| I'm looking into doing the same. I had a Nikon Coolpix 5700 which was OK, but suffered from shutter delay and wasn't truely an SLR. I've been looking at Nikon D50, Canon EOS 350D and Panasonic Limix DMC-FZ30. Although the Panasonic isn't an SLR, it does have 12x zoom (effective 35mm-420mm) and more importantly a superb Leica lens. I've seen pictures from the samller Panasonic Lumix range and they are more than a match for some of the cameras twice the price.
When considering buying a film camera, we always used to consider the quality of the lens first and to a certain extent that decision making process seems to have been lost when looking at DSLRs. However any picture will only be as good as the optics allow it to be....
Pricewsie, the above three retail between £400 and £500, whereas the Nikon D70/Canon E30 are nearer the £800 mark. It all depends on how much you want to spend on your hobby.
For me I'm heavily swayed towards the Panasonic, but I will try one out before the final decision is made!  |