…hey all, another please give me your advice thread!
I am looking to buy an entry level digital SLR. Many moons ago I used to own a Minolta X-300s, and I know the basics of photography.
I am looking to get back into photography again: I will be looking at taking some sports photos (nothing professional) as well as lots of photographs of people: both candid and portrait. On occasion I will be taking some photos for work that will go on our work website. (This will involve photos of people and possibly food)
Due to financing and budget I have narrowed down my cameras to three possibilities: (I did strongly consider the Nikon D60: but it edged out of the running due to price, but if someone wants to argue for it please feel free!)
Sony DSLR A200 & Sony 18-70mm + Sony 75-300mm lens
Olympus E420 Body with 14-42mm and 40-150mm Lenses
Canon EOS 1000 D (Rebel XS in the US) with 18-55 EF IS & 75-300 EF
All three hit my price range and come with features I am looking for.
I am tending towards the Sony because of its “Minolta roots”, and of the three it seems to be the best suited to high-speed photography. It doesn’t have Live View though: which sounds like it could be handy on occasion. But noise is also an important consideration for me and I heard the shutter on youtube and it was loud!
So to sum up: I’m looking for a good all-round digital camera that takes good photos, handles high speed photography well, and is relatively quiet!
Any of them will be fine. Go to a store and hold each, see how the ergonomics work for you. That’ll likely have more impact than minor feature variations. See how each operates for changing basic settings and such.
I have a Canon Rebel Xti and I am very happy with it. (I also have a Canon point and shoot, both 10 mp). Prior to the Rebel, I had a Canon film camera with auto focus lenses. I stuck with Canon because the lenses fit and the camera body value was good. Canon has a large range of lenses and if you are ever going to get really serious about your pix, lenses is where it is at. Pick something with a wide variety of good lenses. All of your named brands should do that well and you should also consider Nikon.
I also have the Canon Xti, and love it. But your other choices would be fine, too. I agree with the above poster: go to a store and handle them all. One should “speak” to you. If not, toss a coin; they’re all good…TRM
…ohhh, you guys aren’t helping, dammitt!!! I was hoping for an overwhelming consensus! 
But thanks for the advice so far guys…
I did visit a couple of “big box” stores, but I decided to order online because of the cost savings. I’m one of those people who feel guilty and only ask for help if I have the intention of buying: so I stared and asked a few questions but didn’t feel right about handling them. I’m going to have to go back and try them over the weekend, aren’t I?
Regarding the “Live View” issue: considering I’m used to only using the viewfinder will I be missing out if I buy a camera without it? The Sony is still the front runner in my head, but is it worthwhile going for the Cannon or the Olympus for this feature?
Does the Olympus still use xD memory cards? Because when I was looking for a camera, almost nothing else did, which made the cards more expensive, and was one reason I didn’t choose Olympus.
Edit: the Olympus cameras I’d looked at used only xD cards.
Olympus DSLRs all use CF and xD.
DSLRs are systems, not cameras. I’d figure out where you want to be 5 years from now and see what lenses are available. Initial purchase price might favor one camera but when you are looking for a high quality big telephoto down the road you may find your choices limited.
If you are interested in shooting in low light without flash I’d go with the Canon. It has better high ISO performance then either of the other two.
I personally don’t even look at other cameras unless it’s a sony when in the market. Comparing my pictures to friends when taken of the same event, I feel like mine blows away theirs. But someone from line X I’m sure can say the same thing.
I think overall, try and stick with the same line because the features and settings will be similar across cameras. It’ll make learning a new camera easier.
Enjoy!
Don’t look at the camera bodies. Look at the available lenses for the kinds of photography that you like to do. IMHO Canon lenses offer better performance for a better price. YMMV.
Count this as another vote for “Check them out in person”. The ergonomics are likely more important than the relatively few differences, unless there is a particular feature you really want to have ‘the best’ of.
One quantifiable difference is image stabilization. With Canon and Nikon it is handled by the lens, while with Olympus and Sony it is done in the camera body. This can be good or bad.
Live view, in my opinion is usually useful only in those instances where you are trying to photograph around an obstruction. The lack of live view on my Canon Rebel Xti has never been a big deal, as one can just keep shooting until it’s framed right.
