Looking to get a digital SLR camera!

Hello, this is my first post in here, and this forum seems to be a great forum from my first glance of it. :)

I have long been fascinated by the digital SLR cameras, and I remembered the first time when I started looking at the digital SLR cameras (I have been a compact Sony Cyber-Shot digital still camera user);

When I first started looking at digital SLR cameras, I was really trilled to see them going up to ISO 1000+, and their image quality there is still very clean and high quality! I have been reading about compact digital cameras mostly, and so far most of them only goes up to ISO 400 before becoming too noisy and low quality! The digital SLR cameras have been a totally new experience to me!

I know that the image quality of the digital SLR camera must be seriously good indeed, considering that the image quality of the compact digital camera is already 10 over times better than the best camera phones out there today!

I only saw some images from the lowest end digital SLR cameras, since I didn't dare to venture into the higher end ones, I noticed the super high quality look to the images produced by even just the lowest end digital SLR camera! I imagine how good the higher end digital SLR models must be then!

I do know that the CCD of the digital SLR camera is far bigger than the CCD of the compact digital camera. I have been comparing CCD sizes among the compact digital cameras and so far the largest CCD I have come across on them is at 1/1.8" to 1/1.7". I read that larger CCDs produce higher image quality and lower noise, no wonder the digital SLR camera can produce such high quality and clean images at ISO 1000+. (That is really extreme! My compact digital camera is already very noisy and low quality at ISO 400! It can't even go up to ISO 1000! But I can expect its quality at ISO 1000+ to be really horrible!) I Imagine how good the digital SLR cameras must be!

The digital SLR camera have all the features that I have been looking for, such as the M mode, P mode, S mode, A mode, and the manual focus mode! They also provide me with the 30 seconds slow shutter speed and even a Bulb mode (Those compact digital models always disappoint me by not having full photographic and manual controls).

I just wonder why people using those digital SLR type of cameras always choose to switch off the LCD monitor and use the viewfinder instead? (Is it because such cameras are very power hungry, looking at the big size of them?)

I am really looking forward and excited to getting a digital SLR camera!

There are various digital SLR camera models out there for me to choose from.

I would like to know which digital SLR camera model would you'll guys recommend me?

Thanks in advance!

I have U.S.$1500 to spend on a digital SLR camera (I know that they are much more expensive than the compact digitals), and I plan to spend all of them on a really good one. :)

Hi, Ben.
First, I'm not the expert many here are.
The reason dslr users don't use the lcd is that, except for a few models, you can't use them for composing on a dslr. There only there to review your photo after you take it.
The viewfinders are generally much brighter than those on p&s cams and as in 35mm slr cameras, looking through the viewfinder is looking through the lens.
For $1,500 you should be able to get a good mid range dslr.
I bought a Nikon d80 last year for less and I'm pretty sure you could get a d200 for that price. A lot of people love their Canon xti which is even less than those Nikons and Olympus and Pentax all have their followers.
One thing you must remember is that buying the dslr body is only the beginning. If you aren't sure what your main photography endeavor will be, you can get the camera with a kit lens until you figure out what it won't do that you want to do and then go lens shopping.
All the experts here will tell you that the lens is more important than the body and you can spend many thousands of dollars pro lenses or as most of us amatuers buy quite good lenses for a few hundred. Right now, I'm using the Nikor 18-135 that came with my camera and find it to be more than satisfactory. I also have a Sigma 70-300 apo with micro capability that I use on occassion and am looking to buy a 50 mm prime lens.
I don't want to scare you off on expenses but just want you to keep in mind that bags, memory cards, tripods, lenses, filters all can add up quickly to surpass your initial investment.
I just save money and get the best I can after researching the heck out of everything.
Before you buy, research and research some more. Read the reviews here and at dpreview.com. When you are down to two or three, go to a store and handle the cameras to see which fits you better and has the most intuitive controls.
If you are going to buy online, make sure you look at the dealer review forum. There are a lot of shady online dealers and a few good ones.
Good luck and be sure to continue to ask questions as I'm sure you'll have new ones every day.

Oh! Also, since this concerns dslr you may want to post your questions in that forum as this one is for all digital cameras.

Thanks a lot for your help, I will also try posting this in the dSLR camera forum.

Regards.

O BTW, thanks for explaining to me why digital SLR cameras cannot use the LCD monitor to frame the shots! (Thank goodness it is not because of battery life issues.)

Thanks! :)