New Camera - seeking advice ?

Im after a new camera...
Ive always been into photography & I really enjoy taking photos - its something Ive wanted to develop [}:)] as more of a hobby.
Ive never had a great camera as such (currently my "best" is 5m pixcel Olympus digi-cam which set me back £250-£300 about a year ago (required it for business use, photographing stock, rather than to explore a hobby), while it takes some great photos - there is taking pictures & there is taking pictures [:w])
Im not after anything that should require its own seat on a plane, just something that maybe needs me to use my eye & not the digital viewfinder [:o)] ... Something that will take different lenses and would be big enough to carry-on by itself but small enough that it wouldnt slip into a pocket or wife's handbag.

Suggestions can be for digital or film... if it does swing into a full time hobby then I`ll maybe go the whole hog to film & develop my own... so perhaps to start off digital may be better [8D], can always delete pictures that dont come out right too [:#]

From the hotdeals link (in clubhouse?) I found (amongst others) a Canon EOS for circa £430 which seemed like a pretty decent camera... seems to be along the lines of what I had in mind...
Clearly I could go into Jessops or similar & possibly speak with an expert - however I wouldnt mind an impartial view from someone not trying to sell me the camera [}:)]
So - can any of the photography minded help me out??
I havent looked into prices in the US yet , was more an after thought following on from my Bose posting... is it likely i`ll pick something like this up in the US for a $$ figure much less than a ££ figure?
Clearly I would like the camera for going away in 2 weeks, a couple of scenic visits have been promised & theres always the wedding I`ll be attending - so I wouldnt mind something that will give me more than 5m pixcel run-of-the-mill digi-cam I now have.

I'm not much help on the camera front, but good luck and I hope you have a great trip. What a schedule.

I can highly recommend the Canon 350D. I've never looked back since going (SLR) digital. If you can get the body cheap I could sell you a very nice low mileage 17-85mm Image Stabilised EF-S (as I've recently invested in a 24-105 L series) lens that would go VERY well with it!

Regards

John

Seconded on the Canon EOS Digital range. Be aware that if you buy a kit the supplied lens is likely to be crap though... worth investing in a decent telephoto and a wide angle lens as well.

BC

Agree BC. Kit lens is usually the EF-S 18-55 (plastic). A very good immediate upgrade/alternate is the 17-85 IS (not a sales pitch).

My recent 24-105 "L" series purchase is razor sharp at all lengths at the wide open f4 aperture. The EF-S 10-22 is awesome too (and not an "L") and of course, my 100-400 "L" is worthy of it's £1300 tag.

Regards

John

Think very carefully before shelling out money on a more expensive camera because you think extra bucks will give you better shots. Unless you actually know a little bit about photography (which you may already do) or are prepared to spend the time learning you may end up taking worse pictures with a more demanding camera. It's actually not just about megapixels, but more often about knowing your equipment and how your best to maximise the available shooting conditions. Above all is an eye for composition which will be just as effective with a standard point and shoot as with a professional DSLR.

Bear in mind that in order to get double the size prints at the same resolution as a 5MP camera you will be looking at shelling out for a >16MP camera. And that a lot of digital photographers spend a fair amount of time learning and using postprocessing packages such as Photoshop.

If you do decide to invest the time and money in learning a new hobby then the suggestions that the others made are pretty good for starters. I am currently shooting with a Nikon D200 and enjoy the learning opportunity that such a capable camera presents. Consider checking out sites like dpreview.com for reviews of a variety of cameras.

Thanks [y]
Few things to think about then [?]
Ive long been a believer that more $$$ doesnt always equal better quality & Im fairly sure the same is true with cameras... To take pics for my business Ive actually been using an Olympus Stylus 410 & IMO couldnt get better pictures (taking the "right" picture is something Ive strived to do for years - better my pictures look, easier it is to sell the products I can offer (sounds a bit rude[:0]))

Schedule has gotten a little carried away [:I] Was originally booking a 2-3 week break (well there was to be much golf, so break rather than holiday!) around my brothers wedding in Wisconsin - however due to redtape & a couple of errors the papers still havent been fully processed & his Visa hasnt come through yet (so wedding has had to be officially postponed last week). I had booked my flights back in January in/out NYC... Have been a country music fan for as long as I can remember (so Nashville was a must[oo])
With approx. 2 weeks to kill in US & wedding off, have decided instead to head out west & will take in Vegas + Phoenix/Sedona as well as a Grand Canyon visit (instead of the GreatLakes & Rockies trips we were to be getting!). Now "forced" into CHI on the way back (to avoid dearer 1-way ticket to BNE had to book it as a rtn - so picked CHI as thought Id be up in Wisconsin... amazes me that some airlines will allow you to book a return into 1 airport & back from another for no penalty, but wont allow you to book them as seperate one-ways without a charge![?])
Only drawback is no golf now, unless I can convince the wife to pop into a spa in Vegas or Sedona & head out for a quick 18 holes [:w]

You should consider a D50 or D70s as well as the cannon range - in my experience they have a more solid feel - however discounts on Nikons are not as good in the US as eleswhere.

Another vote for the EOD 350D from me, quality piece of kit

Had the Fuji S9500 (S9000 in the States) for a few months now and have to say I'm delighted with the results.

The camera is a bridge between autofocus and SLR. It comes with a 28-300mm lens and up to 9m pixels via the 'super CCD HR'. Takes both XD cards and microdrive compact flash cards.

Camera performs really well at low light levels with greatly reduced 'noise' on the photos (ISO from 80 to 1600). Also produces 640 x 480 30fps movies with sound and can zoom in!

Costs around £399 @ Jessops etc, but can be bought online from the same firm for around £349 (even as low as £325 with a promo code)

Jon B