Camera recommendations?

[GLC1968]

I'm getting a new camera for my birthday. I get to pick it out next week!

I have NO idea what I want. Well, actually I do, but I don't think just one camera can do it all!

I'd like a new SLR digital body that would work with my old Nikon lenses...BUT, I'd also like a POS that I could take when I travel, on the bike, to events, etc. I have an older Cannon Power Shot that's having some issues (after 5 years of heavy use)...and it's my second Cannon to fail on me, so I won't be buying another one of those. I want what I get to be fully automatic, but also the ability to set it up manually. I'd like it to be fast enough to shoot action but also have good macro ability. Zoom lens woud be nice, too. Is that too much to ask? Or should I really go with the Nikon digital body and use my existing lens and skip the point-and-shoot?

What do you have, do you love it, and why?

(and I swear there was an exhaustive camera recommendation thread here from a few years ago and for the life of me, I can't find it. Of course, the recommendations would be a bit dated, I guess...)

[Zen]

I have a D40 but for p&s I'm getting this-
http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/d...sp?newsID=4223

Compatibility of lenses depends on your old lenses. Were they for a digital camera? Were they for an autofocus camera?
You might have to research that.
A nikon mount is a nikon mount but they may or may not autofocus or meter.

[OakLeaf]

If you do decide on two cameras, the NYT just did their "best under $300."

For on the bike, I've got a Fuji Z33WP. Not the greatest thing in the world, particularly in low light, but waterproof for right around $150, and much more compact than the other waterproof P&S cameras that were available last year. That means I don't have to carry it in something sweatproof and difficult to access. It's fine for landscapes, group shots, and most everything I'd want to shoot from/near the bike.

[GLC1968]

My lenses are all non-digital and none of them are auto-focus - 100% manual.

I'm looking at the D3000 - I cannot get over how much more affordable these cameras are then when I first started looking about 3 years ago! Prices have really come down quite a bit.

I'm wary of Canon even though they get top ratings on most review sites. I like the features they offer, but I've had two quit on me, so I don't trust their long term quality.

The Olympus E-520 also looks like a contender - but I'll need to see all of these in real time. I think that I'm leaning towards an SLR. Though, I did put a few point and shoots with manual abilities on my list too (one of which is a Canon! ).

Zen - that Panasonic (the Lumnix) keeps popping up with good review's too. Have you had one before? I read that it's good for it's video? I'm not sure if I care about video or not. Oy...there are a lot of options.

Thanks for the NYT link - Oakleaf - adds to my confusion even futher!

[lunacycles]

I have a Nikon D40 too, and I love love love it. Love It. No better quality for this level of digital SLR camera. Mine's about a year old and the battery lasts a ridiculously long time between charges. Meets all my needs.
However, it is not a P&S. I have an ancient Canon Elph for my work photography, and it just keeps on going and going like the Energizer Bunny, though the battery is definitely failing after a kazillion recharges. I think 5 years of heavy use is pretty good these days...Mine is about 6 years old, and just now losing steam.

[wnyrider]

I'm getting a new camera for my birthday. I get to pick it out next week!

I'd like a new SLR digital body that would work with my old Nikon lenses...

I want what I get to be fully automatic, but also the ability to set it up manually. I'd like it to be fast enough to shoot action but also have good macro ability. Zoom lens woud be nice, too. Is that too much to ask? Or should I really go with the Nikon digital body and use my existing lens and skip the point-and-shoot?

What do you have, do you love it, and why?
[/I]

Here is an idea-- Like you I have had an old Nikon SLR that I had bought extra lenses for. This past year I impulsively treated myself to a new Pentax DSLR, the K20. I love its weather resistance and rugged nature. I found info on a photo forum that mentioned this adapter that allows Pentax users to use their old Nikon mount lenses. I found the adapter on ebay. It was a seller overseas, maybe Hong Kong. I was really skeptical, but it really is rather neat and has worked out fine. The downside is that the camera's auto focusing won't work through the older lenses so you have to manually focus. But, I was used to that anyways. I will eventually buy a Pentax dedicated zoom (there is a 50-500mm I drool over!), but in the meantime I am able to enjoy the convenience of a DSLR with the adaptability of my old cherished lenses.

[Zen]

You could probably buy any adapter from the well known sellers like B&H Photo, Adorama, Broadway Photo,etc.

