This is always the big dilemma. You know you want a digital but what do you go with. I purchased a Nikon D70s SLR in March of 2006 and it has been a great camera, but it took me awhile to come to that decision. Cameras are an expensive purchase and you don't want to waste your money. I have tried, for a week at a time, both the Canon Rebel and the Nikon D50/D70s. In my opinion you can't go wrong with either one, but when you talk to people you will always get an opinion to go with one or the other.

Personally I find it quite annoying. Whenever someone gives you advice on this, you need to evaluate why they are saying it.

• Has the person always been a "Nikon" or "Canon" person. They tend to fall in with the brand and go a bit biased sometimes.
• Did they own an SLR before. Perhaps all their lenses forced them to buy the same brand anyways to avoid the cost of buying all that new glass.
• Have they tried the other one out?
• Do they know what you are looking for in a camera?

Basically, I would do the following...

1. Figure out what kind of photos you will be taking. What features will be of most value to you? If you are outdoors, traveling, portrait, everyday use, or whatever, it will make a difference to what you want.
2. Read up on different models. The best site by far is dpreview.com. There are excellent reviews written here to fill you in on the basics and the details if you want. They even discuss things that might annoy you like where a button is placed or how the on screen menu behaves.
3. Go to the store and try them out. See how they fit in your hand. If they have a good return policy like Best Buy, you might be able to get them and take them home for a week.
4. Talk to other people, but remember, they can be biased.
5. See what lenses are available for this camera. They usually are all comparable, but I really wanted the 18-200 and the best one of this is only available on the Nikon.
6. What type of warranty is included. Nikon is 2 years and Canon is 1, but most places sell extended warranties. Sometimes for only a small fee.
7. What do your friends have? Seriously. When figuring things out and looking at the next lens/accessory to buy, you can learn with your friends and swap lenses without having to buy them first.
8. Do you already have flash memory cards of a certain type? You might want a camera that supports that type so you don't have to buy more of a different format.
9. Do you want to take occasional short video clips? Point and shoots do this, but the average SLR will not.
10. How rough will you be with your camera, does it have a screen protector, rugged body, body material won't get all scratched or show scratches, more sealed to prevent sand from getting in, or etc. Konica Minolta has an awesome little point and shoot for traveling. Only a few buttons on the back, massive lcd, and the optical zoom mechanism was contained inside the camera. No moving parts or openings on the outside of the camera for dust, sand, or moisture to get in. I don't own one, but I used one from a friend for 2 weeks while in South America and it was awesome.

Last, don't sweat it. Most name-brand cameras are pretty good quality nowadays.

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