help, slr buying advice needed!

[Gingernuts]

im looking to purchase my first slr and am looking for a bit of advice on my purchase from a bunch of people in the know.

i have done quite a lot of photography in the past using a d70 and a 350d and have had a play with my sisters d60 as well. i feel very capable of setting up and configuring a camera and have no technofear whatsoever!

the camera will be used mostly at knockhill, various car photography and photographing landscapes and scenery of scotland. i also really enjoy close up photography using macro lenses.

i have around £400 to spend max, and so far have looked at second hand packages where i will get a couple of lenses and batteries etc (enough to keep me going for a while before in need to start spending money again).

i have looked at various camera's but am fairly confused where to go and the differences between 350d's, 40d's and the like.

have tried to include as much of what i need as possible, so if anyone could post any adivce on what camera and what lenses i should be looking at, it would be a great help.

[beano500]

Gingernuts said:

i have done quite a lot of photography in the past using a d70 and a 350d and have had a play with my sisters d60 as well. i feel very capable of setting up and configuring a camera and have no technofear whatsoever!

Gingernuts said:

...am fairly confused where to go and the differences between 350d's, 40d's and the like. .

OK - so I'm thinking:

1) have you tried dpreview for some comparisons as to what your potential short list might offer?
2) go and handle some that you haven't, and try and narrow down which brand fits your hand, fills you with confidence, seems like the way you want to go
3) research which lenses you want - in some ways you should let the choice of optics drive which body you want.

If you go secondhand Nikon I would stick with (which is mostly all you have) the DX sized sensors such as D200, D300, D80, D2X(s), D2H which all will drive non AF-S lenses (the ones without the AF motor in the lens itself) to give yourself widest choice of secondhand lenses - you'll probably want one of the 70-300mm lenses early doors.

Can't really help on other brands - over to someone who actually knows something....

[RobDickinson]

As you step up in spec you generaly get more fps, better ergonomics, better viewfinder, better lcd (tho not always), better AF etc.

350D is quite basic thesedays with 8mp, small screen, 7af points, 3fps, still quite a capable image maker, but the 40D stomps it into the ground on all fronts.

Remember every dSLR does most of what you need and takes great pics.