Note that HDR can only be achieved via software generation.
And if you're not planning on taking 3 or more exposures of the same picture, it's wise to get a camera that supports RAW.
That way you get to 'cheat' and are able to generate a HDR image with the single RAW file.

I feel that you ought to get a camera which uses Li-ion batteries. Although AA batteries are indeed easily obtained, they certainly do not last as long as Li-ion batteries.

A tripod is great if you have lots of time to set up your camera and stuff to get a sharp photo. But for candid shots, you can just forget about that tripod But still, a tripod albeit a cheap one is still useful to have just in case there's a need for it.
Flash expensive eh Well it's just the way it is then. But once you've ventured deeper into the DSLR world, the price of a flash is nothing compared to lenses

Batteries -RM200
Flash - Canon 580EXII - RM1600
Telephoto lens - Canon 600mm F4L IS USM - RM35000
Tripod - Gitzo GT5540LS Carbon Fiber - RM2800

Sorry but you didn't give me any more details

I think TheWandererX threw too much advice to you and it became saturated.
Lemme try and make it simple.
If you're looking to save 1000-1500 from buying a 2nd hand DSLR, you might just as well forget about it. DSLRs dont depreciate so fast
DSLRs are quite versatile. They have a very decent operating temperature range, yes, even the entry level models. I've read reviews of DSLRs tested in -20 Celsius and it worked fine. So Mount Kinabalu is really nothing, the only thing you have to worry about is battery life. As the temperature decreases, so does the battery life. And another thing, Mount Kinabalu ain't humid, it's just colder.

Olympus Four Thirds System eh. The name really explains it all. The size of the image sensor has a 4:3 ratio and Olympus cameras have a 2.0x crop factor. Just for comparison, Canon's has 1.6x while Nikon has 1.5x crop factor. Now there's no good or bad with crop factors.

Lens focus by wire. This is more commonly known as cable release. Note that to obtain very sharp pictures, the camera has to remain totally still while the picture is taken. And, when one presses the shutter button on the camera, there will be a slight shake. This is where cable release comes in. Basically, a cable release trigger is connected to the camera. To trigger the shutter, you just press a button on the trigger. This way your hands are not physically on the camera, eliminating motion caused by handshake.

This is an extremely bigoted statement.
Unlike Canon or Nikon where their camera bodies only accept lenses that have their own specific mount, Olympus is trying to create a universal mount where one can fit lenses by different manufacturers. And given the fact that this system was only introduced fairly recently as compared to Canon's EF mount or Nikon's F mount, the range of Four Thirds lenses would be considerably smaller.
But given time, this range will increase and probably surpass that of Canon's and Nikon's, since manufacturers will be competing for the same consumers.
And, Olympus DSLRs have sensor based Image Stabilization, not lens based.
The E-420 does not have IS while the bigger E-520 does have.

G10 is not a semi pro camera.
It's just a high end compact camera with a lot of features.

First things first. The LX-3 isn't a DSLR. So if what you're interested in is something like the LX-3, you're probably looking for a high end compact camera that's packed with tons of features. Or if you WANT something that looks like a DSLR but not so complicated and expensive, you could look into bridge cameras.

About that feature that you wanted. Even the camera that you're using now can produce those kind of shots if you know how to. It doesn't depend on the type of camera used. It only depends on the aperture used when the shot was taken.

Lenses on DSLRs can be interchanged for usage on different occasions. For example one might put on a wide-angle lens for landscape shots, then change it for a telephoto lens for wildlife shots.
This is the ultimate plus side of DSLRs, and also its biggest deterrent for users looking to explore the DSLR world.
While the ability to change lenses for different occasions is good, those lenses don't come along cheap. In fact lenses are the most expensive part of DSLRs. Ask any professional photographer, he will tell you that he spent far more on lenses than on camera bodies.

If you're interested in getting a lot of lenses and looking forward to a wide range of lenses, Nikon and Canon are the two main brands in the market that offer this.
But if you're planning on sticking to only a few lenses, then you could look at DSLRs by Sony, Pentax and Olympus.
So far Sony has the cheapest entry level DSLR, the A200 which you can get brand new for around RM1.5k
Other entry level models include Nikon's D60, Canon's 1000D, Pentax's K200D, Olympus' E-420/520. All of which are located more or less in your price range.
I really cant recommend any specific models to you. It's up to you to test them out and see which one you like more.

