Canon Digital Rebel XT
Konica Minolta Maxxum 5d
Nikon D50
Olympus E500

Truth is, you can't go wrong with any one of the 4 you mention. The Olympus is probably the least desireable due to the poorer high ISO performance (due to the smaller sensor) and lack of inexpensive lenses (although the few that are available are of very high quality). The KM has the advantage of Anti-Shake built into the body, the Canon has 8 MP, and the Nikon has excellent build quality. Your best bet is to try all 4 out and see which one feels and handles the best for you. All of the cameras are great and should yield great results for a long period of time.

This question is like asking which is the best dessert..cake, ice cream, pie, or cookies. All are very good, but people will have strong opinions as to which one is better based on what they like best. You have to decide which is best for you.

Good luck!!

In all fairness, www.dpreview.com gave the Olympus E-500 a "highly recommended" rating. I teach dSLR Workshops and own and use each of selected dSLR cameras. I would rate the group this way.

K-M 5D

Nikon D-50

Olympus E-500

Canon 350/XT

I put the Canon 350/XT at the bottom because I consider the grip to be very pinched indeed, and its viewfinder is a lesser quality when compared to the other three.

MT

mtclimber,

I'm just looking to upgrade to DLSR and looking at all of the cameras in this list.

However where in the list would you put the Pentax ist DL?

Cheers

Ian

Ian-

The Pentax DS/DS2/ and DL are excellent dSLR's. The have the advantage of a high ISO capability, excellent form factor and grip, and the DS has an excellent viewfinder.

I would place the Pentax series after the Olympus E-500 and before the Canon 350/XT. If you don't have a real need for high ISO capability, then you might also take a look at the Olympus E-300 as well, which is a bit less expensive due to the introduction of the E-500 and just as capable as the E-500.

MT

Thanks for the quick response!


This is getting worse! Everytime I choose one I read something else, which pulls me in a different direction.

I can't find any Pentax ist DS's anywhere at the right money, all nearly £700.

I have found the ist DL for about the same as the gang in the list, although I've read some reports of the ist DL producing poor jpgs which need workafter in photo editing software.

I have at present alot of NIMH batts and some high speed SD cards 512mb and 1gb, I'm thinking that of all the cameras listed so far the Pentax range and Nikon D50 will be able to use the SD cards, the Pentax also using the AA batts.

I belive that any of these "Starter DSLR's" are going to be more than enough for my needs (everyday shooting as well as more thoughtful and composed shots)

I also think that all of them are a very good camera which all do more or less of the same thing give or take points here and there. It's going to be which feels more comfortable and "right" to use.( very much down to the individual)

My brother is currently selling some old gear Sigma EF-500 DG ST flash and a Sigma 18-50mm F3.5-5.6 DC lens both with Nikon fit.

With this in mind I could buy them off him cheap and just buy the D50 body.

Anybody know how good these Sigma parts are?

Cheers Ian

Ian-

The lenses from Sigma seem to be quite variable. Some are pretty darned good, and others are not worth much. Do you have a specific ;lens in mind?

MT

mtclimber wrote:
Just thought if that Sigma lens fitted and gave good enough pictures, could buy body only and put the money towards a better/bigger zoom lens and use the Sigma for an everyday lens. Can't find any info on it at all, so don't know if it's any good, costs about £90 new so I'm only assuming it's pretty much below to average.

I have an ultra zoom at the moment and the large zoom does come inhandy so a zoom upto 300mm ish would be good.

Cheers Ian

I would rate the Rebel XT at the top of the list, due to least shutter lag, best performance at high ISO's, and best photo quality.

The Rebel XT is probably not the most user friendly of the bunch, or the cheapest of the bunch, but in my opinion, it approaches the performance and quality of the Canon 20D, which is head and shoulders better than any entry DSLR (in my opinion).

The KM 5D has average performance, really, in terms of responsiveness. Anybody who's used a DSLR knows that turn on time and shutter lag are an absolute drag, as well as waiting for the buffer to clear. However, If I was on a budget, then the KM 5D is a clear leader due to it's low price.

The Olympus E500 has been rated as having poor ISO performance about ISO400, so in my mind, that's a prosumer sensor hiding in a DSLR body.

The Nikon D50 is supposed to be an excellent performing camera and decent pictures at high ISO's. However, the REBEL XT has an 8mp sensor over the D50's 6MP sensor, which gives you 20 percent more real estate to work with (ie. cropping, etc).

They are all basically good to very good cameras in the entry level DSLR range. It's just a matter of what is important to you, and how much your willing to pay. You wouldn't go too far wrong with any of them.

-- Terry

Stop the Press!

After reading the Samsung Pro 815 review at www.dpreview.com, I think that you had better wait for a bit. The Pentax-Samsung partnership will introduce their very first dSLR in either March or April.

While there will indeed be many digital cameras (including dSLR cameras) introduced in this period. I personally think that this Pentax-Samsung partnershipDSLR camera might be one to really watch closely.

MT