Nikon D60 Digital SLR Camera Outfit, w/18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX VR Lens with 2 GB SD Memory Card, Spare EN-EL9 Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Battery, Camera Case

I love my camera even though I am still learning to use it, but it takes clear pictures.
love it.Buy Nikon D60 Digital SLR Camera Outfit, w/18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX VR Lens with 2 GB SD Memory Card, Spare EN-EL9 Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Battery, Camera Case!

Fujifilm IS-1 Visible Plus IR Sensitive Digital Camera Starter Kit with IR & IR Cut Filters - Refurbished by Fuji

This camera performs beautifully in both visible and infrared light, but like many IR conversions, it suffers from a central IR hot spot at some zoom positions. Shooting at the wider end of the zoom I've had no hot-spot issues, but they crop up in about the middle third of the zoom range under certain lighting and filtration conditions. Fortunately, resolution is high enough for most uses that I can widen out then crop to avoid the hot spot.Buy Fujifilm IS-1 Visible Plus IR Sensitive Digital Camera Starter Kit with IR & IR Cut Filters - Refurbished by Fuji!

Pentax K100D 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens

Well, I have had this camera for more than 2 years now and I can say it is GREAT, The bundle I got was a futureshop exclusive that consisted of 1 18-55mm lens (the same one thats included with all the other bundles) a 50-200mm lens, and two 2GB PNY SD cards for $850 (a sweet deal at the time)I was at the time upgrading from a 1.3 megapixel fujifilm point and shoot. When I first got the camera I was AMAZED at the quality of photos, the built in shake reduction worked wonders and the auto focus was pretty quick. The kit lenses are very good and I still use the 18-55mm for 'general' shots to this day.

After I got those 2 lenses I couldn't stop there, I went on an auction site, pawn shops, camera shops, and on Amazon and got some sweet deals,

My first purchase after I got the camera was a standalone flash unit, After 2 weeks of looking around I finally settled on a Vitar unit that works very well and got it for $50 (was the last one, and was being discontinued) After that I went to a used camera shop and picked up and older small Pentax brand camera bag, and a lens carrier for $5 (they were both in 'make me an offer' bins)

Shortly after that I went to a pawn shop and seen another Pentax brand bag (was much larger, and with some new lenses on the way was just what I needed) I opened it up and it was an older film Pentax (was an auto focus model) and it has 2 Pentax lenses in there I instantly scooped it up for $55 (can remember the mm of them don't have the lenses here:D)Then on amazon I piked up a few more lenses (A Takumar, and a mirror type lens) Both were long range type and both suited my needs. I then went on a certain auction site and picked up 7-8 lenses there, they were all either Pentax or Asahai Pentax and included a fisheye,pancake and other various sizes, unfortunately all the sliver limited edition lenses constantly went above my price limit. Now with all those lenses I needed a camera backpack, I got one for cheap ($25) It was waterproof and had very thick padding, even tho it was cheap, to this day it has held up well with no rips.

The Pentax K100D is a very rugged camera for the first year of its life it was used constantly I took it everywhere, And even now the LCD is scratch free and the camera body looks like I just bought it yesterday!

Unfortunately, after I had used this camera for a year, I lost interest in amateur photography all together, It sat in its case for over a year before I finally decided to get into it again. And even tho now it seen as 'old' and 'outdated' It still takes suburb shots, I don't think however I'll be getting anymore lenses for it anytime soon. (I only use the original 2 lenses the camera came with, so far I just use the camera occasionally)

Overall this camera is still the perfect choice for anyone wanting to upgrade to an SLR for the first time, Just beware that new lenses cost a lot of money, and you would be better off to get some second hand lenses first, to make sure you REALLY want to get into the hobby ;) Buy Pentax K100D 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction and 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens!

