If I want to take pictures of animals and nature, what brand of camera would be good to buy?

Question

If you wanted to name a certain type of camera, (ex: Nikon D60), then that's fine to.

Answer 1

Basically you need a good zoom lens. You can buy any of the DSLR like Nikon D60 or Canon XTi (not Sony, though - wouldn't suggest it) body and get a good telephoto lens that has a capability of 200 or higher (300 mm is good). However, this will be costly. If you are on a budget, a Panasonic  FZ50 - here's a site for it:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/produ...

This camera has 12x zoom which is equivalent to 420 mm without the costly price. It's not necessarily a DSLR but it's like a DSLR. It has a real good lens , LEICA. It's usually below $500. Be warn about places like 86th Street Photo - it might be cheaper but, you might not get a good camera or a camera at all.  At least Dell is reputable.

Again, if you decide on a Nikon D60 ( a good camera), you would need a zoom lens 80-300 which might cost more than the body, or at least around that price.

Answer 2

If the animals will be far away, I'd recommend looking at the ultra-zoom family of cameras.  They have 10x+ optical zoom, which is nice.  They are larger, but not as large as a DSLR.

If you want a DSLR, go to a camera store and hold the bodies in your hand.  There's a lot of personal preference on which body feels good.  For animals, typically a long zoom lens, up to 200 or 300 mm, is good.  For nature, a wider angle lens, like 18-55 mm (typically the standard kit lens with a DSLR) is good.

Answer 3

I think that if you don't want to spend to much money, get a kodak or an olympus camera. It adds up to about 300 dollars if you get a pretty nice one. If you really want an expensive, proffesional camera, get a canon. I like the Kodak z812 IS. Just be sure to get the klic-8500 Battery Charger Kit. The battery can last a pretty long time.