Digital Camera

Tivoli Audio SongBook AM / FM Alarm Clock Travel Radio, Silver $129.00 The SongBook travel radio delivers the wealth of programming that FM and AM have to offer, in Tivoli's trademark high-fidelity sound. Add that to the sensitive digital tuner, alarm clock, sleep timer, and built-in charger for NiMH/NiCAD batteries, and you have a first class portable clock radio....

Kidkraft Deluxe Wood Easel - Color: Natural Creativity, functionality and style come together in KidKraft's Deluxe Wood Easel.With classic lines that will enhance any room or play setting, KidKraft's Deluxe Wood Easel will bring out your child's inner-artist. FEATURES AND DESIGN ELEMENTSTwo patented anti-spill paint cups Paper dispenser with easy refill capability Whiteboard Chalkboard Useful trays for storing chalk, crayons, markers, and o...

Hadfield 5-Tier Leaning Wall Shelf - Black $89.22 Hadfield Wall Shelf with 5 Tier in Black Finish Dimension: 67"W x 18"D x 13.5"H Finish: Black Finish Material: MDF Hadfield Wall Shelf with 5 Tier in Black Finish This item is a leaning wall shelf which features with 5 tier. This wall shelf could stand maximum 10 lb. per shelf. Also available in white finish. Ready to Assemble. ...

Dual LU43PB 4-Inch 3-WAY 100 Watt Indoor/outdoor Speakers (Black) $49.99 With its major business lines of manufacturing and exporting electronic products, Namsung is the forefront runner of the Korean electronic industry.PRODUCT FEATURES:Woofer: Polypropylene with rubber surround;Midrange: 25mm Polypropylene cone;Tweeter: 20mm Piezo dome;Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms;Aluminum Grille (Non Removable);Rotating logo for versatile mounting options;Two 1/4-20 insert mounts on re...

Dual 3-Way Indoor/Outdoor Speaker Set $49.99 With its major business lines of manufacturing and exporting electronic products, Namsung is the forefront runner of the Korean electronic industry....

Dual 5 1/4 3-WAY 125-WATT Indoor/outdoor Loudspeakers $52.24 The dual speaker series is designed as a multipurpose speaker and will deliver accurate high fidelity sound in exterior or interior environments. Weather-resistant design and construction provide optimum durability for permanent or temporary outdoor use....

Minnetonka Women's Kilty Suede Moccasin $38.95 Suede Mocs: Because comfort never goes out of style. So comfortable it's a fashion trend all over again! The moc "look" is hot right now... I think it's because those fashion folks' feet couldn't take those pointy, hard shoes any more. Imagine their surprise when they sunk their feet into these suede mocs! It's all about the comfort: Rustic, soft suede upper... complete with better-fitting handsew...

Leather Classics Men's Penny Loafer Bold, precise "beef roll" stitching on each side gives this...

Sperry Top-Sider Men's Authentic Original 2 Eye Boat Shoe $120.00 The original is back! The authentic Sperry Top-Sider boat shoe has returned and is the choice for modern prepsters on or off the water. In an array of fresh new colors, it features a genuine leather upper and all the details that made it an instant classic. Imported....

Micro Innovations Wireless Link Keyboard (TKB700U) $22.99 The Wireless Link keyboard was designed to be compatible with Compaq iPaq, Handspring, HP Jornada, Palm, and Sony Clie series PDAs. The Wireless Link keyboard comes with it's own built-in power supply, eliminating the power drain on your PDA from conventional PDA keyboards....

---

What digital camera would you recommend?

I'm looking for a decent digital camera to use primarily for shooting flower arrangements against white backgrounds. Quality and focus are the major concerns here as most of the work will be closeup/macro. A good zoom lens and SLR are a plus for general purpose shooting. What camera(s) would you recommend in the under $600 price range?

I recommend to anyone seriously contemplating the purchase of a new digital SLR camera to consider these two primary questions:
1. How much money do you have to spend???? $500.? $800.? $1,500.?
2. What level of photography do you aspire to "progress to" in the coming years ? (i.e. basic beginner, intermediate, or professional/business use).
For most beginners to intermediates I usually suggest one of these two manufacturers: Canon vs Nikon

1. Canon EOS Rebel model XSi. (Also known as the Canon 450D in Britain) The "kit" package comes with an 18-55mm zoom lens. The camera has pop-up flash, 12.2 Megapixels, and shutter speeds up to 1/4000th, 100-1,600 ISO sensitivity, 7 auto exposure Scene modes, PLUS Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority and Programmed Exposure Modes and Manual. It also has a 3 inch LCD screen, 3.5 frames continuous per second max., 9 point AF system, Live View Functioning and the ability to record photos in 3, 6 or 12 Megapixels PLUS numerous other great features found only on more expensive cameras. Wal-Mart is also selling them now for about $799. Sam's Club also has them for $729. I also think that Amazon dot com has them for around $650.

I bought one of these 6 months ago and use it as my "back up" camera. I absolutely love it. I have gotten some fantastic photos with it and cannot praise it enough. I routinely enlarge my photos to make 8x10's and 11x14 size enlargements with no noticeable distortion or loss of detail in the pictures.

2. Nikon D-90: If you prefer to use Nikon equipment I strongly recommend the Nikon D-90 which has 12.3 Megapixels, 3 inch monitor with Live View, 200-3,200 ISO sensitivity, 11 point AF system with Face Priority, 4.5 frames per second in continuous mode, 5 advanced Scene modes for auto exposure plus Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Programmed Auto plus Manual. The D-90 sells for around $900-950. (Body ONLY. The 18-55mm lens cost an additional $150.-175.) Typically, Nikon equipment is slightly more expensive than Canon equipment, but (having owned both Nikon and Canon cameras), I have seldom noticed BETTER quality results using Nikon equipment.

You might also consider the Nikon D-40 ($499) kit that comes with the 18-55mm lens. Another great choice is the Nikon D-60 kit ($649) which also comes with the 18-55mm lens. All of these Nikon's can be found at Best Buy or Amazon dot com for a very low price.

These selections are probably the best choices for any beginner to intermediate skill level, offering the most lenses and other accessories, dealers and places to purchase. Both manufacturers have a good selection of macro lenses, which is just what you need for taking close up photos of flowers.

I strongly recommend that ALL beginners buy a good book on digital photography AND take a class or two from a Vocational school or Community Education Center in your area.
You can learn more about the technical specifications of each of these two cameras at these websites:

http://www.usa.canon.com
http://www.nikonusa.com

Good Luck