imhotepmp:
It all depend on what you want to do & need with the camera???
For most people a good fixed focus Point & Shoot is fine, others may want to have some zoom capability. Personally I would stay with a 35mm, or 28mm fixed focus because of colours clarity/sharpness, and wide angle is much better in a close quarter...you can always get closer to the subject, but it is harder to back away when the wall is at your back.
I have seen some cheap $25~$30 P&S with plastic lenses that would do just fine in a pinch. But, for quality, compact & weight, the Olympus Stylus P&S will be the perfect camera for a round $80.
If you must go with an SLR, then I strongly suggest a second hand Pentax K1000/ME, Olympus T series, or Canon AV1/E1, for around $100~$120 body with a 50mm f:1.7 or f:1.8 standard lens. And, save your money for film & papers. (You might want to try out the second hand Yashica & Ricoh, buy I wouldn't trust them because the mechanical parts in them supper old cameras are not as well built as the Pentax, Olympus, or Canon. Older Canon/Olympus cameras are superb with electronics...exposure are the most accurate for an older camera even better than Leica
If you have money to blow on a new camera, then you should goto a camera store and check all of the cameras & lenses out to see how they fit in your hand, because each person have their own preference.
Soybomb:
>>"But get the Nikon 'cause they're better"<<
How is Nikon better than Canon??? Do you mean that Nikon pave the wave for the mini camera during the Great War & Korean War??? Or, you mean the overly exaggerated of how robust a Nikon is, that it can withstand a fire???
I'm sorry to say that any mechanical cameras or today pro caliber cameras can withstand the same kind of treatment that the Nikon F series boast. And, today lenses are pretty much all the same from all manufactures, even some of the second tier brands, such as Sigma make great lenses that would make Mr, Leica drools.
If you are talking technologically (electronics) then you are greatly mistaken, because Canon completely outgun your brave. Nikon haven't innovated any technology toward the cameras since the 50s, because it sit on its laurels and let Minota & Canon out innovated them. Canon is the first to introduce electronic control Aperture Priority, Minota is the first to introduce Auto Focus. Then Canon introduce, Ultrasonic Motor (USM, horse shoes lens barrel motors), Eye Focus Control & Tracking, and multi zone metering. These are some of the many technologies that Nikon borrow and license from Canon & Minota for their line of cameras & lenses. (Nikon is still suffering from the second grade focusing system that they license from Canon, because Canon only license out their 1st generation USM that is much slower and heavier than the current 3rd generation USM motor). Nikon & their ignorance followers blindly swear to the Nikon legion, with out knowing what the hell they are talking about. They willing to paid more for the cameras & lenses thinking that it is better, because it cost more money than the competitions, but the sad truth is that Nikon & users is paying thorough the nose for licenses, Nikon club jackets, caps, and coffee mugs.
>>"*drool* Hasselblad............ *drool*<<
I have to agree with you that Blad are nice cameras, but highly over price. And, Blads are fine tune machine that you have to a yearly tune-up that cost $150 at a Blad dealer. While the competition cameras are a little heavier, but they don't need to have a tune-up every year & they all will still have perfect exposure after 15 years of heavy usage...try that on for size Blads head
I own a second hand Mamiya twin lens reflex with 3 leaf lenses & 3 film backs that take just as good pictures as the Bronica RB/RZ or Hasselblad. And, the entire packet cost me less than $1000, while you couldn't get a second hand Blad body for less than $1000, lets alone 3 lenses. It was my luck to get the Mamiya for that low of a price, but its should have gone for around $1500 or more. A second hand Blad body with 3 backs, and 3 lenses would have cost at least $5000. A completely new electronic Blad and its full line of 12~13 lenses will cost you well over $150 000...is more than enough to make you say that it is a rich boy toy...not professional work horse.
ultravox:
>>?My answer to that is just loook at all the pros and what they use.....NIKON.?<<
It could be that you saw way too many Nikon commercials (Same thing Mac heads say that Macs are better than PCs). Nikon out numbered other cameras during the Great War and up till the early 80s, but Canon have caught up and surpass them in number for the 90s. Most pro that uses Nikon is because they stared out with Nikon over 20 years ago, and it is too expensive to switch to another system. The newer Nikon buyers buy Nikon is because they like the look, feel, or brag rights that Nikon & peer feed it to them. But, most today Pros buy Canon for the adapt ability & the focus speed of the USM lenses...You should look harder the next time you see a sporting event to see how many Nikon vs. Canon...I?m sure you?ll see 3 Canons to 1 Nikon straining to get the shot.
...To add onto your list, all Canon 35mm lenses can be mounted on Canon Pro Video camera to extend the focal length since the introduction of USM lenses over 10 years ago.
?A camera is just a black box that hold the film, it is what you do with it is important, ? Ansel Adam.
...My 2 cents.
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