I would really appreciate your help if you can,
I am looking at buying a DSLR and have been looking at canon EOS 400,
olympus 410, and nikon D 40x
I also like the EOS 5D but it is out of my price range

(is there a huge difference to this model?)

WOULD I BE BETTER OFF FOR QUALITY PRINTS TO BUY A BODY AND SEPERATE LENSES?
IF SO CAN ANYONE PLEASE ADVISE THE MOST ECONOMICAL WAY TO DO THIS WITH A BODY THAT CAN USE MULTIPLE LENSES (CANON.\, TOKINA ETC) AND WHAT SIZE LENSES WOULD BE RECOMENDED AS MOST VERSATILE


Ideally I would like to start on something that is easy to use ( I have read that some models are much more difficult to get the hang of) and one that also has a few auto point and shoot options as well
but really important is, I would like the most professional looking shots,

I would be taking mostly portraits of children and landscapes as I take pictures when travelling (eg. will be travelling through thailand vietnam in november)
so close up and macro important as well.

I occasionally get asked to take photos at my brothers windsurfing/wavesailing comps
so 300mm lens comes in handy.

but what sort of wide angle lens or any lens would you recommend for portraits ?
and any help on choice of camera would be greatly appreciated or other recommendations

I know in Australia these cameras all come with twin lenses
olympus has 14 - 42mm and 40 - 150mm( is there a big difference being 14 mm for wider anngle?)
nikon and canon have 18 - 55 mm and 75 - 300 mm but have read they don't come with the greatest quality lens.

thanks Janelle

Just wanted to say thanks for all the help I got!!
but I decided to buy canon 30d with one good pro lens instead
so if anyone has an opinion now
that would be great

That is quite a big jump from 400D to 30D. Way to go. I got my 350D in last June and the 400D just released 2 weeks afterwards,,,, I wanted to kill myself then... But no regret on that. The worst mistake was that I bot a 75-300mm f/4-5.6 lens. And forget about the kit lens 18-55mm f/4-5.6, you better off without it. It is a completely waste of money even its so cheap. From there I bot the 50mm f/1.8 and my favorite EF 70-200mm f/4L USM. These 2 lens are really great. And I finally complete my jewell box with the Tamron AF 17-50mm f/2.8 I was quite relutant to get anything else but Canon lens. But the facts of live "money" is more important. After reading all the reviews and comment, I took it, and the Tamron is the best buy I believe so far. Good value for money.



Bottom line is that after getting my 350D for almost a year now, I have taken more than 6,000 pictures. I am looking foward to the new release of the success model of 30D. And it will be good to keep my 350D as a spare/2nd camera. Yes, there is no doubt that 400D and 30D are in different platform, but I personally will try to stock up the lens along the way before burning a big hole in the body alone. Once you get your hand on the L lens, you wont let go... And dont forget you still need to get a good external flash, tripod, handy camera bag, a camera with note book travelling bags, and the electric dry box..... and many more...

Why is the lens kit so bad? I have a 50mm and 28-80mm lens for my old EOS600; If I buy a 400D should I just use these, or should I buy a new lens for the camera which is more compatible?

HI

Canon will offer you the most features, and the best lens selection, but it will come at a price. You will eventually need to invest in L-series lenses to take advantage of this camera. Nikon will be better if you plan to use it more like a point and shoot camera with the kit lens, as it is better than Canon's kit lens.
You would be moving away from main stream if you went with Olympus - I'm talking overal compatibility, lens selection, third party aftermarket availability etc... Nothing wrong with that, as long as you're clear about your own needs. Hope this helps.

Zeniu.