I'm currently using a Minolta A1, and looking to find a digital SLR to go in the main camera bag.
My biggest challenge is getting enough photons in the sensor !

I have to photograph conference speakers on stage, with no additional light and preferably no distracting flash. I'm getting around 10% success rate due to subject movement, which is what I expect.

I find the A1 is very noisy, with what looks like column shift noise from highlights across dark areas at 800ASA setting. I expect the A2 to be even worse, as the lens hasn't changed and probably the sensor size hasn't changed, which means cramming more, smaller, pixels into the same space.

I tried the EOS300D for a weekend and it drove me nuts.
But it did get good photographs, even though I hated using it.
* wouldn't focus in low light
* slow to find the focus
* no microprism, or crossed prism, or fresnel in the viewfinder
* poor eye relief from the finder
* unusable controls for shutter/aperture in manual mode
* no manual control over built in flash

So what would you recommend, for low light?

PAul