I wouldn't trust a Hong Kong address plus you have to pay so much for shipping.

[malaholic]

...but I don't think just one camera can do it all!

I'd have to agree with you on that! But, prices on both P&S's as well as DSLR bodies have dropped quite a bit recently, so maybe it's not so much a question of which one to get, but rather which one to get first.

I'd like a new SLR digital body that would work with my old Nikon lenses...BUT, I'd also like a POS that I could take when I travel, on the bike, to events, etc.

K, a couple of questions out of this....assuming that a P&S meets your needs for the functions you mention above, when/for what would you use the DSLR? If you got a P&S only, how often would you be taking a shot where you were wishing for the better image quality/lens flexibility/manual control of a DSLR? And conversely, if you got a DSLR, how often would you miss event/travel photos (or have to settle for low quality cellphone snaps) because the body & lens setup was too inconvenient to carry?

If you're thinking of eventually having both a P&S and a DSLR, I'd suggest getting both in the same brand (I'd also narrow down brand choices to Nikon & Canon if looking at DSLRs). It just makes things much more convenient because menus & settings will be similar between the cameras so you don't have to learn two different control systems. I've had 3 Canon P&S's and 3 Canon DSLRs and it's been easy to switch between them since they all navigate much the same way. Being able to make the adjustments I want to make quickly without futzing through trying to figure out where the setting is on this camera because I'm used to it being somewhere else in another camera can make the difference between getting the shot and being too late.

Anyway, since you have a birthday coming up - Happy Birthday!!!

[zoom-zoom]

If you're thinking of eventually having both a P&S and a DSLR, I'd suggest getting both in the same brand (I'd also narrow down brand choices to Nikon & Canon if looking at DSLRs). It just makes things much more convenient because menus & settings will be similar between the cameras so you don't have to learn two different control systems. I've had 3 Canon P&S's and 3 Canon DSLRs and it's been easy to switch between them since they all navigate much the same way. Being able to make the adjustments I want to make quickly without futzing through trying to figure out where the setting is on this camera because I'm used to it being somewhere else in another camera can make the difference between getting the shot and being too late.

100% what she said.

I should also add that we had 2 problematic A-series Canons, but I LOVE my 20D SLR (I also had a 10D when I did some portraiture work for a while) and my SX110 IS. That "little" camera is the most amazing thing ever. I love the image quality and all of the manual settings.

As far as point-n-shoots go, I think 5 years of solid use is VERY good. Unfortunately most PnS cameras are just not designed for longevity. Even digital SLRs don't seem as rugged as their 35mm film counterparts in many cases...but the technology has improved so rapidly that 5 years for an SLR model yields a ton of changes.

[Zen]

Wait...did you mean P&S or POS?

[OakLeaf]

I took it she meant both.

[Tuckervill]

Consumer Reports had the Nikon D90 as their best buy last year. Based on features, what you get with hit and price. I didn't get one and it seems it is not on top of the retailer's stock list anymore. Maybe it has been upgraded or something. I did a lot of research last year, and now I've waited so long I probably will have to start over when I go to buy mine.

Karen

[zoom-zoom]

I took it she meant both.

Heh, pretty much!

Karen, that is funny about doing all the research and then having to start over. 2 days after I ordered my Canon point-n-shoot they replaced it with a newer model. I hadn't even received my camera and it was discontinued. But I got a good deal on it and don't miss that single megapixel.

[Cataboo]

I would agree that you really can't have one camera do it all...

I had a bunch of old film pentax lenses and bought a pentax k20d because pentax made their dslrs compatible with every pentax lens ever made - yes, you don't always get autofocus. I haven't regretted going with pentax.

I do a lot of kayaking, so required a waterproof digital camera (I don't risk my dslr to salt water lightly - it rides in my deck in a pelican case, but it only comes out when conditions are calm and only briefly) ... I did get the pentax optio w60, because at the point that I bought, it was the best waterproof digital camera available (from what was important to me). I use that for biking, kayaking, and just quick things to have a camera thrown in my purse.

[Aggie_Ama]

My P&S is a Kodak Easyshare because my mom wanted me to have a purple case and image stability for my shaky hands. Too bad I didn't tell her waterproof! So I love the photo quality and the price in case I break it but it is lacking features.