Pentax K100D Super 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction (Body Only)

I got into photography back in the 1980s with a film SLR camera. Since then, I had made do with some basic Kodak point and shoot digital cameras which I was very happy with, but did not offer the flexibility of an SLR. When I finally needed to get a digital SLR for a project, I admittedly didn't know a lot about the choices. I did some on-line research and realized that the Pentax offered the most flexibility. You can use rechargeable AA batteries, an SD card and ANY Pentax SLR lens ever made. That means you have access to one of the most popular lens mounts ever made. In any case, I felt that was worth the tradeoff in less resolution and the reliance on menu-driven features. So far I've been pretty happy with the camera. It seems fairly easy to use for basic photography and if you are willing to learn all of the menu options and practice, you can do all sorts of things with the camera. I don't have experience with comparable cameras from other makers such as Canon or Nikon, but I would say that if you are looking for a relatively affordable and fleixible digital SLR, this is a pretty good choice. The only thing I can see that the camera is missing is a plug for a PC-connection for an external flash, but that's a relatively small thing. The camera does have a nice Pentax-designed shake control, and apparently a unique autofocus design. Buy Pentax K100D Super 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Shake Reduction (Body Only)!

Nikon D100 6MP Digital SLR Camera

I call the Nikon D100 the "VOLVO" of digital SLR cameras. It is safe and rugged, and once you buy one, you cannot buy any other. I bought the D100 about 3 months ago, and after test-driving it for a few months, I have been very happy with it.

Photography has been my hobby for the past 12 years. I am an avid (and loyal) Nikon user, being the owner of the N70, N90, F4, and F5 35mm SLR cameras (yes, I have a thing for Nikon). Therefore, it is almost logical for me to stick with the Nikon brand, and hope that the lenses are interchangeable.

I was quite skeptical about the capabilities of digital cameras, and I never thought digital technology will be able to catch up to film resolution for a while. Until now. I have to say that the Nikon D100 convinced me to take the first steps towards the digital revolution.

Now, I primarily use the Nikon D100, and use my film cameras as back-up. I've only used my film cameras during rainy days, so that my new toy/investment would not get wet.

I've made a brief list of what I noticed about the D100.

Pros:
-instant on
-fast response
-nice fit in [my] hand; very ergonomic
-superb resolution
-default pictures have higher contrast
-compatible with Nikon lenses, especially the Nikor F mount lens
-LCD monitor cover comes with the camera(Thanks, Nikon!)

Cons:
-6MP, compared to the 8MP of the Canon (20D and 350D)
-moire effects
-no firewire connection
-does not properly tag JPEG images with correct color profile; have to use Nikon View software to separate images for full Adobe compatibility

One camera that almost swayed me away was the Canon EOS 20D. I was fortunate to have friends who have these cameras, so I was able to make a head-to-head comparison of the Nikon vs. the Canon, and the pictures and features "side-by-side." The pros and cons of each camera balance each other out, so in the end, it all comes down to personal preference, and what you like or dislike about these cameras.

For me, it was because of loyalty* and investment. I saved a few thousand dollars because my lenses (especially the Nikor F mount lens) are compatible with the Nikon D100 (I was informed that they are also compatible with the D70, but that is second-hand information).

Conclusion: The Nikon D100 is a great camera, which is cheap enough for the amateur photographer, and advanced enough for the professional photographer.

Footnotes:

* Loyalty did not come instantly. Like I said earlier, I have been a photographer (and therefore camera enthusiast) for 12 years, and it took me a few years to appreciate a good camera.
Buy Nikon D100 6MP Digital SLR Camera!

Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera with 18-105mm AF-S DX VR Nikkor Lens [Outfit] + Nikon 70-300mm Lens + 8GB Cameta Bonus Accessory Kit

This camera has far exceeded expectations. The bundle was a great deal and the delivery was outstandingBuy Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera with 18-105mm AF-S DX VR Nikkor Lens [Outfit] + Nikon 70-300mm Lens + 8GB Cameta Bonus Accessory Kit!

Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera with 18-105mm AF-S DX VR Nikkor Lens [Outfit] + Nikon 70-300mm Lens + 4GB Card + EN-EL3e Battery + Case + Cameta Bonus Accessory Kit

I am far from a professional photographer, but I take it as seriously as possible while still referring to it as a hobby. I take mostly pictures of people at events and many of my baby son without flash in low light situations.

