On Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:45:23 -0500, Boater
wrote:

Don White wrote:
Wife wants to upgrade from my 3 yr old HP R707 compact digital camera.
This camera works fine...although the original battery doesn't seem to hold
its charge as long anymore while sitting on the shelf.
Costco just happens to have a super price $270.00 CDN
for its popular Canon A650 IS compact.
I also see the Nikon D40 on sale here with lens at just under $500.00.
I can't justify the higher end SLRs...especially when they seem be be
somewhat obsolete every three or four years
vs the old manual film SLRs that were still fine after 20-25 years .My
usage these days is more snapshot than trying to be artistic...although I do
like to do justice to scenery.




Either one of those are good. My wife has a Canon A710, which has been
replaced by one with a slightly higher number. It is a fantastic little
camera. You want optical zoom on those, not digital.

The Nikon D40 is fine, but you are right...they go obsolete...about
every year. :)

The D40 has been around for a couple of years now and still is a fine
camera. And good lenses go obsolete much much slower than the bodies.
You can always use a high quality lens you buy for a D40 on other
bodies (D90, D300, etc.) you might want to get later, if you get more
interested in creative photography. Or, if you lose interest, sell
them for very little loss since good lenses hold their value much
better than DSLR camera bodies or compact cameras.

Another thing to remember is that just because newer and better
cameras come out all the time, that doesn't mean pictures from the one
you have get any worse. A new high end DSLR you buy today will
continue to take great pictures even after the next best thing comes
out. But it's value will drop like a rock when that happens.

You can always take advantage of that fact by buying yesterday's high
end camera after the new one comes out. I bought a D200 for $400 from
a wedding photographer who was upgrading. It's a better camera than
anything you can get new for that price, or even twice that price.

Steve