ky4lc Loc: Madisonville Ky.

How much money can you borrow? HaHa....Seriously, Cameras are like Cars or Ham radios or guitars, whatever you want to spend, you can spend. I own Olympus Cameras so I am partial to them, BUT, all of the high end cameras are of good quality. Do This... figure out what you are going to be photographing... study the major brands to see which one is best suited for your needs and then buy the biggest, best one that you can afford. DON'T skimp on a less expensive model because you will only be sorry and then you will go out and buy the better one anyway. My personal preferences are the Olympus E-3 and the E-5, whey will do just about anything the others will do and won't cost you an arm and a leg...

LaoXiang

I would buy a $100 point-and-shoot and see how you really like photography and what you really like to photograph. Every tool is best for certain jobs and until you know the jobs you want to do we cannot advise you on the best tool.

I would Strongly suggest Not buying a $500 "test" camera. get the cheapest point-and-shoot you can find---the photo quality will be sufficient for you to see what you wanted to do and what you actually did, and you will see what you like to do most. No need to spend $500 to learn that---you can buy some decent bodies for $500, why waste it on a camera you only intend to use for a short while until you pick the one you really want?

Get the cheapest P-n-S you can find and shoot whatever you like. With digital, the cost per picture is basically nonexistent, so have a ball.

EDIT: Sorry, I grew up in the Age of Dinosaurs--here is a much better idea.

Take your phone and start shooting everything you want to shoot. No expenditure necessary. This way you can not only learn what you like best to shoot, you can learn about composition and learn to "see" photos around you--without spending a penny.

Owning a "pro-quality" camera doesn't guarantee good pictures--I can guarantee that from experience. Take thousands of shots with your phone, and learn not only What you like to shoot, but how to shoot it---considering your phone is always in your pocket, a month of activity ought to get you plenty of information. And phones actually take really good snapshots nowadays, so you will probably like what you shoot.

Once you have some idea of what you like, I would Not look at the starter cameras form any manufacturer. It seems a lot of people spend $500-$900 on a package (body, a couple of "kit" lenses") only to spend another $900 on the camera (and $1800 on lenses) they really wanted, a year later.

If you are not going to actually shoot, you will learn that with the POS P-n-S. Once you are sure whether or not you really want to invest in this very expensive hobby, you will know what you need---higher frames per second to shoot sports? Good video? Do you like to shoot portraits or landscapes? Do you like to shoot the kids or grandkids or pets posed, or running around the yard like crazy?

Once you know what you plan to do with a camera, you can look for a camera which does those things---and the lenses and lighting which allow you to do them, also.

Another consideration is what you plan to do with your photos. if you plan to post them online for your friends to see, you don't really need a DSLR. Most P-n-S cameras should have plenty of quality for that---and some mirrorless let you upload right from the camera, so you can share your photos on Facebook as you take them or whatever.

If you plan to print 5x7s, you might not need a DSLR. If you want to print 11x17 framed wall prints, or 4x6-foot posters ... then a DSLR's bigger file size might be your only option.

You might or might not need interchangeable lenses. If you find that an electronic zoom and a small optical zoom give you all the reach you need, you will find yourself saving a Lot of money and a lot of hassle and still getting the shots you want (instead of missing them while fumbling to change lenses--been there.)

If you want to hike into the mountains of Colorado and shoot bighorn sheep in their natural habitat, you will probably need a crop-frame DSLR and a super-telephoto---and the strength of Hercules to haul all your gear up into the mountains.

You might need to buy a high-speed flash, too, depending on what you want to shoot. If you shoot a lot of low-light stuff you might need to buy a full-frame. (If you don't know what a crop- and a full-frame camera are ... then you definitely need to do a Ton of research before you spend money.)

Best bet is to shoot everything that moves and everything that doesn't for a month, while reading online (or watching videos--sorry, the dinosaur speaks, you know) about the basics of photography---the exposure triangle, the Rule of Thirds, whatever ....

