Newbie: Advice needed

[anxilign]

I like visual stuff, and this includes photoshooting. Had only a poor exlim S10 bought on Apr to take my pictures while intern in China, and realise how poor my quality of the photos as compared to pictures taken from a DSLR, esp when it comes to low light, i don like the use of flash at low light, where the front part are exposed, but at the back, all underexposed, and the amount of noise at low light even as low as ISO 200. No matter how i process my photos and produce the best out of it, can't even compare to raw pictures from DSLR. So, i had intended to upgrade to a DSLR. At this stage i'm considering between Canon and Nikon. Wondering shld i really start from a entry level D40, or shld i jus get a D90 and learn form it. And, whether shld i get a Canon 50D or a Nikon D90. Need yours kind advices, and guide along my first DSLR.

 

[night86mare]

hi - first off, let me state that buying a dslr only improves image quality, not how good your images are, and even then, only if you know how to use it properly.

as for what camera to buy, my suggestion is that you read up all the online reviews from dpreview.com or imaging resource (google) and see which one seems better to you. note that you are buying a SYSTEM, not just a camera body, as dslr photography, when advancing to later stages, involves buying of more lenses. it is almost inevitable.

you can start with any camera. however, do note that the entry level nikon cameras do have the problem (i view it as one, some may not) of having a limited set of lenses compatible with the camera as there is no built-in af motor. you will need lenses with motors to be able to have autofocus. otherwise, if you're fine with that, then it is not an issue.

my suggestion is to also consider other brands (olympus, pentax, sony) as canon and nikon have their flaws, and their strengths. these other brands too, so it is best to find a brand whose flaws you can live with.

note that olympus has 2x crop factor, canon has 1.6x crop factor, the rest should have 1.5 x crop factor, depending on cam model. this will likely only affect you if you buy THIRD PARTY LENSES.

hoep this helps!