I need advice on a new SLR camera :confused:

Basically I am getting married in May and need a new camera for my Honeymoon in Italy but it also needs to be good for my first trip away without the wife, Le Mans nearly a week after we get back from the honeymoon.

I want a SLR camera without all the hastle of carrying it. absically i want soemthing small and easy to use.

I was looking at Olympus-Pen-E-P1, are these any good? Or is it too much of a compromise?

What other small SLR's can you get?

Where is best to buy from?

This is what i have seen \/
[ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Olympus-Pen-E-P1-Digital-14-42mm/dp/B002CGS52U/ref=pe_13931_18259621_as_img_6/]Olympus Pen E-P1 Micro Four Thirds Digital SLR Camera: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo[/ame]

While generally a possible compromise between a compact camera and an SLR I found this Dutch review

[I]"Maar zijn ook erg belangrijke bezwaren:
de camera heeft geen ingebouwde flitser;
en evenmin een zoeker;
het scherm is niet al te best, zeker niet bij zonlicht;
de foto's vertonen ruis bij hogere ISO-waarden (het blijft een kleine sensor in vergelijking met spiegelreflexcamera's);
er zijn vier verschillende, overbodige menu-systemen (getiteld: OK, Menu, Fn en Info);
de PEN heeft geen (mini) usb-aansluiting; en
wellicht het belangrijkste bezwaar, de autofocus is buitengewoon traag, zeker bij weinig licht (de camera ontbeert een aparte autofocus processor).

Don't take my word for it, maar dat van The New York Times: [url]http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/technolo[/url]... pen&st=Search&scp=1"
[/I]
and it translates as:

1: No build-in flash
2: No view finder
3: Screen not to good, especially under sunny circumstances
4: Higher ISO values produce relatively much noise (small sensor size)
5: Four different, but redundant menu systems
6: No usb-connection
7: Extremely slow autofocus, especially under low light circumstances.

There seems to have been a review in the NY Times, but the link does not work

So basically yes, there are some advantages in terms of handling, but it comes at a price. Personally the absence of a view finder would be my main objection, and of course if you engage in car photography, you need a fast autofocus, with a servo function.

I'm not an expert, but that thing looks really expensive.
What about the entry level models from Canon and Nikon?
I'm using the Nikon D40, which should cost slightly less by now, and I'm all around satisfied. What I'd like now is a bit more zoom and a larger sensor for low light shots. Also, the autofocus isn't the best of the world, but I can live with that.

If you must get a Micro 4/3 camera, get the Panasonic GF1.

If you must get an Olympus, go for the EP-2, Olympus attempted to fix the shortcomings of the EP-1.

And if you were to get any DSLR, I'd go for the Nikon D5000, best bang for the buck, with the 18-55.

D40 is nice, but it's a bit long in the tooth now.

A cheap DSLR is going to be your best bet, without a doubt. the 4/3rd system is still in it's infancy, and has some shortcomings.

A Pentax might be a good choice - the Kx is getting some pretty decent reviews.

Whatever DSLR you may plan to buy, be aware that the ultimate quality of shots is determined by the glass you are using. So you can always economise on camera bodies, which can be easily replaced, but please spent money on lenses, which will last a lifetime.

Cheers guys, I will have a look into these. Quite alot of food for thought.

NSXType-R got it exactly right. Mirco 4/3rds are cool but have a lot of shortcomings (Need to buy a viewfinder, less lens choice) but a cheap SLR, entry level Canon or Nikon might not be the worst thing in the world.

[quote=ScionDriver;922599]NSXType-R got it exactly right. Mirco 4/3rds are cool but have a lot of shortcomings (Need to buy a viewfinder, less lens choice) but a cheap SLR, entry level Canon or Nikon might not be the worst thing in the world.[/quote]

Yeah, to step foot into M4/3 you need at least $700 I believe.

That's more than enough to buy an entry level DSLR and you'd still have money left over for a couple accessories.

The DSLR is way more flexible, and to be honest, M4/3 isn't that small. It really depends on what lens you put on the camera.