Point and Shoot to first DSLR

[natatbeach]

Hello All,
Hi! I have a friend that is searching for recommendations on cameras (DSLR) she currently has a point and shoot but needs some versatility in playing with settings. She travels A LOT and the point and shoot isnt cutting it. She probably wants to stay the range of 400-600 dollars. I know a lot of you get to test drive quite a few cameras and have preferences you may be able to share. Any recommendations you can give are greatly appreciated. She will be leaving for Italy She wants to be able to shoot anything from landscapes to night scenes, needs ease of use and has about a beginners skillset with anything other than a point and shoot. The maximum enlargement she'd make is 11x14(10x13). Thank you so much for all your valuable input!

[Photo-John]

Sounds like she's a perfect candidate for a mirrorless camera like the Olympus Pens, the Sony NEX or the Nikon 1 cameras. They have interchangeable lenses and DSLR performance, but they're smaller and lighter than an actual digital SLR. When I got married a couple of years ago, we went to Italy for our honeymoon and all I took was the Olympus E-P3 Pen camera (read my Olympus E-P3 Pro Review). I had no regrets. And the latest Olympus Pen cameras have much better image quality and performance. Check out Megan's review of the new Olympus E-PL5:

Olympus E-PL5 Pro Review >>

The Sony NEX cameras use a larger, APS-C sensor, just like a consumer digital SLR, so they have even better image quality. Take a look at the Sony NEX-5R to learn a little about their mirrorless camera system:

Sony NEX-5R Intro >>

I prefer the Olympus Pens because their smaller sensor allows them to keep the camera and lenses even smaller. Even though it's not as good as the larger sensor in the Sony cameras, the current Olympus sensor is very impressive. I'm sure it will surprise both of you if you haven't used a new DSLR and she's used to a P&S camera. Both the Sony and Olympus systems are both quite small, though and a great option for travelers.

If this strategy sounds good to you, you might also want to check out the Compact System Cameras Forum. That one is dedicated to mirrorless cameras.

And good to see you on the forums again. It's been too long

[natatbeach]

the problem with great advice and reviews is that I now want one of these lol. Thank you! I have passed the info along and will continue to check for more input. glad to be back

[Photo-John]

the problem with great advice and reviews is that I now want one of these lol.

I hear you. For most people and most situations, a mirrorless camera is all you need. They're what I use for most of my outdoor, travel and casual photos now. I get out the SLRs for event shooting and sports competitions where I need perfect continuous auto focus.