_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

_________________
Some of my finest work:
http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/12537/detail/

Thanks for all the feedback so far!

I'm definitely also looking at 2nd-hand camera bodies as long as they have similar capabilities to a Nikon D80 or Canon 400D. I've also got a very reasonable offer for a Nikon 70s.

But the small screens (1.8") bother me. Many new pocket cameras have much larger screens than these last-generation dSLRs, at least 2.5" or bigger, which you really need for quick reviewing of shots just taken, without having to zoom in on each shot.

2nd-hand Nikon and Canon lenses (image-stabilised, if possible) and speedlights would also be most welcome as all of those will cost much more new than the camera body, it seems.

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

If screen size is your deciding factor then the 400 is probably more than enough for you.

L-G, a good friend of mine who is quite a gadget nut has both a D70 and a spanking new (expensive!) D200.

His only caution to me was that when buying a used camera make sure the image sensor is clean and free of any damage, especially fingerprints. It's easy to damage a CCD sensor, which is left completely exposed while changing lenses, etc.

I'm told that there are dSLRs that automatically cover the CCD sensor when the lens is removed, but I have no idea which models have that feature.

The Sony SLR cameras are inherited from Konica/Minolta, who sold the business to Sony a short time ago.

_________________
Lead me not into temptation;
I can find it myself, thank you.

if i were u, i will only go for canon or nikon coze more lens provided n more popular in second hand market. (u might sell it someday in the further coze FULL FRAME will become the trend) dont think about sony, their file compression is not very good as i knew. 400D is very similar to 350D, i will suggest to have a 350D and use the rest of the money to get a better lens. (lens is very important in DSLR)

here u can check the price of different carama/lens
http://www.ygdragon.net/index.php?page= ... aprice.htm

LG, IMO, I would go for a brand new camera for sure because 2nd handed gears have too much too worry about, unless the price is really low.

I guess you can get a Canon 400D, a lens or 2 (it all depends on your shooting perf), a memory card with 10K budget as long as you're not going for those pro lenses. Just one think you may need to know which is the size of 400D hand grip (as well as 350D, 300D, D80) which could be too small for your hand so you may need the vertical grip for a better handling.

Again, perhaps I'm not a big 2nd handed fan, I don't consider how much my gear could sell in the 2nd-handed market.

My 2 cents.

Wingman,

I fully agree with you. I was almost ready to get the Canon 400D, till I actually tried it out in the shop, holding it. That grip is really tiny and very uncomfortable for average or big hands. Two different shops told me that the 400D is more geared towards ladies' hands. The vertical grip and battery compartment would make the camera so huge that it would be impractical for daily use, carrying it with me wherever I go, never to miss a photo opportunity for my Lamma-zine.

In the end, I went for the brand-new Nikon D80 with a 18-135mm kit lens and an SB-600 speedlight (mandatory for good shots, even outdoors). I'm very happy with it these last few weeks of using it everywhere, starting at the Mid-autumn night shots at Hung Shing Yeh beach. My photography has improved quite a bit already, I hope (see home page), and I just sold my first shot to the SCMP.

Many thanks to everybody in here for all your helpful advice!

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.