Then come here with a more specific set of requirements, and the very many non-dinosaur UHH members will give you great advice on what to buy to meet your needs.

pdsdville Loc: Midlothian, Tx

One bit of advice. Don't buy a camera till you've held it, massaged the dials and buttons, looked through the viewfinder, and above all think about what you are interested in photographing. I love Sony DSLR's.

ecurb1105

Nikon D5.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

Budget?

TonyL Loc: Coventry, UK

Don't get anything too complicated or expensive initially, there's a lot to take in and it can be very daunting. Start with something relatively cheap and straightforward and, if you take to it, just keep on practising. You can move up to something more expensive/complicated when you are ready. Don't run before you can walk and be prepared to produce a lot of relatively cr*p pictures.

jack30000

I have a point and shoot 20MP Sony RX100 for about $500. I felt I needed something better so I bought a Canon D80 with 18-135MM zoom, refurb direct from Canon for about $1200. I did a lot of research on camera comparisons, I could have spent more for better lenses or a larger sensor (full frame) or more MegaPixels to get sharper pictures that could be printed larger. I did spend more on features - articulating screen, fast continuous shooting, many autofocus points, weatherproof.

I learned a few things. Three months later I'm still learning to use all the things the camera can do. I'm not sure all the features have a lot of value for me. I'm also not sure the lack of better glass or full frame or more megapixels matters either. But, as I've learned about the camera, and discovered features like HDR, or JPG + RAW, I've gone back to my SONY and found it could do the same things!

I will keep the SONY - it fits in my pocket and can easily go everywhere. So, my advice is, buy something like my SONY - I'm sure there are better ones today for less than I spent five years or so ago. Then, when you know exactly what you need that it won't do for you, then buy the DSLR that does. and, you won't ever be sorry you also have a really neat camera that fits in your pocket.

LaoXiang

I'd say for most would-be photographers something like his camera (more megapixels than my Canon 7D, btw) would meet all their needs fully and wonderfully.

it's like buying a car ... you might want a Honda Civic, or a Chevy Camaro ... but you wouldn't try to buy a full-on race car unless you planned to race.

Buying a DSLR, particularly the above-entry-level iterations, is like buying a race car. It will be awkward and unwieldly to handle on the street and ninety percent of what it offers will never get used---and the ten percent of its performance potential which Does get used, could be provided better by the Civic or the Camaro.

I cannot tell you how many times I have been on a bike ride and wished I had a camera ... but packing up a DSLR and a lens or two for a bike ride, and running the risk of ruining a camera and lens worth as much or more than the bike if I crash or fall .... Plus having to stop, park the bike, unpack the camera, unpack the lens, assemble everything, then try to get the shot ... then pack it all back up ....

I look back to when I was happy with a small point-and-shoot which i could literally carry with me anywhere except into the shower---Plus, I could actually take candid shots. By the time I get my DSLR out and adjusted, everyone is either leaving or posing.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

You say you are new to photograpy. How new is that? Then you say you want a DSLR. Why a DSLR? If you are truly new to photography and know nothing about it or the equipment, you may be biting off way more than you can chew by jumping into a DSLR right off the bat. I think the advice to start simple is very good advice. Cameras and the associated gear can get very expensive, and it would be a shame to invest thousands of $$$$, only to find that photography isn't for you, beyond taking pictures with a cell phone.

Choices are staggering and deciding what camera to get can be a frustrating experience. Keep reading here and you will find lots of recommendations. That's a good thing. You may get a feel for what you might like. Then use Google to read reviews of the various cameras. Just be aware that many of those reviews can be full of lots of technical terms you may not understand. Hence UHH, where you can get "real world" experiences from real users, which may help to clarify some of your questions.

Just know this: Cheap cameras can take good photos at the hands of a good photographer, but all a very expensive, sophisticated camera will produce are very high quality, poor images at the hands of an inexperienced phtographer. It's the eye behind the lens that matters most.