Need a new camera for nature trips

I am new to the board...hello to all.
I am looking for an well rounded camera that I can take on trips to take some fairly high quality photos. I am willing to spend up to $600 - $750 CDN which is probably 450-550 USD. I am looking for something that can take long range photos, photos in low light conditions, photos with color depth, etc. I will be taking a mixture of photos for example, some will be of people, and others will be strictly nature shots.

Any suggestions on the specs to look at; for example, a fast lens, digital zoom, etc etc.

Ps I am new to the digital world and dont really know what specs to look for, so if you have any suggestions it is appreciated. Can you also guide me on what models/manufacturers to look at?

Thanks for the help.

Hi and welcome,

The camera that you seem to be describing is a bit of a tall order. Long digital point and shoot zooms tend to be a bit slow in terms of light let in and in operation, especially in that price range. To my knowledge, low light operation vs long zoom range is a trade off, rather than a combination in that category of camera.

What kind of film equipment do you use now and what kind of nature photography are you looking to do? Is low light or long range more important? Is your budget just for the camera, or does it include batteries, memory cards, etc? That would help narrow things down.

Any of the major manufacturers (Canon, Olympus, Sony, Nikon, etc.) of digital cameras have very nice offerings for general digital cameras, but I am a bit afraid that you may be hoping for a camera that is either out of your stated budget or hasn't been made yet. Much like most of the rest of us. ;)

Good luck!

Thanks for the reply. The Budget that I stated is just for the Camera, I am willing to spend more on the batteries, memory cards etc. I would trade off low light for distance I think. Right now I am just using a point and shoot film camera...I have just got into the idea of getting a fairly good camera for nature shots. The reason why I wanted a camera that takes low light pictures is because on my last trip to Las Vegas my evening/night pictures did not come out too well. For those of you who have been to Vegas know that the city looks the nicest at night. My future shots will be of landscapes on trips. Will I need a camera that takes low light pictures for sunset shot? If not I am definately willing to trade off the low light spec for a camera that shoots long range photos, and captures a wide angle.

Is there anything out there that can satisfy these needs?

Low Light shots typically mean a camera with a adjustable shutter speed and aperture, and a TRIPOD. If you want a long zoom... again, SLR and a tripod.

Sounds like you want a digital SLR, no?

The cheapest one is the Digital Rebel.

Am I wrong here?