Stepping up from an Olympus SP-550UZ

samwise

I've had my Oly super-zoom for a year or so now, and finding it a huge improvement over the old Nikon Coolpix 3500

I took som candids at my parent's 40th wedding anniversary party last Sunday, and found I got decent results with the long zoom that this camera allows, and also some OK shots from the Isle of Man TT motorcycle races from the previous two weeks.

I still find that I can't quite get in close enough on the racing some of the time, and would maybe like a little more control on the candid portraits, although I haven't really messed around with the manual settings on the Olympus yet.

My question is what would be a relatively inexpensive first DSLR to step up to, and which lenses would suit those two criteria (there'll also probably be some landsacpe stuff in there when I tour on the motorcycle, but I'd imagine the lenses to suit the first criteria would deal OK with landscapes etc? :scratch )

I'm coming into this with no real SLR experience bar an old manual Praktica in my film days around 15 years ago, so would be starting from scratch and thus any brand of camera is fine, but I'd rather not spend a fortune on the body if I need multiple lenses etc :deal . One benefit I do find with the Olympus is AA-batteries rather than a li-ion pack, so that capability would be good too.

swintonphoto

Well, honestly there are a lot of really great affordable cameras out there these days. Really any of the offerings by any of the major companies will give you good results. You might go find a store to try them out in your hand.

However, judging by your post, having the ability to work in long zoom ranges seems important to you. This may be an argument for you to look at the Olympus line of DSLR cameras as they have a 2x crop factor on their sensors making it easier to get long-zoom capability for a smaller price and lighter package. I would look at the E-510 or the new E-520. They are virtually the same camera with a few minor upgrades. However, the E-510 will be very aggressively priced right now. The 510 has in-body sensor shift image stabilization which I have found very helpful when working with my telephoto lens. You can get the E-510 with a 2 lens kit for a super bargain. If you want more zoom range than that there are a lot of other possibilities. If you want a lot of zoom for a reasonable price they sell a 70-300mm zoom for about $375. That may be a good addition to the kit lens that comes with the camera. If you have a larger budget there are some other alternatives that may provide you even better results but cost more. I use the E-510 and the 14-54mm 2.8-3.5 lens. It is better in build quality, optical quality, and speed than the kit lens, but will cost you $380. However, I think it is really worth it. Also, I have the 50-200mm 2.8-3.5 lens which also is better build quality, optical quality, and speed than the less expensive lenses but it costs around $1150.

If you are on a really tight budget you could get this:
$650 - E-510 with 2 lens kit (14-45mm 3.5-5.6 lens and 40-150mm 3.5-5.6 lens)

Moderate budget:
$925 - E-510 with kit standard zoom lens (14-45mm 3.5-5.6) and the long zoom (70-300mm 4.0-5.6)

Moderate to high budget:
$1200 - E-510 with advanced standard zoom lens (14-54mm 2.8-3.5) and long zoom telephoto (70-300mm 4.0-5.6)

High budget:
$1975 - E-510 with advanced standard zoom (14-54mm 2.8-3.5) and advanced telephoto zoom (50-200mm 2.8-3.5).

If you have the money I would go for the moderate to high budget setup. You would be extremely pleased with the results of this setup for a very reasonable price in my opinion. Those lenses are fantastic. But the other options would be great as well.

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1295

http://www.four-thirds.org/en/index.html

Grainbelt

The Pentax K100D/K200D is the only SLR line I know of that takes AA's. Also happens to have built in image stabilization and some other toys at a decent price, and a kit lens that gets decent reviews.

I'm pondering a similar move from a Canon S5IS to a DSLR, just haven't gotten around to it.

Glory2Jesus4Photography

I would go for an Olympus set up as well. The menu set up is a lot easier for me then some of the other manufactures but that is just personal preference. I am also very pleased with the Olympus lenses that I have they are sharp good contrast and built well. I use the 12-60 and 50-200 swd to cover most all jobs that I need to That gives me a range of 24 mm-400 mm . I think buying a new system, one should look at the lenses that are going to cover there photographic needs and has some room to grow into. Bodies are upgraded ever year to two years depending so it is a lot easier to up grade a body next generation or two then all your lenses you have invested so much money into. Just my opinion. hope it helps you with your decision. Happy shopping