Can't say much about Nikon's camera since I never owned one. I do however, once owned the Canon XT and now the Canon 40D. Both are Digital SLR cameras (DSLR). The reason I stick with Canon is not only for its quality but also for its interchangeable lens. Lens can be expensive to invest. With Canon, I don't mind investing in their lens knowing that when I upgrade the camera body, the same lens would fit. I have an old EF zoom lens that I purchased in the mid 80's and it still work well with the Canon XT and 40D. As for DSLR a "must have", well, it depends what you're shooting at. If you have kids and/or shoot for sports, you should consider a DSLR. Once you press the shutter button, it's an instant shot. You won't lose that "kodak moment" when your child make that funny face as you would with the slow shutter lag (delay) of a point and shoot digital camera (digicam). DSLR also has continous shooting for sport events or quick actions. The only cons about a DSLR is they're big and bulky which may be an inconvenient for traveling. Then again, once you use it, you seem not to mind dragging it everywhere you go. Also, it doesn't do video clip. Though, I have an inexpensive point-n-shoot to do just that. If you're a serious photographer that want to learn further about photography, then, I strongly recommend purchasing a DSLR. Have fun with your purchase! Natalie

I realize that my comments may be falling a bit late to be of any value to okwriter, but I am sure this thread is of interest to others, and to be honest, this question has been rolling around in my head for a week, so I feel I need to interject my 2 cents worth here. While it might be possible to find a DSLR body that would accept that Konica 80-200mm in my humble opinion based upon the information in the original post it would be a fools errand to do so. Okwriter emphasized two key points, (1) he/she needs a "good zoom" and (2) he/she is not into photography and seldom tinkers with the settings. Lets begin with the topic "Good zoom". on a 35mm film camera a 200mm zoom is a 4X zoom, Handy, easy to handle and perhaps good in the context of shooting family snapshots in the back yard, but by no means a Good Zoom in the context of bird watching or wildlife photography, and for sports it is merely marginal. Understanding that Digital sensors are slightly smaller than the film format of a 35mm negative when we use 35mm film camera lenses on digital cameras there is an expansion factor which is typically about 1.5. That means that if the 200mm film camera lens is used on a digital camera it would yield an equivalent to a 300mm on a film camera. 300mm is generally considered the longest lens that we can effectively use in hand held mode, it would then be a good all around choice, as opposed to using a tripod for all the shots, however: Okwriter also noted that the Konica & 80-200mm is 20 years old and has spent most of that time just sitting in the closet, no doubt because, as Mongoct has pointed out, it is no doubt a manual focus lens and to use that camera you simply must tinker with the controls so to speak. Let us be brutally honest here, not everyone is into photography, and regardless of how great the camera is, if it is beyond the scope of the operator sadly it will be relegated to little more than an expensive ornament adorning a closet shelf. This does not even take into account the many advanced features of the modern state of the art digital cameras, which simply would not be usable with that lens on a modern DSLR body. I was professionally trained as a Still Photographic Specialist in the U.S.A.F. back in 1966 and in those days manual cameras with match needle metering was the best we had so I am very comfortable with fully manual cameras, but I am afraid even I might find it difficult to use that lens on a modern body. I certainly would not wish that on a beginner. On the other hand, out of curiosity I went to the WalMart website and did a quick review of some of the cameras they have to offer and I was really impressed. First off, I would like to express a minor pet peeve. In recent years the industry seems to have adopted the notion that the term DSLR identifies cameras with interchangeable lenses, which is not true. The term "SLR" means "single lens reflex" which means that when you look through the viewfinder by means of an internal mirror you are looking through the primary lens and you are seeing exactly what the camera is seeing, as opposed to box cameras or rangefinder cameras that had a separate optical system for the view finder. The term DSLR simply means a "Digital SLR", or more precisely, a digital camera in which the image in the viewfinder is exactly the same as the image that will be projected to the digital sensor. Back in the days of film cameras it was exceedingly rare to see an SLR with a fixed lens, but today it is common to see advanced compact cameras that have a fixed lens, yet they have the same mirror system as an SLR and the image in the viewfinder is the same as the image being projected to the sensor and although they do have a fixed lens, none the less they are in every sense of the word a true entry level DSLR although some of their features are not as sophisticated as the top end DSLR's with interchangeable lenses and accessories. Although I would not want to go on record as endorsing any camera dealer, out of curiosity I did a quick search of cameras on the Walmart website, and I must say, I was very impressed with what I found. For my search I set the same basic parameters as what okwriter was looking for. 1. easy to operate 2. good zoom 3. easy on the budget and this is just a sample of what I found: Canon Powershot 12.1mp 12X optical zoom $199.00 Nikon Coolpix L110 12mp 15x Optical zoom $249.00 Fugifilm Fine Pix 12mp 15x zoom $169.00 Kodak Easyshare 14mp 26x optical zoom $199.00 All of these cameras can be operated in a simple point & shoot mode, yet they all have the advanced user overide features found on more expensive DSLRS. While these cameras still do not have the total versatility that I have with my Pentax DSLRS, never the less, I think people such as okwriter who need a good camera, but don't want to get seriously involved in the technical aspects of photography would be well served with a camera of this type.

