What is a good DSLR camera for a starter? Best quality/deal for a low price? any suggestions?

Hey and welcome!

Seems like you're intested in getting into photography, many applauds! I'm sure you know but just in case photogrraphy is intense and you don't want to invest more money than you are time. The quality and intensity of a photo doesn't come just from the camera but from the photgrapher! And with that said I'd like to present to you my top three choices of cameras to pursue when starting out. I'll only include those cameras that come with interchangeable lenses (I'll start you off in the 55mm hopefully the standard for filters) that way you can expand your skills when the time comes. My top two favorite brands are Nikon (woot!), and Canon. The range is $500-900.

What I like about the Nikon besides it being my preferred brand is that the D5000 has rave reviews behind it's usability for the price. This D5000 comes with TWO lenses so that you can work on zoom and micro images. It's better when you can buy lenses like this because later on individual lenses cost about as much as your camera. The use of the Nikon is pretty simple especially if you've owned one before. If not figuring out is not a problem especially if you plan to use it a lot. You'll be up to your neck in SD cards because of the larger megapixels but it's worth it. I love Nikon also because they do an amazing job with addressing low light conditions. I still have my Nikon point and shoot from five years ago because of its low light capability and because I know how to use it so well I just have not gotten the heart to replace it, lol.

The other camera that has received rave reviews in the Canon Rebel. This too is an exceptional camera very competitive with the Nikon in terms of quality and delivering. The last is Pentax. While I don't know as much about the cameras individually I do know that Pentax hangs out in terms of perference among photographers along with Nikon, Canon and Olympus to name a few. The camera included here also comes with two lenses for less than $800.

You may still want to read customer reviews for each camera so you can know which is the best buy in the end for you personally. So while I recommend the Nikon, it is always best to make the final choice yourself so that you are comfortable with your decision.


P.S. Nikon! =)

Happy Online Shopping!