For a hands-on look at the cameras, you’d be better off going to a specialized camera store than a big box. I’m not sure if they use dummies or if the display models just take a lot of abuse, but the cameras at Best Buy et al. always seem to be less than fully functional. Another good reason to handle the cameras in person is that the shutter noises may be considerably different in person, even if the relative loudnesses are the same. Don’t feel too badly about asking the salesman questions, even if you buy online, you will end up buying prints or accessories from them.
Have you considered buying just the camera body? There is nothing wrong with kit lenses, and in fact they are capable of taking some awesome pictures, but if you get back into photography in a big way, you will eventually want to replace it. I don’t know how aggressive the pricing on kits is nowadays, but if you can save a couple hundred bucks there, that’s a significant start on saving up for a better lens. Presuming you can get along with just one until then.
For seemingly unbiased reviews, check out www.dpreview.com and www.imaging-resource.com
B&H Photo Video, Adorama, and J&R are all reputable and have good prices online.
The Olympus takes pictures at a 4:3 ratio, rather than 3:2. Something to keep in mind. Wonderful glass in the lenses, though.
This is very good advice. I just bought myself a Nikon D5000 and many brought up a good point, “Any camera you buy is going to be obsolete in the next 5 years, however many professionals STILL use lenses they bought decades ago.”
The Nikon D40 is DIRT CHEAP right now. We’re talking $300-$500 depending on if you want the kit lens or not. Only 6MP, but I was introduced to a professional photographer that still uses it for his professional shots. Another option to make your decision harder. 
One thing I would suggest though is to leave room for a zoom lens. I’m finding I’m missing a lot of shots because I’m unable/too much of a wuss to get too close with my 18-55mm. Would give a lot for a 70-200/300 at the moment.
Yea, no, Olympus. The Zuiko series of lenses are some of the best on any system, anywhere, and they are incredibly cheap. I have this little guy (reviews here) that I got for 300 after watching it for awhile. I also got the E500 body for 300 refurbed. Throw in the really great flash for about 130, and you have an insanely professional kit for like 730. Can’t be beat.
…thanks for the advice guys. 
Although I’m still undecided! I’m off to the store tomorrow to have a look at a couple of the options: I think I’m wavering between the Sony and the Cannon at the moment…
Again, sorry if it’s out of your price range but the local Costco is running a Canon XSi with a two lenses giving you a 18-250 range + bag + small memory card for about $880. If you plan on buying a second lens then the Canon XS would probably get you up near that price point anyway.
It’s CANON. Sorry, that’s driving me nuts.
…sorry. 
Thanks for the advice guys. I went out and checked out a couple of shops today and it really made a difference.
The Sony seemed a lot bigger than I thought, and even though I have big hands it didn’t feel right. And the shutter was very loud as well: a sort of a “click CLACK!”. Even the Sony rep seemed a bit surprised by how loud it was.
The Canon was a bit more snug around the fingers, and made a much more satisfying “WIRR” when it took a photo…so the Canon moves ahead…
I’m going to do a bit more research to satisfy my choice and will let you know how things progress!!!
They all clack. That whole being an SLR thing means there’s a mirror to flip up and down. Are you sure the Canon wasn’t in live view mode with the mirror already up when you took the picture? The shutter itself isn’t very loud, it’s the mirror slap that you hear.
Or it could have been the auto focus that made the “WIRR.”
Proper Canon lenses are almost completely silent when they focus, thanks to their ultrasonic motors, aka USM. At most, they’ll make a gentle rubbing sort of noise, but you really can’t hear it from more than about a foot or two away. The image stabilizer gyros actually make more noise than the focusing, and even those are nearly inaudible unless you hold the camera near your ear.
If your lenses are making distinct whirring noises, you probably have lenses from someone else such as Sigma or Tamron without ultrasonic motors.
That said, the shutter on my XSi (or any other entry-level DSLR) is louder than it is on professional-grade cameras. Spend $3,000 for something like an EOS 5D, and you’ll get a shutter that sounds like a gentle clap. Spend $600, and you get a shutter that sounds like it could stand a drop of oil. It’s not so much mirror slap as it is a squeaky characteristic on the XSi.