Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera Body + Nikon 18-200mm VR II Lens + 16GB Memory Card + Nikon EN-EL3e Battery + Case + Cameta Bonus Accessory Kit This instant

Can't get better. D90 has an awesome body & 18-200mm VR-II is the best available lens one can use for everyday life. Am Loving ItGet more detail about Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera Body + Nikon 18-200mm VR II Lens + 16GB Memory Card + Nikon EN-EL3e Battery + Case + Cameta Bonus Accessory Kit.

Olympus PEN E-P1 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Silver Body/Black Lens) Best Quality

1. For reference sake, I've used many cameras before (film and digital) and thus realize that there is no "perfect" camera. For most photographers who are "into" photography, they will agree with my contention that you need at least two cameras; one for "serious" work (ie typically a DSLR, but not always) and a compact camera for snapshots (which is also an important part of one's personal photography).

2. With the above said, I have a DSLR (currently E-620), I have a fairly compact camera (Ricoh GX200), but for various reasons, I wanted a smallish camera with HD video (a fair amount exist, most of which was much more compact than the EP-1) that also has good image quality (which for me also means the ability to shoot RAW)--> which really narrowed down the choice to the EP-1 and the Panasonic G1. I'll conclude this rambling point, by noting that it's important for folks to realize that the EP-1 is a niche camera; ie it does produce nice quality images, it has many (not all) performance features more similar to DSLRs than compact cameras, but it is NOT a compact camera... nor is it as big as a DSLR, even the smallest DSLR. I just wanted to make this point, because even though it is smaller than any DSLR, no matter what most folks say, unless you solely use the pancake lens, you are not going to be putting this into your pocket. Even if you did exclusively use the pancake lens, the entire unit is relatively hefty (which is a testament to the construction) and thus most folks wouldn't feel comfortable walking around with this thing in their pocket. Thus on a personal side note, I've come to the conclusion that I'll use / need a DSLR for my "serious" work, EP-1 for most family shots, family travel vacations (ie excellent image quality equal to that of my E620 but without the bulk, HD video etc...) AND a true compact for those situations where I actually need to carry something in my pocket (ie Birthday dinner etc...).

3. Sorry for the long personal ramblings above; so here are my other brief impressions:

a. Build: very solid. As noted via others, kind of relatively heavy, but for me, that's a good thing.

b. Image Quality: I shoot RAW all the time, very good image quality.

c. HD Video: I'm not a video expert, but it's overtly better than my regular resolution videos via my other digital cameras. Via apeture priority mode, you can set the apeture and then one can also adjust the exposure via exposure compensation. It would be nice if there was a manual focus assist like when one shoots photos (ie having an enlarged image). The continuous focusing mode is lame and thus one needs to focus manually or single focus lock (which is basically like shooting manually). Supposedly the EP-2 will be able to track subjects better in video mode. Unless one shoots subjects which come to / fro in the video and shoots long segments, the above problems should not be much of an issue.

d. Focusing: ... it's not bad. It's not great, but I didn't expect anything super great in the first place. When using the zoom kit lens, it is definitely fast enough for 90% of situations. I agree with many that it is irritating that the camera has to refocus each time you press the button, but in the end it's a minor annoyance. I haven't used the pancake lens with the EP-1 yet; I'll get it soon. Another very important point in regards to focusing, the EP-1 has this very cool feature that if one is in manual or S-M focus mode (I think that's what it's called), as soon as you touch the focus ring, you'll get a 7x or 10x view on the LCD--> translation, it is the quickest manual focus via LCD I've come across thus far. It's so quick and accurate (because you're actually doing the focus) that when I use my 4/3 Olympus lens on the EP-1 (ex: 12-60mm or 9-18mm) I always use the manual focus method and it works fairly well.

e. Lack of Flash? It's a nonissue for me because I rarely ever use an onboard flash. When I need a flash, I use a hotshoe flash (ex: Olympus FL-36 or better yet--> Olympus FL-50R). But I do agree that having a built in flash is important, especially the smaller the camera you have simply because the purpose of having a small camera is to avoid carrying other gear... like a flash.

