What camera should we get?

Need advice on what camera to get?

• I need advice on a camera for my sister. She wants an slr, but wants shoot in auto mode most of the time. Yeah I know..I think she'll grow into the camera. So what I'm looking for is: Up to $1000 at the most DLSR Good in lowlight and no-flash (ie: baby photography) Easy to use for a dslr newbie. She thinks my Nikon D40x is hard to use. Fast. She's getting the camera to photograph her new baby that will be here in late March : ) We got her the Canon Rebel T1i for Christmas, but I'm convinced it's total cr*p after trying it out myself. The video on it is HORRIBLE; bad focus that doesn't adjust when the distance between you and the subject decreases or increases, and I notice that when taking a photo in auto mode like she wants to, instead of focusing where your eye is looking, even if it's in the very middle of the photo, the camera will focus on whatever is closest to the camera, even if it's in the very bottom corner of the photo and teeny tiny...if that's what's closest, that's what it will bring into focus. I am NOT impressed at ALL. We also looked at the Nikon D5000 for her as well but the photos appeared too noisy and too yellow to me. What are your suggestions? I really love the Nikon D40x as a starter DSLR. That's what I have and I think it might be a great choice for her, but it's an older camera and I'm not family with what entry level DSLR's are out right now that are..any good. I don't want her to keep such an expensive camera that my $400 camera can one up easily.

• Answer:

  As fhotoace said, she (or you) should lower her expectation on the camera. "Nikon D40x is hard to use" It is already the easiest to use, any easier and you'll have to look at the Nikon D3000, but it's not easy as in using Auto mode all the time, but it'll guide you and teach you to properly use a dslr instead. "The video on it is HORRIBLE; bad focus that doesn't adjust" You're expecting the video to work like camcorders? No, they are all manual focus during video, and those with autofocus, like D300s, is useless as well. I know because I have one, it's useless, like all dslrs, except for Panasonic GH1 but that's not a dslr. "the photos appeared too noisy " D5000 has one of the lowest noise among cropped size sensor cameras. If you want something better, spend over 2k dollars to get the Nikon D700. No exception. "too yellow" Just the settings, you can always change it. What you should do now: Either ask her to give up the idea of shooting everything in Auto, and go for a capable camera, or gave up the features and go for one simple camera with auto mode. No exceptions.