Why are you unhappy with the Olympus?color> Brooke, when I said "it has a slightly bluish tint" above, I meant the picture, not the bloom. If one could mix the colors like paint, the correct color would probably be 80 to 90 percent of the Olympus and 10 to 20 percent of the second picture from the Nikon. Just ordered the Canon. I will be torqued if I still cannot get an accurate color. I am going to really study and experiment with the Nikon. If the poor color quality continues, I will print a sheet of pictures similar to the above and return the camera to see if they can do anything. If the color was accurate, it is a very nice camera. Not much good if the color is junk. Thanks for the comment on the seedling. SPACECOAST STARDUST is a grandparent and I think some of that is showing.

OK, got the husband away from the basketball tournament and had him look at the two posts about camera comparisons. Bear with me, I took this in shorthand and it means squat to me but have fun. Look at the owners manuel and get the closest Kelvin settings possible for the white balance on both cameras. A Nikon's best setting in sun is going to be flash which is the 5400 Kelvin. When taking comparison pictures, make sure the Kelvin setting on both cameras are the same. The Kelvin settings are obviously different on the two cameras. Most Nikon owners also get the dark pictures and they cure it by over exposing by 1/3 of a stop and like them better. If the Nikon has different color modes, you want to make sure you have (and this is not a typo) sRBG and not Adobe RGB. (Now you see why my eyes glaze over when he instructs me). Anyone trying to take and view pictures needs to have their monitor adjusted by the calibration program. They may be close but not accurate. Even my husbands brand new LCD laptop had to be adjusted. It was amazing when we put the screens side by side with the different variations in color. He ran the program on his and it then matched my computer or as much as you can on an LCD. Royce, your pictures on my screen might be more correct to your eye than on your screen. Have fun studying your owners manuels tonight. It will keep you off the street and out of trouble. Brooke I'm amazed you can use those two parents and get wider petals than either petal - must be GA water!

I have owned three Canon digital cameras in the past 10 years and have always enjoyed trouble-free photography. Nowadays, it comes down to getting the feature set that is right for you. All the major manufacturers make great gear, it's just a matter of finding which one matches your needs in the price range you have in mind. I agree that reviews are good, but it's just one persons opinion. However, if 19 out of 20 people have a common complaint, then that's something to consider. Regarding battery life, there are a few things you can do to extend the life. In most cases, common sense applies. If you use the flash a lot or leave the LCD viewer on much of the time, your batteries take a hit. A USB connection between your computer and camera may also draw energy from your battery, so consider getting a card reader. If you get a backup battery, spend a little more and get the factory version instead of a cheaper, third-party choice. I tried that a few years ago and spent $20 to get one that was DOA. The seller also refused to refund my money. From then on, I always bought the same battery that Canon sold with the camera. Good luck with your new camera!

Do you already have glass from a previous system? Check out dpreview.com and look at the camera reviews New releases for entry level DSLRs are: Canon XTi Nikon D80 Olympus E400 Pentax K10D Sony A (EEk!Sony DSLR...)FYI, Konica- Minolta sold its camera division to Sony. There is devenitely rooom for imrovment and and I think they will attemp to make those improvements. All of above mentioned are 10MP and brand new so prices will be high for them. Lens _availability_ advantages go to Canon, Nikon and Pentax with Olympus in 4th place, however, Olympus makes some of the best lenses out there for a good price. They all have there advantages and disadvantages. Olympus iinroduced a new system called 4/3rds and most of the lens releases have been HQ and Very HQ since the first DSLR they released was "Pro" camera, but now Sigma is joining in on the concept so there are now lower priced lenes available. You can use the old OM mount lens but you have to get an adaptor, there cheap on ebay($16). I have the Canon Rebel XT but it sits on the shelf, it a great camera and but its shines in low light situations, high ISO. I am not usually shooting picture in the dark and my other Olympus DSLR make great pictures with the KIT LENSES! The kit lens with the Canon was crap, I ended up buying a new lens becuase it was so cheaply made, actually my wife bought it I just supplied the $$. I test drove the D50 for a few days and it had a serious banding issue. Again they are all good brands it just depends on which one you like the best. Prices for last years model will be dropping soon. If you have a Sams card go over there and look at the E500. Joe