jus watched a jap movie tat make me interested in taking photo ...n because i like to travel so i am thinking tat is time for me to start learning to take nice photo...so any advise?looking for a DSLR camera currently but some of them r quite expensive n many function tat i dont even know...

d best is if can get a simplest n quite functionable for beginner d DSLR camera, price factor also will be d range of my consideration...

Get yourself a D40.

Among the smallest DSLR. Looks like a toy

nikon d40..small and lightweight...using one myself

panasonic fz18?

That's not a DSLR.

that's prosumer. but its a good camera. =D

smallest DSLR is Olympus E-410. Cheap & easy to use ^^
even 1Ds Mark III got auto mode, so all camera is very simple ^^

If it's so small as to be difficult to hold, what's the point?
Many Canon 350D and 400D owners end up buying battery grips to remedy this. Dunno about the Olympus E-410 but its grip is radically different from most DSLRs - it's more 'flat' rather than a protruded grip contour.

Also, in the end, the lenses can be as big as your DSLR body.

Could be a lady user. Maybe...

U want good pictures with cheap price range + small DSLR...D40 is your choice !

This is really a good beginner DSLR.

my usual advice - go molest la. aiyoh. drop by a camera shop, look at the cameras yourself. feel it in your hands, hold it. meddle with the buttons.

i can tell you D40 nice but what if you're more comfortable with 350D buttons? go test out first la easiest, or else everyone can recommend the lowest end DSLR of each brand and you're still not progressing with narrowing down your choices.

Molest is Correct.

Anyway, this is the usual response from owners of D40 and Canon 400D

Nikon got a better grip. Feels more like SLR.
400D grip is too small. Feel like suitable mostly for small hands.

my hands cannot properly fit both 400D and D40 since i have long fingers

Canon 400D, Nikon D40/D40x, Olympus E-410, Pentax k100d super.

Canon has the bigger advantage if u wanna add a battery grip to make vertical shooting easier.

Nikon has a major disadvantage, you need to buy lens that has built in motor in it to do autofocus, the kit lens does provide this. So in the future, if u're going to look for new lens for your D40/D40x body, look for Nikon lens with a "AF-S" tag on it. For third party lens by Sigma, look for the "HSM" word. These will allow auto focus of the lens on a D40/D40x. If not, you're only allow to do manual focus.

E-410 is the world's smallest DSLR. Not sure about the grip, but many claim that its comfortable. their lens system is light weight too, though at the pricey part, cuz most of their lens is expensive, but very high quality.

Im not to sure about the pentax. But the good thing about it that it has a built in image stabilizer inside it, and dust reduction too. Oh the E-410 also have a built in dust reduction inside its body.

So go figure.

No need to think. This is obviously D40 because the review and forum are just too hard to ignore.

i've tried the e-410 and i must say that i'm surprised that its really comfortable to hold.
now they got the twin lens kit promotion for around 2.6k.
a very good starter kit.

2.6k. why not get e510 for 2.9k and also twin lens?

RM2.9k? I rather get myself a 400D kit + Sigma 70-300mm f4-5.6 Macro and voila, you can have so so telelens, wide angle, and macro.

Dimensions 129.5 mm (W) x 91 mm (H) x 53 mm (D) (excluding protrusions)
Weight 375 g (body only)

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Added on January 9, 2008, 10:56 amoh ya.. it didnt answer ur 1st part of the question la.. "BEST".. that is up to u

Go fondle fondle 'em la... Initially I targetted D40 / D40x as my first DSLR... After fondling them I settled for a D80 le....

Mesti cuba baru tau amacam rasa ma...

Your options will be Nikon D40, Olympus e-410, Canon d350 and maybe Pentax k100D. I'm not sure about others cam but Nikon D40 got this special [?] button that'll help newbie users identified what's the problem and some recommendations to amend it.

That's odd, no one recommended a Sony Alpha 100. I think it's not bad of a dslr too.

sony alpha a200 is out n coming...

Available in US market only in end of february/early march. Will take some time to get to Malaysia.

a100 will still be a slightly cheaper solution than the a200.

but at rm2.9 to get a slr tat cover wide angle to mid range tele of 28mm to 300mm (35mm equivalent focal length) E-510 twin kit lens is the best choice..

