I'm just another major mosquito magnet, so I'm constantly looking for ways to avoid getting bitten. Ironically, they don't even land on my husband. After Bite is ammonia with a bit of oil added to help keep the skin from getting dry. I refill my After Bite stick with fresh ammonia when it runs out. When I can't find the stick, I just splash on some ammonia. I have learned to make my own repellant from a mix of herbal essential oils, a base oil, some water, and some Vodka to help it to dry quickly. I'm happy to say it works very well and it has a very pleasant herbal fragrance. Avon's Skin-So-Soft lotion is great too, especially against the no-seeums I encountered in Florida. I can't get refills for the repellant lantern that was on the market for a couple of years. That was great, I used to just carry it around the garden to keep the bugs away. It had a small fan inside that pushed the repellant smell about 15 feet in all directions. It kept my open porch free of mosquitos even after dark. But another company has come out with a lantern that uses an insert in the top, instead of the liquid the first one used. It is probably very effective too, but since my porch is now screened in I don't need one. I really don't like using the canned sprays at home, but at camp it is a very different story. We camp on a river, the bugs are ferocious. That's when I go for the deep woods formula! Forget about the "it's a bad year because of all the rain etc." story, because if mosquitoes like you, EVERY year is a bad year. Try your local health food stores for some herbal repellants, and always have some ammonia at home and After Bite in your purse or pocket. Mary

Yes, it is called a prime lens, it will not zoom at all. Most people prefer the Canon EFS 17-85mm f4/f5.6 IS USM. I think it comes as a package at some retailers with the body. Some don't like it. I do but don't have it. Depending on your budget, I would suggest the 28-135 (I've used it with success but it is not L which is better glass and more reasonable in price), the 24-105 or the 24-70 (expensive). If you are going to get a prime lens, I would suggest the 50mm 1.8, it is cheap and sharp, but does not zoom, great for kid pics and in low light situations, there are a couple other 50mm primes now, more expensive. The kit lens isn't all that bad for what it is, if I had to do it over again, I would get body only and maybe the 24-105 which is expensive because it has a good zoom range, good for a general purpose, walkabout lens, and should have good resale value. I do lean toward the Canon lenses, but some of the Sigmas and Tamrons are pretty good.

Susanilz5, I could have written your original post! That's exactly how I have been feeling! 10 years ago, I would not even use taupe inside my house because it looked gray! Every light tile I brought home I didn't like because there always seemed to be a gray undertone. I didn't use white fixtures in my bathroom because I thought they looked gray instead of white! I picked out some paint chips today in the gray family, showed them to my sister and she got a funny look on her face and said, "They're too gray! That's not you!" I told her "Gray is the new beige." I actually put a post on the kitchen forum about using a gray/blue/green with my oak cabinets and only got one response--SW's anew gray (which I haven't checked out yet). However, my dilemma would be transitioning from a gray room into my other warm colored rooms and how to make that work. I'm not sure I'm capable, but I think I could get by using it in a bathroom or bedroom because they are destination rooms and not rooms connected to multiple rooms like a kitchen or family room might be. Good luck! I'll be anxious to see your results.

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