital Photography DSC-F717 Review

• "...Even a year on from my DSC-F707 review I find myself unable to name a new five megapixel prosumer digital camera which takes better pictures than the DSC-F717, and that is saying a lot."

That is a hefty piece of hardware.

 

[Wallydraigle]

The E10 is a great camera. I have one that I don't really use anymore. If you can get it for $500 I'd say go for it. The only thing that you might want to be aware of, is that the highest usable ISO on it is 80. Anything higher is just too noisy, at least for my taste. I don't have any experience with the others. You might be able to get a Canon D30 for about a grand, maybe used or something. It can use all Canon EF lenses. What I have is a Canon D60, but it's a little bit more than $500 right now. If you want to see some pictures I took with my E10 I can show you.