Yeap, that's a pretty sweet deal from Olympus.

if u wanna cover, A100 I think cover more. From 28mm to 450mm (35mm eq) and that's for RM2.2k only
But of course, Oly kit lens is the best in the market.

plus super steady shot

tat one same like E-510 built in body IS la...

the only real different which set them apart is the live view...

The A200 is already having presales in the Midvalley Roadshow which started today. RM1999 with kit lens and 2GB! Much, much faster access to settings than the D40.

Honestly, I think newbies should buy a bridge/prosumer camera first. At least they'll know what they want and what is relevant to their pictures and what they want to shoot. So, when they touch a 400D, they can see "hmm, there are separate WB and ISO and Drive buttons that the D40 does not have."

The E-410 is still the smallest and lightest. The lenses are smaller, too.

The typical Malaysian goes "oh I buy ***** because my all friends say it is good". They come, asking "should I buy this or this", expecting to be spoonfed!

Go feel it la. For beginner, anti shake is important.
Easy to mendle also important.
All giving kit lens. So, nothing to shout about.

not only beginer la..advance user also need IS or anti shake la

Advance user can control a bit... like lean on wall, elbow lift... and all sort of things la...

I'd shout if I had to use a Canon 18-55mm, but every other kit lens is pretty decent.

Anti-shake has good practical use when you're not shooting in a well-lit area. Unless you practice tai chi so that just before you shoot you're already steady.

Of course, anti-shake will be pointless if one just shoots in bright daylight and with flash on all the time. But then that unadventurous-photography-type person would be better off with a digicam, yes?

He! He!
Point answered.

I'll definitely fall into the category... if i have the money...

I disagree on this. if that's the case then 350D / 400D / D40 / D40x or whatever would be less a preference compared to what Sony / Pentax are offering.

I'd say, throw newbies to something without IS. Then they'll pick up better the techniques of holding camera and understand how to manipulate aperture, shutter and sensitivity to get a decent shot.

they can still upgrade to IS later, regardless whether it's on-body or on-lens IS.

i know one guy, upgraded from 350D to A700. no big deal.

This month no money... may be next month got... next month don't have... wait another month or year... don't worry.
We work so hard... sometimes must treat ourselves once awhile.

wahhh.... already come out?

Presales?
Do they actually have stock or you're just actually locking yourself in with a deposit?

Some say booking wah... stock end of the month.

Dangerous... you don't know the actual performance or first-batch issues with the A200. Also, what makes you think you can't get a deal better than RM1999 elsewhere after the product launch?

I believe they have a demo over there to test, can't be just presales without consumer have any idea how the camera performs.

Ah... same goes for D300... also booking donno when can get.

Sony set the price for A200 body at 600$ (~2000RM) im not sure that price is before or after tax. But it still cheaper by pre-order, 2000RM with kit lens and 2GB card
If really 2000RM, it's the best bang of buck for entry level DSLR. Its function and built much better than other competitors while the price so cheap
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but maybe at PMA Canon, NIkon & Pentax will release something similar or, even cheaper than Sony? I think 90% they will do cause if not, they can not compete with Sony in entry level DSLR market.
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so if it stock end of this month, just wait for 2 more week when PMA 2008 open then we will see, still just-in-time

for beginner, get the d40, that's the cheapest DSLR u can find on the market,
but not the d40x , d40x only will cost u more, u wont notice the difference much..

or 350D, 400D, but their built quality (body and the kit lens) cant beat d40/d40x, it feels so plasticky, i try 3 of them before i buy the d40.

though d40 doesn't have internal focusing motor, for beginner, i dun think u will buy much lens, the kit lens is sufficient enough for u to play around..
maybe add the low entry zoom lens, 55-200m, which u can auto focus on d40.

unless u are targeting a certain non-AF-S lens, then u might reconsider it.

and by the time when u need to buy better and expensive lens, that's the time u should upgrade the body, sell out ur d40, get the d80 etc..

u can go for Leica

Do you have doubts of Sony's capability to bring stock in time?

They had the A700 in Sg. Wang and all Sony outlets before its official launch in October 2007.

Where's all the Nikon D300s yo?

The fact is the D300 and the D3 did had its demo and launching.

It was held in sunway hotel, it's just that not everyone was invited/notified. During the demo you get to test the camera itself.

back to newbie weapons. E410 grip "flat" as nice as classic slr thats call original