gmm@bunker.UUCP (Gregory M. Mandas) (09/14/84)
[] Dennis, I know you wanted a book reference but maybe I could help with a suggestion. I am similar to you in the amount of camera knowledge I have and was pressed to find a camera. (One month before the birth of Allison.) So, I went looking. I asked a photog-friend, I asked a dealer, I asked the man on the street and they all said, "..XYZ brand is just as good and cheaper than a Nikon." So I went to look at Nikon. I couldn't affort a nice F2 or such but I could afford an FG. The FG is a bottom of the line Nikon, it has a program mode, (it chooses speed and f/stop), appature (sp) priority automatic (you choose f/stop and it chooses the speed) or is fully manual. The SB-15 flash is fully integrated into the cammera electronics so you end up with an expensive instamatic when needed and/or a powerfull 35mm with all sorts of nikkor lenses available when wanted. For around $350-$400 I ended up with a great starter camera with flash. I can let it do the work when I need the shot or try it myself when I want to experiment with a shot. As my knowledge increase I can do more of the "thinking" without screwing up an entire roll of shots taken in the hospital delivery room because I just bought the thing. Since you would then own a Nikon you could build you lense inventory as money allows on a relitively inexpensive FG body and then press on to a top of the line F2 and keep the lenses. This is from a camera neofite who takes pictures of his baby on weekends with hopes to become a good photographer some day. I would be interested in hearing what the Pros have to say about my logic. Greg Mandas ittvax!bunker!gmm