Dan,
I would certainly look at more than just the Nikon D40x and Canon's equivalent. There are plenty of good DSLR options out there from other companies like Pentax, Sony, Olympus, etc.
I guess the current entry level Canon is the 450D (digital Rebel Xsi). It has some advantages over the Nikon (its CMOS gives better high ISO images), but the Nikon has a better flash system.
Here's a biased view some of the offerings...
Nikon D40x - cheap, dependable, AF lens issue mentioned before, LCD too small
Canon 450Xsi - a little pricier, better sensor than the Sony CCD (used by Sony and Nikon), biggest LCD of this group, lenses a little cheaper than rest of group, flash system not as good as Nikon/Sony/Pentax (I don't know about olympus flash system)
Pentax K200D - lots of features for your money, image stabilization in body, older (cheap) manual focus Pentax lenses fit this body,
Olympus E420 - live-view LCD, 4/3 system (maybe an advantage or not?), I don't know about this sensor - do some research - it could be great or not?
Sony Alpha 200 - image stabilization in body, excellent flash system
An important test is how the camera feels in your hands and where the features you want are placed. It doesn't help if your camera has a really neat feature you want, but it is buried 10 menus deep and you have to push 3 buttons 5 times to find it! So make sure you handle each of them. Check how fast they autofocus, etc.
I have put a link at the bottom to dpreview.com's comparison table of these cameras. They also compare their output in each camera's review pages, so do some homework.
Of course, you are buying more than just a camera, you are buying a camera system. Hopefully, you will buy this body and later be able to move up to a newer/more advanced body within that same system. Of course, all of these I've mentioned are good systems and offer the sorts of accessories you will want. Some systems' accessories are a little cheaper than others, but you can generally buy third party lenses, etc., for any of these systems. Don't be fooled by/worried about brand name - all of these are competent cameras made by good manufacturers.
In regard to what accessories you will want, I would want a minimum of these things for a "complete" herp photographing kit -
- body
- 90mm, 100mm, or 105mm macro lens
- external flash with diffuser and the ability to shoot with the flash off camera (wirelessly or with an off-camera cord)
secondary things to pick up....
- wide angle lens for habitat shots
- longer lens for lizards/turtles in the wild (~300mm)
- a good, heavy tripod
Do some homework (dpreview is a great place to start) and be wary of people who only use one brand telling you that theirs is superior. Most Nikon people have never used a Canon, Sony, Olympus or Pentax camera and vice versa. It's like someone who has owned nothing but Ford trucks telling you not to buy Chevrolet, Toyota, or Dodge.
Chris
Table comparing Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Pentax, Sony entry level DSLRs
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas
