Looking for durable first D-SLR.

[nikau]

This will be my first D-SLR and I will mainly be taking outside pictures in sunlight (people/objects/landscapes) and things in motion. Budget is $1500 AUD or under and I want one that can take a bit of abuse (so a good warranty is a must) and last a while.

From what I have seen it is a choice between the 1000D, D3000 or for slightly more, the D5000 or 500D. Should I stick with Canon/Nikon or go for a Pentax as they seem to have cheaper weatherproofed models?

 

[NateWagner]

Well, to be honest I have no idea what 1500 AUD equals out to, but... typically any of the cameras will be fine.

Pentax has some great equipment, and their lenses are typically less expensive than either canon or nikon, but they also don't really have a professional line (I'm not sure if that matters to you or not).

Another possibility might be looking at a sony A series camera. The in camera stabilization is quite a nice attribute to have. They do have the professional line, and they have a large selection of lenses (particularly if you're willing to look at minolta lenses, some of which are excellent).

And of course, the nikon/Canon's are great too.

To be honest, pretty much whatever you choose will be fine. All of them are close enough to each other in image quality etc. that you'll never really notice a difference.

 

[PhotoXopher]

Nikon D200 gets my vote.

 

[Kinz]

but I assume he's talking about a new camera if he's concerned about a warranty.

 

[KmH]

A camera warranty will only be for 12 months.

If warranty is a concern, be sure there is a warranty repair facility there in Australia for whichever brand you choose. I'd be surprised if Pentax has one.

 

[NateWagner]

yeah, I would be rather surprised if pentax had one. Wasn't thinking about the fact that they are primarily US based (along with europe, asia and japan) :er:

 

[Sleepy_Sentry]

If you're willing to wait a few months, the Canon T2i just came out and you will probably be able to pick up the 15 MP T1i for pretty cheap. It has HD video and is all-around a good midrange DSLR. You might also want to look into the LP-E8 battery and the BG-E8 grip for accessories.

 

[Formatted]

All the entry level Nikons are not weather proof. Learnt that the hard way.

 

[IgsEMT]

All the entry level Nikons are not weather proof. Learnt that the heard way.

how hard?