Can consider Canon S100

---

Added on May 5, 2012, 4:25 pm

not sure how to check, but buy reputable brand from reputable shop is the best way to avoid being cheated...
i nvr really go for those "sale" thing... even though i'm not rich, but i always believe you get wat u pay for...

---

Added on May 5, 2012, 4:28 pm
Wat is your requirement? u wan to change lens? or you want compact size camera?
if changing lens is your priority, consider M43 camera. I personally don like J1/V1... there are many better camera out there... or if you are ok with Sony go for NEX series. If not, any other M43 will do...
if compact/fix lens is wat you want, go for canon G1X or Canon S100... can consider some Panasonic camera as well.

---

Added on May 5, 2012, 4:30 pm
DSLR + Tripod?
well, with your budget range nothing much to intro to you. Just go for any entry level DSLR for either Nikon or Canon will be ok. Go try out and see which one you feel comfortable with. If you have big hand, consider to go for Canon 600D for better grip but higher price.

---

Added on May 5, 2012, 4:33 pm
not sure about this camera, but if you are deciding to go for it, prepare to spend the bucks to buy film, to process photo, and the lens is a little rare and i believe will be expensive too? if you are looking for a fully manual SLR film camera... then this should be a good choice perhaps?

---

Added on May 5, 2012, 4:42 pm

D3100 is good choice for wat you need... except for low light shot. But you are not taking 90% of your picture under low light, right? and if you shoot in RAW then you can do some post processing to reduce the noise, so D3100 is good enough.
If change lens is not wat you want, go for Canon G1X.
Go for S100.
60D is in different league with 600D and D5100... so first you need to decide do you need all the features in 60D.
I would suggest go for 600D or D5100 with standard kit lens + a 50mm prime first. Then you may go for macro lens. from your type of photography, do really need to have long lens up to 300mm? better spend on buying ultra wide angle lens.

with your budget you can go for D5100 or D3100.
Or you can wait for the new D3200 to be available.
Go try out the camera and see which one you feel comfortable with. If the function of D3100 is already enough for you, then go for it and you got extra money to spare for another lens or filters & other accessories.

in terms of full control over exposure, shutter speed, aperture... i feel more comfortable with G12.
But again, it is depends on your need. do you play with all those settings? if not, just go for XZ-1 and S100.
XZ-1 VS S100? for me it is hard to compare... XZ-1 is good where it has bright lens, while S100 good at high ISO pic... so still i suggest you really try them out personally. they are both good. you can read the thread in this forum on XZ-1 and S100 for some brief idea about these camera.

---

Added on May 6, 2012, 10:37 pm
Sony? well, they are always not a bad choice... sometime i find sony is better in doing video than others. but A57 i never try before... so can't really comment. But you can always try both the DSLR and see which one suits you.
In terms of lens range, of cos Nikon has more lens available than sony, but if this is something that you can live with (obviously not a big issue for me as all i need is a wide angle, standard zoom + prime 50mm and all these lens are well covered), why not? (Nikon sensors are from Sony anyway...) try the handling and see which one you like about it.

There's not much of choices for that budget, if you are willing to top up a bit more, then there will be more choices.

See http://www.mylensdb.com/gear/find/body?pri...o&grid=1&grid=0

Watch out for the upcoming Nikon D3200 as well!