f. IS: I assume it works. It works in my E-620 and this was one of the reasons I stuck with the Olympus Line; ie the G1 doesn't have in body IS. To me, this feature is more important than having an onboard flash that I might use 1% of the time. I use IS a fair amount.

g. LCD: I've used the camera in various conditions, including the worst LCD shooting situation; sunny day at the beach. Yea, it can be challenging in such situations but again, only in certain conditions: trying to manually focus at telephoto. For most shooting situations while at the beach, on a sunny day, using autofocus--> no problem. I just turn up the LCD to max brightness.

h. Other stuff: frame rate is decent, turn on / off time is ok, writing to card seems ok--> ie none of this issues have been noticeable or an irritating issue to me.

4. In summary, it's a no brainier that this camera is more than capable of producing great images and it has the flexibility that all serious photographers want. I would say the primary issue that one has to clearly figure out in one's mind is for what purpose one envisions using this camera. It is not a DSLR replacement, but in many instances it could provide similar images (at least non-full frame DSLRs) and it is NOT a replacement for a true compact camera. It is a niche camera that is capable of some very good images. Get more detail about Olympus PEN E-P1 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Silver Body/Black Lens).

Canon Digital Rebel XSI 12MP Digital SLR Camera (Black) + Canon 18-55mm IS Lens + 8GB Cameta Accessory Kit Get it now!

One thing I learned from this transaction is that Amazon does not stand behind the purchase when a third party is involved. You are on your own. You probably should be aware of that if you are not now.Get more detail about Canon Digital Rebel XSI 12MP Digital SLR Camera (Black) + Canon 18-55mm IS Lens + 8GB Cameta Accessory Kit.

Sony Alpha A230L 10.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with Super SteadyShot INSIDE Image Stabilization and 18-55mm Lens Buy Now

I've had the camera for a few days now. Its been wonderful. Many people online seem to complain about Sony's default settings for the camera. They say the color is "off" a little. I've taken of 400 pictures in a few days and haven't any problems with the colors of the photos. I recommend buying an external flash. Its been a big help.Sony HVLF20AM TTL Digital Flash for Sony Alpha Digital SLR CamerasGet more detail about Sony Alpha A230L 10.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with Super SteadyShot INSIDE Image Stabilization and 18-55mm Lens.

Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization w/ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Lens Order Now

This is my 28th digital camera and I love it. I had the Canon SXI for a short while and it was good but did not impress me. This SLR does impress me. It is wonderful for scenic work and for studio work. It is the best buy in a dSLR by far.Get more detail about Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization w/ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Lens.

Nikon D5000 12.3MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR and 55-200mm f/4-5.6G VR Lenses and 2.7 inch Vari-angle LCD Decide Now

I've been researching this camera for 6 months and I was kinda disappointed when I heard about the recall. I was not going to choose another camera because it seemed that Nikon would take care of the "bad" batch. I planned to get the camera in time for a trip I was taking early September. I delayed ordering it as much as I could and then one day I went ahead and ordered the camera with the 2 lens kit from Shutterbug. I spoke with Shutterbug over the phone and they reassured me that the camera I would receive was not part of the recall. Got the camera August 14 and I love it! I am not an SLR expert (this is my first) but I think I made the right choice. Many reputable companies issue recalls on their products. Nikon handled the issue the right way and I think it's not a reason to give bad reviews to a product based on a recall. This is a wonderful camera.
I decided to make the move to the D-SLR after using a prosumer/superzoom (Panasonic) for 5 years. I am still very happy with the superzoom but the poor ISO performance of the non-slrs was the deciding factor to get the D5000.
This camera has excellent performance at ISO 1600 and the kit lenses are pretty good considering you even get image stabilisation for the price. LiveView works pretty good if you can handle the ~ 2 sec focus delay. I recommend this camera for the amateur photographers crossing over to SLR.
For an expert review goto:
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Get more detail about Nikon D5000 12.3MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR and 55-200mm f/4-5.6G VR Lenses and 2.7 inch Vari-angle LCD.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera with EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens Right now

This camera takes fabulous photos and HD videos. The 24 - 105mm f/4L IS USM lens in the kit version is also superb--probably the best all-around lens you can get for this camera. The lack of autofocus in video mode is a slight drawback, but the HD quality is astounding. The only drawback I've found is the lack of reliability: mine has conked out twice already and had to be sent to the Canon repair center! Don't count on it as your only camera in a critical situation.

