So to get the equipment section of AlmostPro started, I wanted to share with you my personal journey on deciding what camera to purchase when I decided to go big time and get an almost pro level camera. Hopefully most of you are like me and this experience will help you sort out the options that will be in front of you at the camera shops, or online.
Budget
I think the first decision you need to make is how much are you willing to spend after everything, and keep in mind you are going to want AT LEAST a body, a lens, a UV filter for that lens and a bag of some sort. Not to mention the possibility of a secondary lens (with UV filter), a flash and maybe a tripod…..but more about that later, just realize that if your budget is 1000 and you decide to buy a camera that is 899.99 for just the body…..your going to break your budget. Once you have a budget in mind, it really helps you narrow your focus of research. My budget was 1500.00
Brand
I think many photographers end up associating with a particular brand of camera right from the start and don’t look back. This could be for a few reasons, one being general preference of feel, look, operation… and this is what I want to urge you to focus on for now. I went out to the local mass electronics shop where I would not be bothered by opinionated sales people. At this point in my search I just wanted to touch, feel and play with a few different BRANDS… don’t spend all your time playing with Nikons. Pick up everything they have there and hold it. Focus the lens. Click a few frames. How does it feel in your hand? Do you like the menus and dials and such? These are important things, that I think get overlooked way to often. Don’t get sucked in by price tags, megapixels and memory cards.  The point of this step is to decide what brand you want to start researching. Remember that your price range is probably going to make most of the decisions for you when it comes to specific models, and all the brands offer competing models in each price point.
For me, I chose Nikon. I like the feel and look the best and I know it sounds stupid but I much preferred the sound the shutter made (compared to Canon) when I “clicked†off the shots.
Models/Features
Here is where you can go CRAZY. Megapixels, ISO, FPS. You are going to be blown away by all the things to consider but let me help you make this simpler.  So I chose Nikon right? Let’s take a look at the Nikon product line. Keep in mind these prices are for the BODY ONLY and are approximate based on current prices at popular camera outlets, but by the time you read this you might be able to get lower prices, and don’t forget about eBay, coupons and sales. 
| Model | Price |
| D40 | 449.99 |
| D40x | 499.99 |
| D60 | 599.99 |
| D80 | 699.99 * |
| D90 | 999.99 |
| D200 | 849.99 * |
| D300 | 1699.99 |
| D2xs | 2399.99 |
| D700 | 2699.99 |
| D3 | 4999.99 |
| D3x | 7999.99 |
*These prices are based on slightly used or clearance prices as they are not really sold in retail stores anymore. D80 was replaced by D90 and the D200 by the D300.
Take a look at this list and figure out what three or four cameras you want to focus your research on, for me I started with the D40 and looked all the way up to the D80(the D90 was not out yet when I was looking and at the time the d200 was out of my range). At the time of this writing, with a 1500 dollar budget, I would say the D200 is part of the conversation.
Final Comparisons
Once I decided the range of cameras I could look at, things became simpler. I was comparing the D40, D40x, D60 and D80. One of the first differences in models that you will notice is megapixels. In my opinion, megapixels are hardly important and the number one question you need to ask yourself is what is the largest size you will ever want to print. If you answered anything less than 11×17, than you don’t need anything more than 10mp and could probably get away with 6mp. DONT LET SALESMEN TRICK YOU. MEGAPIXELS do NOT equal picture quality. They equal picture SIZE.    The next thing to consider is FPS or frames per second. If you don’t plan on shooting sports, than you probably don’t care about this setting, and if you DO shoot a lot of sports, you probably want a more expensive camera than this range anyway. Nothing to get hung up on at this point. To me, the most important features that differentiate the models, are quick access to buttons, settings and information. I chose the D80 because I like the convenient access to all the settings. In fact almost every setting has its own dedicated button right on the camera. The D40 requires you to navigate menus to do this. Also the D80 has a top screen to show you what settings you are using. Love that. If it were not for those things, I would have gotten the D40.  I personally recommend the D40 and the D80/90.  Fantastic cameras.
Researching
Do your research, be exhaustive. It is the single best way to avoid buyers remorse. Here are some websites that I used to make my decisions.
www.kenrockwell.com (many “pros†give Ken a hard time, but make your own decision. I like him.)
Hope this sets you in the right direction! I will follow up with a post about lenses soon so stay tuned!
MV
