If she came as an option, I could overcome my aversion to the camera's color.

If she came as an option, I could overcome my aversion to the camera's color.

Not at all expert on this topic, but it seems logical that a 20 second exposure would be a comparatively very large file, and all of that data has to chug through the processor. Would that not be the biggest factor?

Suggest you check the reviews for the models you are considering. Lots of helpful information. Most current DSLR cameras are very thoroughly reviewed on cnet.com, a reliable source. For other sources, Google the make & model of the camera with the word "review."

Best of luck.

Be sure to check reviews of the models you are considering on CNET

I would die before being seen with a white DSLR. Ditto for the ones made in bright red.

But... whether you were shooting snow or a black bear, the incident meter would give you the same reading. ????

The K.I.S.S. principle went out the window with the advent of "feature creep." (Google it.)
The Honda Accord comes with a half inch thick manual FOR THE DASHBOARD!

Canon, in its infinite wisdom, decided to change the "S" and "A" that have been consistently used for decades.
Kudos to Nikon and others for not having their heads up their a___s.

Green foliage (esp. grass) is very close to an 18% gray equivalent.

Not so sure about this. The incident meter only knows how much light is hitting the subject. It doesn't know what the subject is. So you end up compensating anyway, by either tweaking the meter setting or with the camera.

I agree with the folks who have said to compensate by increasing the exposure by two stops. You won't go far wrong. This is an example of one I shot last winter in Boston using this technique. Works for me.

Glad I shot it when I did. A few days later, it was completely covered by another 2 foot storm.

Your answers to these questions ring so true for me. I am also running out of wall space.

I love your reference to circles of confusion!

When I got my first DSLR a few years back, I took a course at a local tech school titled "Digital Photography for the Beginner." It soon became obvious that everything that was being taught was stuff I had learned about film photography 40 years ago. When the subject of depth-of-field came up, it was obvious that none of the other students had the slightest idea what it was. On one remarkable occasion, the instructor (a professional photographer) explained the "rule of thirds" completely wrong.

Buy the less expensive camera. It will do everything you require and more. I'm not suggesting you do this, but as a point of comparison, the best photo I have taken this year was with my iPhone 5s.

Best of luck with your photography.

I am a fan of doing more with less. The backdrop could be a piece of $2.00 white school project board from CVS or Walgreens, curved to cover bkgnd and tabletop. You can rest your elbows on the table to avoid the expense of a tripod. Keep the camera or phone all the way zoomed out. If you need to make the image bigger, get closer. Do it near a non-sunny window, and you'll have all the nice diffused light you need. No extra equipment required!

See the attached image done in this way. (The car is about 10 inches long.) More than good enough for ebay.