Hi Chuck, Don't give up on the switch to digital photography just yet. Wait till I get in my 2-cents worth, then you can abandon the idea! :) I just want to say that I have used Nikon digital equipment and been very happy with it. I also have many friends who are equally happy with Canon equipment. In my opinion, both offer excellent equipment in a very competitive market, and I think you would be happy with either choice. I used my Nikon D100 for over 45,000 frames, most of which I trashed immediately upon viewing on the computer. But, within those 45,000 frames were some real gems, many of which I would never have taken if I were dealing with film. Digital equipment allows the user to shoot lots of frames with a variety of settings and choose the best of the best. Most cameras today have an exposure bracketing routine that works incredibly well. You simply invoke the routine on the camera (a few buttons) and the camera will take exposures on both sides of the "auto" setting. This makes it easy to ensure that you get a nice exposure, even when conditions are not ideal. It is really worth using this feature. Most importantly, I want to comment on the processing end of things. Some of the comments on this thread have made it sound like processing "requires" lots of time. That isn't necessarily the case. Most of the images that I have kept have never been printed. They simply reside on my hard disk or are backed up on DVD's. I and my family thoroughly enjoy just looking at these unprocessed images right on the computer. These images include photos from trips and family activities, and many other occasions. Only a small fraction of the images get printed, but that does not mean they are not enjoyed by all. Now, you will have many images that are worthy of printing, and most don't really require any processing.... just hit the print button. But you will have a few that are exceptional: images that deserve enlargement and framing, and those are the only ones I would target for in-depth processing. In those cases, a little extra time can really make the image POP! Don't be put off by worries about spending loads of time at the computer. Just get the camera and start shooting! OK - I've said it. Now you can throw my advice in the trash and do whatever you want. :) Cheers, and Clear Skies, Tyler PS - If you have any interest, you can look at a few of my digital images at: www.Nature-Smiles.com or www.Allred-Astro.com _____________________________________________ -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces+tylerallred=earthlink.net@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces+tylerallred=earthlink.net@mailman.xmission.co m] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 9:47 PM To: Utah-Astro Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Digital camera After 35 years of avid emulsion-based photography, I'm about to take a serious digital plunge, something better than Webcam & camera-phone resolution. Trolling for suggestions, looking for a commercial camera that fills a similar niche to the classic 35mm SLR that I am used to. I want to use it for some astro-photography as well as terrestrial, family snapshots, etc. I suspect there will be some good deals after Christmas. I don't want to break the bank, can we keep it under say, $700? Suggestions? Thanks in advance. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com