What's the best digital SLR for under $600

[Jennifer_Nathe]

I am a beginner photographer. I need a new camera that is around $600 and under with very good quality/reasonable priced lens. I have been using a Canon PowerShot A620 for the longest time, and it's really been the camera, that has given me my love for picture taking.BUUUTT if I want to go anywhere with photography... I need something to really get my foot in the door.
I really don't know what I need in a camera either...Like what are the most important features you need in a camera? If I want to shoot in RAW as well as jpeg, but I want to lean more towards really understanding RAW how do I know which camera has good settings for RAW? I want to take pictures of people/action, nature/animals...How do I know what is a good lens for each particular type of picture taking?
These are the things, that to me are important in a camera; fast shutter speed and fps without loosing picture quality, a good screen that shows me when I got my shot, really good color quality, it would be cool if I found one that displays the histogram very easily, one that has good settings for RAW shooting, good features....
Like I said before, I'm just not sure what's truly important. I want to get serious. Right now I am like a sponge, and I want to absorb as much information as I possibly can about camera's, lens, and also anything that will really better me as a photographer...such as; how to get a good grasp on using the settings on my camera in different lighting, and how to understand the camera like the back of my hand.
I have been considering the Nikon D3100(I am a little concerned about lens cost with this one) the Nikon D90(with this one its the RAW settings) the sony A330(this one the Lag in between shots and I don't know as much about it or its lenses) other cameras I'm considering are Nikon D3000,D5000, Pentax KX, KR,Olympus E420,520....



Any suggestions,advice, or anything at all would really be appreciated!!!!
!! Thank you so much!!

[n8]

I would suggest looking for a used d90. It's a very capable camera and has all the features you're looking for. I can't vouch for the other brands you have listed being a nikon man myself though. I would slightly discourage you from the d3000/3100/5000, not because they are bad, but because they are laid out to appeal the users that keep their camera on auto most of the time and don't have the interest in full control. Most camera's are going to give you an option to shoot in RAW...the bright side is that you then get to figure out what software you're going to use to edit those ;)

[OldClicker]

Nikon D40 6.1 MP $ 480.00
Olympus E-410 6.1MP $ 495.00
Canon Rebel XT (300D) 8.0MP $ 500.00
Pentax K100D Super 6.1MP $ 535.00
Olympus E-510 10MP $ 585.00
Sony DSLR-A100 10.2MP $ 592.00

I think that this list is kind of old. The Sony was discontinued in late 2007 - early 2008. - Terry

[Anbesol]

I really don't know what I need in a camera either...Like what are the most important features you need in a camera? If I want to shoot in RAW as well as jpeg, but I want to lean more towards really understanding RAW how do I know which camera has good settings for RAW? I want to take pictures of people/action, nature/animals...How do I know what is a good lens for each particular type of picture taking?

Raw is just raw, no one camera has a better raw than the next.

How to know what is a good lens. Well, though there are some build quality differences and other optical quality differences to be considered, as a general rule - the aperture opening of the lens designates a certain level of quality, and certainly designates that lens' usability as well. This is always displayed plainly on every lens as the "f/" number, (or f 1:_), a "3.5-5.6" or "4-5.6" or similar numbered lens is a slow lens. an 2.8 is a fast lens, and on a budget, the 50mm f/1.8 or 1.7 is the fastest you get.. This is why one of the first lens I ever recommend getting is the 50mm f/1.8 (or 1.7, depending on brand). Its super fast and shows you how to use wide aperture lens, and its also very practical on a variety of fronts (its tiny, light, pleasant to carry around). Combine this with the fact that all 50mm f/1.8's and 7's produce excellent optical qualities, and its only $100. That lens is a no-brainer in my opinion.

These are the things, that to me are important in a camera; fast shutter speed and fps without loosing picture quality, a good screen that shows me when I got my shot, really good color quality, it would be cool if I found one that displays the histogram very easily, one that has good settings for RAW shooting, good features....

Shutter speed is the same within all cameras, its lens, ISO and light dependent. Some go to 1/8000th of a second, some to 1/4000th. I think you may find FPS an irrelevant feature, unless you are photographing super-fast sports, action or the sort. I can't recall one time I have actually used the full burst mode of my camera, except just to see it (which is 5FPS). For most shooting styles, you wouldn't notice the difference between 1 FPS and 10 FPS. (FPS = frames per second)
What you want in a 'good screen' is resolution, more than anything. Look for resolution in a cameras specs, if it is at least 900 pixels at its widest, that is very high resolution. 500 pixels or less is low. Some screens glare more than others, in bright sun it can be pretty difficult to view. You'll also be able to view your individual color histograms, which will be a more reliable indication of color than looking at a ~ 2.5" image.

All cameras can show you a histogram, but only some break it down in individual color histograms. I don't know off the top of my head which ones do or dont, my a700 does.

Kick out every nikon you've listed except the D90, that is the only one worth considering on your list. The D90 is also a really good one as well, definitely worth a look.

If I were getting into photography right now, and $600 was my budget, I would look at Sony's A700 (the one I use now, might be a tad over $600), the Canon 40D, and the Nikon D90.

The D90's "raw" will be no different from the next cameras. As I said, raw is just raw. The only practical difference is what version of software you are using and its compatibility, which is a negligible difference in its own right. If you are using Photoshop CS4, with the newest camera raw update, all camera raw's will work for you.