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Message: <blockquote data-quote="photodog25" data-source="post: 1845381" data-attributes="member: 86969">Hi Martin,Many people have given you good advice and (hopefully), I will give you more.  I am not a birder or wildlife photographer, but I am a camera nerd and have helped many people buy cameras.Certainly N & C are the most popular companies, so by all means do keep pursuing them. If you know you are going to get into this big time, I would only look at N & C since they have the largest range or available lenses. However, realize that you do pay a price premium with these brands, not necessarily at the lower levels, but as you move up their product lines. The marketing folks at N and C are very adept as diggive far into your pocket. <a href="http://www.birdforum.net/images/smilies/awink.gif" target="_blank">http://www.birdforum.net/images/smilies/awink.gif</a>However, if you are not sure and you want to dip your toes in the DSLR water, I think you should give the other companies a look since they often represent better values than the Big Two can give. Also, please do handle the equipment and work the controls before you buy because, depending on your hands and your previous camera experience, some cameras may fit better with you than others.Here are some of my thoughts on the manufactures and equipment I would chose if I wanted to keep my price tag low:Nikon: D90 w/18-105 and 70-300mm VR lenses. Make sure you get the current VR lens on the 70-300 as the older lens (without VR) is not as sharp. If you want a review of the that lens, visit <a href="http://www.bythom.com" target="_blank">www.bythom.com</a>. Thom is a Nikon guy, but he is honest and knowledgeable and is the first to pan Nikon equipment if he feels they have put something poor out. The D90 is about to be replaced, but really there is little wrong with the camera and the sensor is wonderful!Canon: I would stay away from the rebels and point you towards as others have suggested, a 40D. The camera is solid and dependable. I personally do not think that the controls on the Canon (compared to Pentax or Nikon) are very intuitive. However, other people like them. This is why you should play with the cameras before buying.Pentax: Pentax camera have a reputation for not have as fast AF as N&C cameras. However, they are improving their models and currently have only two models available. The wildly popular Kx has a wonderfully low noise sensor (same sensor as in the Nikon D5000, D90, and D300). It is a small well-built camera. You can pick this camera up for about $500 with kit lens which is a good one IQ-wise. After that I would buy the 55-300mm for $350 for your wildlife shots. I have used this lens and it is very sharp and lightweight and is probably one of the best consumer tele-zooms on the market. The Nikon 70-300mm is just as sharp, but heavier and more expensive since it covers 35mm full frame. The Pentax zoom only covers APS-C sensors.If you can stretch it, the Pentax K7 is a great bargain right now since it is slated to be replaced this fall. You can snag the body only for under $850. The K7 is weather-sealed against dust/moisture, which is useful if you shoot outdoors for peace of mind in any weather, has faster focusing and fps and is also a small camera (not as small as the Kx). Interestingly, the K7 sensor is not as noise-free as the Kx, but you can use noise-reduction software to improve. Olympus: E620 model. Small SLR's use a 4/3's sensor which is a bit smaller than the APS-C sensor. To get the 35mm equivalent field-of-view, multiply the lens focal lengths by 2X (1.5X as for Nikon and Pentax, or 1.6X for Canon. These cameras are small and lens quality is great and they have zooms at several price points. Even the kit lenses are applauded for their sharpness so I would get their 14-42 to start up. You should be able to pick E620 w/ kit zoom up for under $500. You have a choice with long zooms, either the 40-140mm or the 70-300mm. I have heard the 70-300 is pretty good, but can be soft near the telephoto end. Do you homework on these two. I would consult <a href="http://www.photozone.de" target="_blank">www.photozone.de</a> for good lens reviews.Panasonic: This is a long shot, but what about the Panasonic G1 or G2? This is not a DSLR, but is called a micro 4/3 camera. It has a 4/3's sensor and no flipping mirror so they are able to make the cameras thin. The IQ comes close to the lower end DSLRs. Auto focus is not as fast as a DSLR but not too bad. Oh, an because of no flipping mirror, the viewfinder is electronic but is very large and bright. Check it out. Currently, the system is limited, but the 14-42 kit lens is suppose to be great. Panasonic also has a 40-140mm lens that has received decent reviews. However, I would not buy it yet because they will have a 100-300mm out soon which by the looks of it should be small, light, and hopefully not too much money and great for wildlife with a 200-600mm field of view equivalent. I think Panasonic has done a great job on the ergonomic of the camera - all the controls are intuitive. The build is fairly solid, also.Finally, remember that you are not tied into a system with any of the recommendations I have given you so that if you find one of them does not work out, you should be able to switch systems fairly easily. All the cameras on the market today are capable of taking fabulous images, so you should be happy with the quality. Good luck!</blockquote>

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