USVI-On-Line

cypressgirl wrote:Thanks so much for that detailed explaination. I think I get most of what your are saying.

So when I see the xti for 349. at usaphotonation.com, I'm not getting nearly all the parts I need to operate this camera. Right?????????

Not only do you have to pay attention to what's included, but another source of the price difference is the source of the camera. Some places well cameras that are not mean for the US market and will not include a US warranty. Some places advertise the non-US version but have the US version available for more money. Always verify before ordering. For example, the USA Phoonation site ways that their products come with a one year warranty but they never say that it is a US warranty. If you want to buy from them, call and verify.

One other point... If you decide to go with an SLR, look at the choices in lenses available. I am a big fan of the Canon Image Stabilized (IS) lenses. i don't know if Nikon makes a similar lense or not.

Once again, thank's for all the info. I have a lot of research to do and you have helped me so much.

It's Friday night........CHEERS!!!

cypressgirl wrote:Thanks so much for that detailed explaination. I think I get most of what your are saying.

So when I see the xti for 349. at usaphotonation.com, I'm not getting nearly all the parts I need to operate this camera. Right?????????

I just checked, that was for the camera body only.
here's a link to pricegrabber.com for the xti.
http://cameras.pricegrabber.com/digital/m/24712314/

I'm still looking at cameras to the point of exhaustion. In a nutshell, can anyone tell me why I should buy a SLR over a high end point and shoot, for vacation photos??? Other than price, which is an issue but not a deal killer, why is an SLR so much better?

You guys are the best!!!!

The main difference will be in lenses. The point and shoots are generally limited to the one zoom lens (someone let us know if there are high end cameras that have interchangeable lenses). If you want a wider or telephoto lens, the point & shoot will not be able to change.

The metering has traditionally been better in SLR's. That will help get better images when conditions are difficult.

SLR's are not required for every person. Many people get fine photos that are very meaningful to them.

JIM

Thanks for all the help and opinions. After many hours of reading everything I can find on SLR's, I just can't help myself. I want one! I also know that I am no techi and it will take me a lot of trial and error to figure out all the manual settings, so I want to be able to just point and shoot right out of the box. From everything I've read, I really like the sound of the Nikon 40D. I also like it's price. It's quite a bit less $$ than the Rebel and it seems to be very comprable in features and size. So my next step is to go shopping and get the "feel".

I'm not saying that I have totally made up my mind, so if anyone knows of any reason why this would not be a good choice, please let me know.

Thanks again for all your help. I love you guys.

Cypress, I know exactly how you feel. I just had to have one. Yesterday my daughter and I went camera shopping and I ended up with a Nikon D70. Hard to find but I am so in love with that thing. The girl child is pea green with envy. Now she wants one too!

Since it's still in my secret closet, I keep hoping Honey will want to go fishing or something so I can break it out and play. Just until I can find a way to break the news gently. Ssshh, don't tell.

Congrats on the new camera. What made you decide on the D70?

It's all because I'm completely anal and had to have "THE" one that I fell in love with. The same one my sister's MIL has. It has since been replaced by the D80, is no longer in production and is hard to find. I did get the 18-70 lens with it also. After hours of research and reading reports and the old guy (patron) in the camera shop bragging it up, I was sold. I don't think you can go wrong with any of those Nikons or even the Cannons though. Great cameras!

After seeing Dr. Curley's pictures from last month I went out and bought the Olympus 770SW for our next trip. Love the fact that it is waterproof so you can take snorkeling.

Hey CypressGirl

I bought a new camera for our upcoming trip to STJ. I got the Olympus SLR E500, couldnt pass up the deal on it at the time. The deal included two lenses, a 2G chip and a bag. The E500 is a SLR Digital Camera, that is very easy to use. I have used Olympus products for the last 25plus years with excellent results. The 500 is a great camera for the novice and the expert, you can let the camera pick all the settings and it doesnt let you down. I bought the camera three months ago in preparation for STJ so I could experiment and get use to it. With the 2Gig chip it will store over 1000 pics, hope its enough!!! Good luck with your pick of camera.

Vince..

29 and a wake up and we will be heading to STJ for Limin....

Can't be much help here but if you want to research check out:

http://www.dpreview.com/

This site reviews just about every digital camera you can imagine with comparisons, examples etc. an information junkies dream site!