Get more detail about Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21.1MP Full Frame CMOS Digital SLR Camera with EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens.

Lowest Price Pentax K-7 14.6 MP Digital SLR with Shake Reduction and 720p HD Video with DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL Weather Resistant Lens

The Pentax K-7 14.6 MP Digital SLR with Shake Reduction and 720p HD Video with DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL Weather Resistant Lensis my first DSLR. I bought the K-7 after researching many cameras. The K-7 just had more to offer in capabilities. I am very happy with my choice and glad I could afford to purchase the K-7. The K-7 is replacing the Panasonic Lumix FZ50 I have been using it has served me well for years. The K-7 is a real step up for me and has much better high ISO performance and many exciting features to work with than my old FZ50. The K-7 will keep me busy with all it's potential till the next camera comes out that I can't resist.

I purchased the Kit because I didn't have any Pentax lenses for the body and the price was right for the kit. I also purchased a Pentax DA 55-300mm f/4-5.8 ED Lens for Pentax and Samsung Digital SLR Camerasat the same time I bought the K-7 from Amazon so I should be getting a rebate for the 2 purchases totaling [...]. from Pentax.

I added a few quick shots to show the capability of the kit lens on the K-7. I also bought a Pentax 10-17MM fish eye lens to round out the new camera system. Will add another prime lens for low light shooting at a later date.

This is a great camera.

I sent a review in earlier but it hasn't shown up so I am sending this one to see if it shows. Get more detail about Pentax K-7 14.6 MP Digital SLR with Shake Reduction and 720p HD Video with DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL Weather Resistant Lens.

Low Price Sony Alpha A330Y 10.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with Super SteadyShot INSIDE Image Stabilization and 18-55mm and 55-200mm Lenses

I had to buy a DSLR camera for my college photography class. I didn't really know anything about using one, and I wasn't willing to pay over $700 for one. I saw this camera on a Sony flier I received in my e-mail and showed the specifications to my professor. Overall, he thought it was a pretty neat camera for it's price.

So far I haven't had any problems with it, and most of my pictures have come out the way I wanted them to come out. The A330 is very light and fits better in my hands than some other DSLR cameras I have been playing around with. What I really love about the camera is it's help guide. For someone, like me, who has minimal DSLR experience the help guide is extremely useful. Get more detail about Sony Alpha A330Y 10.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with Super SteadyShot INSIDE Image Stabilization and 18-55mm and 55-200mm Lenses.

Save Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 and 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 ED Zuiko Lenses

I just got this camera this month (Dec. 2009) and I have already taken over 100 pictures with it. At first, I couldn't figure out the Auto Focus - but then I took the time to read the manual and now I am in love with this camera. For an advanced user, this camera probably wouldn't be too impressive --- but for someone just learning a Digital SLR I think that they will be very happy. I have captured some great pictures of my Dog already (and she is a moving target, haha). I have a friend that owns a Canon Rebel and she checked my camera out and LOVED it as well. Any type of Digital SLR Brand Name w/ two lenses for under $500.00 is a steal... I cannot wait to have more opportunities to use this camera. I will not consider myself anything more than a Novice photographer, but I am a happy customer that is for sure.Get more detail about Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 and 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 ED Zuiko Lenses.

Discount Olympus PEN E-P2 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens and Electronic View Finder

Bottom line: this camera represents a fantastic compromise between price, portability and picture quality. For those who can't take their big DSLRs everywhere they want to take pictures, this is the best camera I've found. Folks who are moving up from point and shoots should really get a "real" DSLR as their move-up camera; this thing is really for those who already have DSLRs and looking for a great 2nd camera.

