New Camera

[sutherland]

I must admit, my reliable Sony Cybershot has seen many destinations and has handled extremely well for what I have asked from it as a consumer grade point and shoot. It's certainly a worthy travel companion and one that will always be within pocket reach.

However, I'm planning several new trips over the next coming months, the first is a trip to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier. The second, in the distant future, is a trip to Cusco, Peru. I've seen how my girlfriend's digital SLR handles and would love to take advantage of some of the little nuances without lugging around or the price (I still consider myself a novice in photography, but am rather comfortable in post production).

I'm currently looking at the Canon G9. Although I do not buy into the "SLR" control (because it still is an advanced point and shoot) that Canon baits, I do believe it has a nice curve for a growing photographer with some extended control to help me learn the nuances of "pre-production".

The Sony DSC-H50 and the Canon S5 are other cameras that I am considering. I have several friends that work in the field professionally and always state "If you want SLR control, get an SLR", others have said that "Well, the G9 shoots in RAW, that is a plus", again many tout the perks and simplicity that DSC-H50 and S5 have.

Any advice, any other suggestions are welcomed. My budget is around 500 max, so clearly, a new SLR may not be in the budget. Perhaps just a higher end digital in a reasonable package for the dedicated traveler with a desire to have a touch more control and less reliance on post production.

[Xia_Ke]

Hi sutherland, welcome to PR There are quite a few members here that own and LOVE the G9. If you want to stick with a P&S, that would be my recommendation. However, $500 does not rule out a DSLR. A quick look at B&H shows a Canon XT with 18-5mm lens for $449.95 and a Nikon D40 with 18-55mm lens for $479.95 w/ free shipping. If you've been looking to make the move to a DSLR, you can't go wrong with either of those. Which ever way you decide to go, let us know what you end up getting and how you like it. Oh, and don't forget to share some pics

Happy Shooting,
Aaron

PS- Not sure if you have read the reviews here but, click the links below on these...

Canon G9
Canon Rebel XT
D40x (the D40x is virtually the same as the regular D40, just more MP's and a couple minor changes)

[sutherland]

Some examples with my Sony DSC-w80

[sutherland]

Thanks for the suggestions! I had a chance to check out the Nikon D40, Canon XSI, Canon G9, Sony A200, and the Canon G9. The experience, however, was an unusual one. The salesperson seemed to be in a rush and when I asked about some of the glaring differences between the DSLRs mentioned (excluding the P/S G9), he simply replied with "Well, they are all nice, they all take pictures".

The XSI, despite the wonderful price, didn't feel good in the hands. The D40 was quite nice and the two lens package was reasonable. The A200 also had a wonderful feel and it's use of CF over the propriety MS, along with the great battery life would be a good traveling companion.

After handling the G9, I realized that its price simply didn't separate from the rest of the advanced P/S pack (S5, Oly 550UZ).

Has anyone had experience with the A200?