Search in the Photography forum and you'll get plenty of answers. In the mean time, I'll try to give you my 2 cents worth. Cameras are like cars. There's a maker for each person's individuality. 1st, You'd need to determine what is his level of photography knowledge? In any brand, there's intermediate, medium and professional level cameras. If he's a pro, you may just want to ask him what he'd like. A pro knows what he wants and mostly will not settle with just anything. If he's not, most intermediate and medium level cameras has both features: auto focus and manual focus. They're made for those that want to grow and learn about photography beyond autofocus features. 2nd, Does he owns any previous 35mm camera lens? Would these lens capable to be mounted on the new DSLR body? Such brand as Canon has been a favorite for many because of its interchangeable lens. Meaning, we can invest into the more expensive lens knowing that if we ever upgrade the camera, the old lens would still work with the new camera body as well. I have a few that I owned from the mid 80's and still work very well with the new DSLR. 3rd, The camera body and weight must feel comfortable in one's hand. It makes a different with the result of a photo. If all possible, take him to a camera store and let him play around, ask questions and make a choice of the Digital SLR (DSLR). Then, go online and purchase from one of the reputable online store. Normally, their prices are less expensive. Watch out for import (gray market) vs. US warranty cameras (price varies). Personally, I've always owned Canon. I had several Canon 35mm cameras and had since upgraded to digital: from the Canon Rebel XT to currently the Canon 40D (had it for a little over a month). As mentioned, I have a few lens from the 35mm cameras that works well with both DSLRs. I've upgraded to the Canon 40D because it has some image stabilizer built into the camera. Although, Canon also makes some lens with Image Stabilizer (IS). The lens kit of the Canon 40D camera comes with a 28-135mm lens that has the IS feature (mainly in the US). I don't plan to upgrade the camera body for a long while. I'm quite satisfied with the Canon 40D. Instead, I'm investing on better lens. And, that's what I'd recommend for you to do. If money is not an object, buy a medium price range camera but invest the rest on a good lens with low aperture capability such as f/2.8 or less. Good lens give the flexibility to take crispy clear photos in low light situation. I strongly recommend to read reviews from the 2 websites that Susan posted above. They also has forums in categories of camera brands. You may find some useful information from the users. Good Luck! Natalie

Do you have a sporting goods store, fly fishing shop, or sewing store nearby? For fly tying, my husband uses a pair of MagEyes that he bought at a fly fishing shop, but I found them at the Nancy's Notions website. You can get different magnitudes of lens. BTW, the photo shows the MagEyes with the support bar for the lens across the bottom. I turn them upside down so the bar is across the top. The lens stay in just fine and I'm not trying to look through the bar all the time. Nancy's has another type of magnifyer, the Mighty Bright, that hangs around your neck and rests on your chest. Here is a link that might be useful: MagEyes