Likes:

Image quality, feel, size, weight. Really, you get great pictures up to ISO 400 (and I'm picky), and ISO 800 is completely usable. This is my replacement for a Canon G9, and this camera is just a little bit bigger and TONS better.

This is a system with multiple manufacturers. I'll be able to upgrade bodies and lenses from different companies without worrying about compatibility. Panasonic may make a better body a year or two from now -- no worries, I'll just buy it and know my lenses will just work.

The 14-42 lens is really sharp. I've ordered the 45-200 and pre-ordered the super-wide 7-14 zoom. They all weigh about a pound. I also have a Gitzo GT1550T T6X Carbon Fiber Series 1 Rapid Column 5 Section Traveler Tripod. My travel photo kit will be quite nice, small and light. Ahhhhh!

Just OK:

The autofocus isn't as good as my prime DSLR (a Canon 1ds iii, so you know from whence I speak!), but is a heck of a lot better than normal point & shoots.

Dislikes:

As *everyone* says, you have your choice of one option at a time: strobe, electronic viewfinder, or external microphone connection. Arghhh!

The USB connector is some darned combo AV / USB thing. It is NOT compatible with standard USB cables. My suggestion: don't take the cable with you on the road, but instead use a separate card reader to download pictures.

The battery it came with is lame. Get a higher capacity battery for $9. In fact, get two! Maximal Power DB OLY BLS-1 Replacement Battery for Olympus Digital Camera/Camcorder (Black)

I really wish they made a very little strobe for this other than the Olympus FL-14 Flash for Olympus E-P1 Micro Four Thirds Digital Camera. The FL-14 is lame (no tilt or swivel, low power), but the FL-36R is too big. The ideal setup would be to just use a wireless trigger and move the strobe off-axis.

The user interface is a little weird. I actually had to read the manual. I suspect this is just because I'm a Canon-head, but be warned. I'm getting used to it, which mostly means going into the secret setup menu (you have to turn on the detailed setup menu) and customizing things. One strong suggestion: set Auto-ISO to 100-400. No real penalty in picture quality at ISO 400, and you won't mind if the camera swings between 100 and 400 as it pleases.

(In response to an excellent comment, here's a follow-up...)

I agree that ISO 1600 is "really good," but in my opinion 400 is the highest ISO that maintains the best quality. In fact, there's really no noise to clean up -- even in solid red areas of the picture. 800 and above, you're trading off quality for sensitivity. I suspect we're really agreeing with each other, but I could have been more explicit. So, here goes: this thing has near-DSLR image quality in a very small, nice package. If you make huge prints, stick to 400 or lower (advice that's also relevant for all but the highest-end DSLRs); judicious use of Noise Ninja, et al, may allow you to push a bit past 400, but you're literally pushing your luck. ISO 1600 is fine for smaller prints, and more than fine for web pages, etc.

And since I've written my original review, I've come to appreciate the auto-tracking continuous focus mode. I have my Fn key mapped to MF (manual focus), so I can bounce back and forth easily. I sure wish the camera had a few more mappable buttons, though. I'd really like to also get access to the white balance set command as well as the depth of field preview. Oh, well.

Also, I built a dual-illuminant DNG Color Profile for my E-P2. Amazing improvement! I was able to take a picture of my LCD, bring the pic into Lightroom (where the profile is automatically applied), and then see that the colors of my displayed image exactly math the original. Nice stuff. Just google "dng color dual illuminant" to see how to do it.

Finally, the nice guy who runs epaperpress made ptlens work with the E-P2 about an hour after I asked him to. I highly suggest using ptlens from Photoshop to correct barrel distortion, etc.
Get more detail about Olympus PEN E-P2 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens and Electronic View Finder.

