greeetings... not that i have an immediate plans for such a purchaxe, but i can't notice some cool looking cams out there...around 1000 (us)fro a few. canon xpk,, canon 20d, nison d70/even d100...(why doesn't anyone here ever talk about brands such as "minolta", olympus, ect. are you all biased? so..i realize these 1000-range models are geared torward the amature...but still seem very cool...figure such a camera would more than seve the needs of most amatures, perhaps even some pros(depending on needs)....so even though the 1.5 ration of lens to littler than 35 mm film-sized chip complicated matters somewhat...i have a quesionts. what chip performs better(nison/canon).....any other important factosrs to consider when choosing such a slr? TY kindly....some day...if i ever feel i advance enough, and /or have a reason that would demand such a purchace...i may get such a beast(although by that time there will prob b a Nikon D1,000,000 w/1000 MP, ect, but whatever. (I do realize most the aboved metnioned models include a "standard" zooom, and lenses can b VERY costly....add some lights, ect...U b out 10 grand easy! :-) thanks kindly....(i have an advanced compact "builit in zoom digi")works well !....and I also have a nice Minolta Maxxum 70 someodd thing or other. Its new is all I know, and is amazing......it even has a flash that can be remotely activated, and I got the standare 28-90 zoom, and a not-so expensive Minolta 70 - 300 D zoom. Cool cam!

please forgive my many grammatical/spelling errors. i must need coffeee......anyways, i assume )hope) u get the message peace/jeff :-)

All I can say is try a DSLR..you will be hooked.Best bet pricewise is NikonD70...

Thanks kindly for the input DBgrafix...I've heard good things about the NikonD70....so....hmmmmm I will check that one off as a possible purchase(if I ever decide to blow that much cash)...:-) what of the D100 though, or that new mini Canon rebel XT. Nikon...hmmmm. thanks again, kindly appreciated Doug :-) -Peace/Jeff :-)

D100 is a metal body, but for the most part is almost the same camera.Go ahead blow the money...least you get something for it. The only thing about getting DSLR is it is kind of like fishing....you get the rod...then better reels then flies then more stuff and more...Gets addicting. Where as a fixed lens consumer camera....there is not that much to buy after. Good thing about them too is you dont have to wait for 3 minutes waiting for the camera to finally come on and lose a shot. The batteries last 10 times longer.You can fire off more shots per second. You get to hear the shutter click again...View through the lens for more in focus shots. Better manual settings....the list goes on...

cool...ty kind sir 4 the valuable info...i will have to start a more thorough investigation....aside from my mag reviews.......prob. best thing is to ask you kind/experienced folks, and check out actual cams at da shops... as i said...i am not planning on jumping out and getting such a cool dslr very soon...but maybe later...i feel i must learn more w/what i have, and other considerations including accesories, pc hardware, possible job(s)!.... any further input here would b most appreciated.... thanks :-) -Jeff

Jeff - I owned a Minolta XGM 35mmSLR for many years - from what I have heard the Minolta range of DSLR's are very good. If you have made an investment in Minolta lenses for your existing film camera then the advantages are even more pronounced. They have one huge advantage over any of the others in that the Anti-shake system is built into the camera body so you don't have to purchase it again and again in with lenses you buy. It is there for use with all your lenses. The range is now getting up to speed again having fallen behind like many at the start of the digital race. Next year there is a 9D due to join the recent 5D and existing 7D I think they are very viable alternative to anyone and certainly worth consideration.

Olympus seem to have chosen to make their own way with a 4/3rds format which some like some don't.
I am not sure when Leica first invented the 35mm format it was anymore than because it was twice the size of existing cinefilm at the time. Some would argue it matches the golden section rules of composition and therefore has advantages over the 4/3rds system.
Olympus digital slr cameras certainly produce good results and for a reasonable price only disadvantage I see is the lack of 3rd party lenses.
Enough is said about the 2 market leaders for me not to add to it.
Each make and model has advantages and disadvantages it is a case of weighing these against your needs and budget. Just because a camera seemingly has a higher spec. does not mean it produces the best results for your particular needs if you do not require that spec.

Personally I would like a Leica R9 with a digital back and good selection of lenses to suit - but thats just dreaming ....................zzzz................ :))

Message edited on: 07/22/2005 04:42

Yep, I am bias. I am a Nikonian from way back. and the D70 is a great camera but I like the metal body of my D100. It just feels right in my hands. And yes, DSL is alot of money but it is well worth it. No shutter lag, interchangable lenses, high megapixal counts, I could go on but I will just say D100/SLR, love it!

TY dudes for the most cool feed back. I will carefully review all posts here, and take all into careful consideration. I must admit...from what i know, and from your input on the matter...the Nikon D700 does seem like a very appealing to say the least....my mouth is watering here. Just thiking of all the cool lenses to compliment such a cool beast...it is making me see visions of 3-6 k....plus flashes, ect. ect...but i guess it would b a killer investiment.... I prob. won't get it for some time...i appreciate the input though my friends. I still must better learn my other two cams...my advanced compact digi,,,and my slr minolta....so...ty I also have to consider a faster pc to deal w/the more MP, ect. ect....printer perhaps to print some cool quality stufff(500+....) at least this is a cool hobby...and i think worth the investment.....something to grow w/ beats spending it all on crack. :-) =Peace/Jeff

Onslow...thanks for the tip regarding my minolta lenses. I think I read somewhere they are not compatable w/the dslr's, but I will def. investigate. I've been looking at some specs for a few cams...mainly the D70, Canon XT, and Canon EOS20. Some things I noticed...the Nikon has a bit bigger sensor than either Canons. The Nikon has 5 focal points, the XT 7, and EOS20 9. Both the XT and EOS20 shoot faster(more frames per sec. than the Nikon...esp. the EOS20. I read that is a great bird cam for tracking birds for long periods of time. I also heard the new XT is excellent at tracking birds in flight...even faster than the EOS20...but just doesn't stay w/it as long. I have no idea about the Nikon. Also the Nikon has a 2" LCD...both canons are less than 2 inches. The Nikon starts at ISO200...I am not sure if I like that. I like to use ISO 80 most the time. OF course the Nikon is a more sophisticated cam, w/bigger chip so ISO200 is prob more than low enough for a clear shot. The Nikon has a pretty fast shutter speed....i think 8000. as far as the flash sync specs for these cams I assume they are talking about the built in flash. I know w/my film minolta that's the case. Rather slow w/the built in one...but w/my new flash it syncs up to the full shutter speed. Of course there are different technologies behinds both cams, and all have advantages and disadvantages. I do think that for 1000k+ one would expect a pretty picture in most cases. As long as there's none of that "purple" tinge that shows up in some night shots... Thanks again for all the input. -Jeff :-)