Good starter camera?

[sorberj]

OK, I know that this is probably the equivalent of asking "what's a good cannister filter", but I'm looking at getting into photography a bit more (yeah, another hobby), but I what I need to know is:
What's a good camera for someone just starting out in photography?

Here's what I am looking for:
I would like something not just for taking pictures of my aquarium, but also other things as well. I would prefer something that I can use to learn about the various settings, lens options etc, without being so overwhelmed by features that I start feeling like I'm working on a second graduate thesis. It should also be digital since I really don't have the time to run down to costco, wallyworld, etc. to get film developed, and I'm already skilled in photoshop so it's just easier that way.

Now here's the rub (before the recommendations for the $5,000 IMT 3 billion Super FX cameras come out..by the way IMT stands for "it makes toast"), I'm looking for something that's affordable as well. No more than $500 to get started ideally, but I could probably go a little higher if necessary, and possibly something that I could purchase additional lenses for in the future if I want to use it for more specialized applications.

If you have a favorite, please let me know why. I'm trying to avoid responses like "brand x is the best for the money, hands down" and would prefer responses like "brand x is less prone to breakage than brand y so the extra $50 is worth it"

I know I'm asking a lot, so thank you in advance

 

[echoofformless]

Okay first question - I see you mentioned lens options so I'm assuming you mean SLR? Because if that is the case, $500 is a little light.

 

[echoofformless]

Just go on amazon and look in your price range - there you will see reviews and be able to see which entry level models get the most customer satisfaction.

I'd go with a Canon myself. But Nikon also makes some good entry level models.

 

[confusion]

The nikon D3000 seems to fit in your budget. You can buy lenses that will be reusable if you upgrade to a higher end Nikon.

Canon vs. Nikon is another religious war, but my observation is the canon's interface is a bit more refined/more bells & whistles, but the canon is more solid and the battery last a LOT longer.

I also recently purchased a Panasonic ZS3 to have something more compact to carry around and I love it. It's no DSLR, but it's much nicer than any point & shoot I've ever used.

 

[bio_lover]

Canon for very fast speed but Nikon for general photography. Look at sports photographers, most are using the white lenses but not the blacks. If you think of expanding your photography skills in the future, settle down with either one of these brands, not others.

 

[RDTigger]

You can take a quality pic with many dSLR's.. Not just Canon or Nikon..

The Olympus E-Series is a great starter camera. The 620 is the newest, but the E-500 takes a good picture and has a great array of basics to learn on. A package for the 500 would run in your budget and give you both a 14-42 lens and the telephoto... <$500

 

[Squawkbert]

Not a true DSLR, nut covers a lot of ground nicely...http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fz35/4505-6501_7-33765520.html
it's a "super zoom point & shoot" so there's no shoe for a flash, no swapping lenses but it has a pretty good lens built in, and it shoots HD video as well. It can do bracketing, A or S priority or full manual mode in addition to full auto modes for several scene types, includes focus lock/tracking... and decently minimal shutter lag.

For $500 you could get it, a 42mm UV filter, a bag and a few 8 or 16GB SDHC cards. I've got one and I like it.

In this class, Pentax and Canon make worthy competitors. As much as I like some Nikon stuff, they are not up to snuff among the others I've mentioned in this class.

 

[bio_lover]

sorberj will have headache to decide which one to buy after the recommendations by us. Just remember, its the man behind the camera that matters. Buy one within your budget and as long as the camera is able to give you what you wanted, it will be o.k.

 

[sorberj]

thanks all, this helps a lot I'll start looking at some of the models a bit more closely.

 

[UncaBret]

I like my Sony Cyber-Shot 8.1 mp. It's what I use to take pics of my models

and Brenda uses it to take pictures of our son's games.