Cheapest Olympus Evolt E620 12.3MP Live MOS Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization and 2.7 inch Swivel LCD w/ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 and 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 ED Zuiko Lenses

The E620 is my first DSLR and I have no regrets in buying it. Before this camera, I primarily used point-n-shoot cameras which I feel are great for casual events do to the portability and ease of just taking it out of my pockets and shooting away. However I wanted an upgrade to use for more special gatherings such as graduations, weddings, family functions, or vacations. I wouldn't say that the pictures I was taking with my point-n-shoot were bad, but they were definitely a step below photos taken from my friends DSLRs. The most imporant features for me were 1) size, 2) price, 3) live-view screen, and 4) quality of pictures with the included lenses. With those factors in mind, I narrowed my choice down to the Nikon D5000, Canon T1i, and Olympus E620

1) Getting used to small pocket point-n-shoot camers, I wanted a DSLR that was also small and light weight. I knew that there was no way I'd be able to fit the DSLR into my jacket pocket or anything like that, but I at least wanted something that was going to be easy to carry around and easy to take in and out of the bag. I've seen people who carried what looked like 10-15 pound bags of camera gear and this is what I wanted to avoid. The E620 is probably one of the most compact DSLRs out there. I went to the local store and compared the E620 with the Nikon D5000 and Canon T1i. It wasn't clearly the smallest camera since the Canon seemed pretty compact too, but when holding the camera, the build quality of the Olympus felt like it was a better assembled camera. The buttons, dials, and switches all felt like they were carefully put together and would last many years of use.

2) The price of the E620 was about a $100 less then the Nikon and Canon. This was a pretty big factor for me since I knew I also had to spend money on a bag, storage device, lens/camera cleaners, simple lens filter, possibly an extra battery. My budget for the entire package was about $800. I didn't want to get low quality accessaries like a $5 camera bag or the generic storage device, since I knew that my bag was going to help protect the camera from any accidental drops and the difference between a failed flash card and a one that didn't fail is almost priceless. The accessaries I wanted to get was about $100 street value, which was perfect since that was about the same amount of money saved from buying an Olympus compared to the Nikon or Canon.

3) Being used to point-n-shoot cameras, I really wanted a DSLR with a good live view screen. Before doing more research into the DSLRs, I used to think that live-view was standard on all DSLRS. They all had lcd screens which I thought was for the users to see what s/he was taking a photo of. However this is not the case and live-view is a relatively new feature on DSLRs. Apparently most DSLR users use the view-finder which I find to be slightly annoying. The E620 easily and acurrately focused on the subjects when using live view and this made it a very easy transition to use the E620. Now I just need to play around more with the manual controls and have my photos coming out the way I want them too. As an added bonus, the E620 offers a swivel screen. This is great when you need to raise the camera above your head to take a picture since you can easily swivel the screen so you can see what you are taking a picture of. Its also very useful when you need to take a picture from the ground up.

4) Lenses are the most important part of a DSLR camera. Even after a few years when a camera depreciates, a good lens can hold its value fairly well. Many times buying an extra lens will cost more then the camera itself! Since price was a concern for me I wanted a camera that came with decent lenses. I didn't want to spend an extra $500 on another lens. After reading many reviews, it was determined that the Olympus came with very qualified kit lenses that were quick to focus and took sharp looking photos. I understand that a more expensive lens should produce better results, but many times I always felt that my point-n-shoot cameras took really good photographs already, so there's a good chance that I'll might not even be able to tell the difference between the a good picture and a great picture. And again, I'm just a casual camera user and wouldn't even consider myself a hobbiest or an amateur photographer. So I think kit lenses will be enough for my needs.

I've owned my camera for about 6 months now and I must say that I'm still very pleased with it and that I'm slowly learing more and more about photography and how to take better pictures. This camera fit perfectly for my needs and happens to also take very good photos. For those of you trying to decide between the Nikon, Canon, or Olympus, you really can't go wrong with any of them, but just know what your needs are and it'll be a much simpler choice. Get more detail about Olympus Evolt E620 12.3MP Live MOS Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization and 2.7 inch Swivel LCD w/ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 and 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 ED Zuiko Lenses.