The 1000D is around RM1.9k now while the D60 should be down to around RM1.7k
Not sure about it though, you've gotta check on that.

The 350D has a lower dynamic range compared to more recent models.
I think you'd be better off getting a new A200.


Nonsense. Third party lens manufacturers always make lenses compatible with most mounts (Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, etc.)
It is Sony that has a narrower range of lenses compared to Canon or Nikon.

Yeah, I think it's a wise choice to go for a camera with manual functions. Even though not a DSLR, you'd still want manual functions.
A RAW file is basically raw data captured by the image sensor when you press that shutter button, down to every single photon. When you shoot in JPEG, there'd normally be various settings to be determined like sharpness, saturation, etc. This is because if you shoot in JPEG, the camera automatically throws away any data deemed not within the set parameters.
Thus, if you're trying to edit JPEG pictures, it will be harder as you're trying to recover something that is not there. However with RAW, every single bit of data is still intact, thus making post-processing more versatile.
So if you're the lazy type who just wants their photo straight out of the camera, then you could skip RAW, but if you dont mind spending a little more time post-processing your photos (like me ), then you might want to get a camera which shoots RAW.

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Added on December 15, 2008, 1:36 pm40D body is at least RM2800

This post has been edited by joyyy: Dec 15 2008, 01:36 PM

I thought you were going for the FZ28? It's a pretty decent camera

Sorry dude, I've got no idea on the pricing of the FZ28
Maybe you can ask in the Panasonic Lumix thread? THey might be able to help.


The Nikon D40 is outdated, therefore I feel not worth the money you're paying.
Well, if you've made your mind up about getting the a350, by all means get it!


With your budget I don't think you can get a new Nikon D60. So you might as well go for a new Sony A200.
The A200 is a very decent camera. With in-body stabilization, you get image stabilization for every lens that you use.

The same answer applies to this question. Why are Nike or Adidas products more expensive than other brands? It's not because their products are better, it might or might not be better than other brands. It's because Nikon is already an established brand in the market. Therefore their brand alone commands a higher price. You're actually paying for the brand when you purchase a Nikon or Canon camera.

There is no "best" brand in the market. Each brand has its own pros and cons. Canon and Nikon for example, have excellent reputation in their image quality, while Sony, Pentax and Olympus have in-body stabilization. Not that I'm not implying that Sony or Pentax or Olympus' image quality is bad.

For your budget, there are a few DSLRs in the current market, I'll mention a few that I know the price.
Canon 1000D - RM1.9k
Nikon D60 - RM1.8k
Sony A200 - RM1.5k
Sony A350 - RM1.9k

This post has been edited by joyyy: Dec 15 2008, 10:06 PM

With their respective kit lens
Actually you can get these prices at most camera shops. I'm only making a rough estimate. The prices shouldn't stray too far from the prices I quoted.
You just gotta ask around and find the shop that offers you the best deal

The statement that lenses for Sony DSLRs is pure rubbish.
It's true that Sony's range of lenses is smaller than Canon or Nikon's, but Sony does still have a decent range, more than enough for beginners like us.

Sony also has their own lens lineup. Contrary to what you think that Sony is a newbie to the DSLR market, Sony has actually bought over Konica Minolta, and Sony DSLRs can be fitted with Konica Minolta lenses. This being said, it's good to note that Konica Minolta was already in the SLR market since 1985. And that's also 2 years before Canon introduced its EF mount system.
Along with Canon's EF-S lenses, Sony has it's DT lenses too for digital SLRs.
What I am basing my statements on are pure logic and facts, and from what I've been seeing, you've been rejecting anything that isn't a Canon or a Nikon.

This post has been edited by joyyy: Dec 16 2008, 12:23 AM

Although Olympus has been making cameras since 1919, it didn't start making autofocus SLR cameras until it launched the Four Thirds System, which was around 2003. So in this sense, Olympus is pretty new in the DSLR market.
Olympus does have some pretty decent entry level models, namely the E-420 and the E-520.
Since we're looking at entry level models, Pentax is a good brand too. Their entry level models include the K200D and the K100d.