Need a new camera

[Cades83898]

I've been taking pics for a long time. I loved my russian Zenit 35mm that was built in 1975 and my digital Kodak DX6340 was good for starting out in digital photos. However, now I want to step up and regain some of the manual controls I lost when I switched from the Zenit to the Kodak. No, I can't go back to the Zenit as the light meter no longer works and I need something digital. So, I need advice on a new camera. It will be for play and work. I like to take architecture, landscape, and wildlife photos. I am also launching a new website (www.reefallure.com) were I'll be selling live corals so I need manual focus and good macro capability with a wide depth of field so I can get all of the organism in focus. This is what I want:

BIG ZOOM
good macro
Manual focus (for taking pics of things inside aquariums)
Manual f-stop for control over my depth of field
Option for additional lenses
High quality pics

These are the cameras I'm looking at so far:
Canon Powershot S3 IS
Sony DSC-H2 or H5
Kodak P712
Kodak P880

Basically, Iwant to get as close to a DSLR as I can without the bulk (lugging around multiple lenses on vacation) or the expense. Any advice or recomendations or other suggestions would be highly valued by me!
Thanks

 

[W.Smith]

I've been taking pics for a long time. I loved my russian Zenit 35mm that was built in 1975

YES! A Zenit was my first SLR too! Even older than yours: 1968. Only one lens: 58mm/f2.0! Those were the days...

and my digital Kodak DX6340 was good for starting out in digital photos. However, now I want to step up and regain some of the manual controls I lost when I switched from the Zenit to the Kodak. No, I can't go back to the Zenit as the light meter no longer works and I need something digital. So, I need advice on a new camera. It will be for play and work. I like to take architecture, landscape, and wildlife photos. I am also launching a new website (www.reefallure.com) were I'll be selling live corals

You sell living animals? Uh-uh! Sell pretty pictures of living animals, not the animals themselves! They belong in the wild. Not in an aquarium!

so I need manual focus and good macro capability with a wide depth of field so I can get all of the organism in focus. This is what I want:

BIG ZOOM
good macro
Manual focus (for taking pics of things inside aquariums)
Manual f-stop for control over my depth of field
Option for additional lenses
High quality pics

These are the cameras I'm looking at so far:
Canon Powershot S3 IS
Sony DSC-H2 or H5
Kodak P712
Kodak P880

Take a look at the cameras section over at DPR, and compare specs.

Basically, Iwant to get as close to a DSLR as I can without the bulk (lugging around multiple lenses on vacation) or the expense.

Very sensible!
(Unlike all too many dSLR owners).