I had been using a Nikon D40x for 1 year and very early reached my limitation with that camera. The Nikon D40x has very nice image quality, but the camera's interface is not suited for a more serious shooter who wants quick single button or dial access to such shooting parameters such as white balance, shooting mode, metering mode, etc. I also felt very limited by the D40x not having an in-body focus motor that would allow me to use non AF-I/AF-S lenses (which are lenses without the focus motor built-in).

The Nikon D40x limitations were severe enough that I was about to consider purchasing a Canon 40D until the Nikon D90 appeared just in time.


PROS:

1. Fantastic set of separate buttons on the camera to control parameters like ISO, white balance, metering, autofocus, image quality, shooting mode, etc.
2. Two command dials
3. High resolution 920K pixel LCD screen (like the one on the Nikon D300)
4. 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor
5. Low noise high ISO capability (for low light shooting) I can shoot ISO 1600 with good image quality with this camera, while on my D40x I could only shoot with ISO 400 and obtain acceptable IQ. I will even use ISO 3200 frequently with very usable results!
6. Separate top-viewing LCD screen in addition to the rear high res screen, to show shooting parameters constantly
7. In-body focus motor which allows the use of Nikon's non AF-I/S lenses, including wonderful and CHEAP prime lenses such as the Nikkor 50mm 1.8 (~$100 lens!)
8. Continuous shooting of 4.5 frames per second
9. Small size, although larger than the D40/D40x/D60, it is still substantially smaller in the hand than the D300/D3
10. 720p 24fps MPEG video shooting capability with incredible ability to use depth of field that I cannot achieve with my Sony High-Def camcorder.
11. Eleven auto-focus points (not as nice as the 51 points on the D300, but substantially better than my D40x with its 3 points)
12. GPS option
13. HDMI output
14. Enormous number of options to customize camera and shooting settings to fit your style of shooting
15. Fantastic image quality right out-of-box if you don't want to do any post processing
16. Terrific build quality
17. Top notch camera ergonomics (but this will be a very personal opinion that differs for each shooter)


CONS:

1. "Rolling shutter" phenomenon while recording video: The D90 CMOS sensor has the same problem that other CMOS video recorders have when recording video. If you move the camera, especially horizontally, you get a "jelly" or "rubberbanding" effect where the image wobbles significantly. It is nice to have the video features, which looks very sharp at 720p, but it is NOT a substitute for a video camera. If you use a tripod, and do not do quick zooms/pans, the video quality is excellent. Without a tripod, however, you may get nauseas watching a wobbly video. The sound is also in monoaural.
2. 1/200 flash synch: Not a problem for me, but it might be for you.
3. No weather sealing: This is found on the Nikon D300/D3 and even on similarly priced models from other camera companies
4. The buffer will fill up after about 8 continuous RAW + JPG (FINE) shots. This number differs depending on the shooting parameters that you will choose. If you shoot primarily JPG, the buffer seems to allow a very large number of continuous shots, but I have not quantified this for JPG only.


TIPS:

1. Get the FREE Nikon ViewNX software from Nikon's site as your 1st step in your workflow. This will let you examine your RAW images that you can process for either Nikon CaptureNX2 to do further RAW processing or just export to JPG for a JPG editor such as PhotoShop.
2. Recommend buying the Nikon CaptureNX2. It is a RAW converter (if you shoot in RAW) that will read the camera settings properly for export to JPG. Capture NX2, however, is not as slick as the Adobe products and Capture NX2 requires a fairly powerful computer, otherwise it can run pretty slowly on a PC > 3 years old.
3. If you use JPEGs out-of-camera, consider increasing the sharpness above the default 3 or 4. Nikon uses a very conservative sharpening default setting. Nikon has decided to change the default JPEG images to match the higher end D3/D700/D300 cameras which produce more neutral images. Consequently, the D90 images that are less punchy than the D40/D40x/D60/D80, so you may also want to turn up the in-camera saturation and contrast.



The Nikon D90 has all of the interface features that serious and even professional photographers need with wonderful image quality.Buy Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera with 18-105mm AF-S DX VR Nikkor Lens [Outfit] + Nikon 70-300mm Lens + 4GB Card + EN-EL3e Battery + Case + Cameta Bonus Accessory Kit!