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A camera for Europe?

I’m going to be studying aborad this fall and I’d like to invest in a good camera. I fell in love with photography in high school and all I have right now is a Kodak Easy Share with 5 megapixels. Since then, a lot of things have changed especially the amount of megapixels on a camera. I would a digital camera with manual focus ability, as well as all the functions mine has now (automatic focus, sport setting, close up, etc.). I’ve looked around a little bit but honestly I’m lost. I don’t want to spend a huge amount of money but I do want something high quality. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

The only class of cameras that offer decent manual focus (read “REAL” manual focus) are the SLR’s. There are two in the entry level that are worth considering. I’d recommend the Nikon D80 as the better choice and I’ll describe the Pentax K100D as the “best for the cheapest.” You decide. You’ll have to go to a camera shop and see how each one feels to you.
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The Nikon D40 is a great little camera, very easy to use and quite reasonably priced. It has a few “consumer friendly” totally automatic modes that make it very easy to use, but still offers total photographic control when you are ready to take charge. It will get you in the Nikon family which is a great place to be. If you buy accessories and lenses, you will be able to use everything on any Nikon that you might upgrade to later on.

Check out Nikon’s “Picturetown” promotion, where they handed out 200 D40′s in Georgetown, SC. http://www.stunningnikon.com/picturetown/

Here are a few reviews, in case you have not read them yet. Be sure to note that they are several pages long and some of the reviews also have some sample images that you can look at.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_reviews/nikon_d40.html

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3756/camera-test-nikon-d40.html

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d40/d40-recommendations.htm

I hate to see people slam the camera because it can’t autofocus with older Nikon lenses. It is true that there is a “slight problem” with older Nikon lenses not autofocusing on the D40, but if you do not own a bag full of older lenses, it is not going to be a problem. It is barely a problem anyhow. If you check www.nikonusa.com for “AF-S” lenses, which are ALL 100% compatible with the D40, you will find 23 lenses, including 7 “VR” (vibration Reduction) lenses and one true macro lens with “VR”. There are another 25-plus lenses in the current catalog that provide all functions except autofocus as well as many (possibly dozens) “out of print” lenses that will work just as well. In addition, although these lens will not autofocus, most of them will still give focus confirmation. From the D40 manual: “If the lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6 of faster, the viewfinder focus indicator can be used to confirm whether the portion of the subject in the selected focus area is in focus. After positioning the subject in the active focus area, press the shutter release button halfway and rotate the lens focusing ring until the in-focus indicator is displayed.” (See www.members.aol.com/swf08302/nikonafs.txt for a list of AF-S lenses.)

The D40 only has 3 autofocus zones arranged horizontally at the center, 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions. This might be considered a limitation, but realistically, most people will find this perfectly adequate, especially if you are moving up from a point and shoot with only a center zone.

There is no “Status LCD” on top of the camera, but Nikon chose to use the rear LCD for this information. This is actually a nice move, as the display is bigger than the top display and you aren’t using the read LCD for anything BEFORE you take the picture anyway. This is not a step backwards and it actually makes sense to me.

You can get the D40 with the 18-55 kit lens at B&H Photo available through Yahoo! Shopping or at 1-800-622-4987) for $550 (May 2007) and this is with TWO Lexar 1 GB cards. You can get the same kit with one Lexar Platinum (higher speed) card for $560. Or – get the D40 with 18-135 lens and 1 GB Lexar card for $760.
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Pentax K100D – Cheapest Decent SLR

The cheapest DSLR that is worth owning is probably the Pentax K100D, and this is coming from a Nikon fan. This is a decent camera.

You can click on individual user comments on this page:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/read_opinions.asp?prodkey=pentax_k100d

You can read the dpreview.com “Highly Recommended” review here:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxk100d/

You can also read this review of the K100D here:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/k100d.html

I used to recommend the Pentax K110D as the best entry level dSLR, but I do not see it for sale at B&H Photo or Adorama. The entry level seems to now be the K100D. The only difference between these two cameras is that the K100D includes “shake reduction,” which adds some expense to the camera.

Adorama has the K100D with the 18-55 lens for $489.95, after a $50 rebate. The rebate ends on July 31, 2007. You will still need a memory card and I would suggest at least the 1 GB Sandisk Ultra II SD card, which costs about $30. You can get the 2 GB for $35, so it would be silly not to go for the 2 GB card.

As of this writing (5-9-07), B&H is NOT showing the $50 rebate on the K100D with the 18-55 lens, but they ARE showing it for the body alone. Since this is a Pentax manufacturer’s rebate, I would speculate that this is an error on the web site. If you prefer buying from B&H, you can call them at 1-800-622-4987 to inquire about this matter.

Takeaways of Jeff & Jeff fom Europe’s first 140Conf in London

GTMax KLIC-7006 Replacement Battery + Travel&AC Wall Plug Charger (UK, Europe & USA) with in-Car adapter + Cleaning Cloth for Kodak EasyShare M873 / M883 / M530 / M550 / M575 / M580 / Mini M200 / M522 / M552 / M577 / M583 /M532 / M23 / M5350 / M5370 / M23 / MD55 Digital Camera $14.96 KLIC-7006 Charger with Adapter and 3 PlugsSmart LED charging status indicator.Voltage: 100V – 240V. AC/DC output for both home and travel use.1 charger adapter and 3 plugs(Plugs for USA, European and UK) included.The charger is for charging your battery only. It does not work as AC adapter for your digital camera or camcorder.KLIC-7006 Li-ion BatteryNo memory loss effect.Integrated microchip preve…

Kodak EasyShare M530 Digital Camera Battery Charger – TechFuel® AC & DC Compatible Travel Battery Charger $13.95 Make sure you never miss a once-in-a-lifetime moment with an uncharged battery. A new, TechFuel battery charger specifically designed for your Kodak EasyShare M530 digital camera will make it possible to have a freshly charged battery whenever you need it. TechFuel battery chargers are engineered to meet or exceed OEM specifications and feature the latest battery charging technology, including adv…

Kodak EasyShare M763, M863, M893 IS – Replacement Battery Charger (Incl. Car and European Plug Adapters) $2.96 This battery charger replaces the Kodak original [ MR-KLIC7001 ] family model charger for the [ KLIC-7001 ] battery. Package includes: One ultra slim, lightweight battery charger, one DC Car Plug Adapter, and one European Adapter (220V)). Compatible with the following device models: Kodak EasyShare M763, M863, M893 IS…