Advice on new camera

[swifty]

May I suggest a Sony NEX. I know its not a DSLR but it shoots like a P&S and has the IQ at least equal to low end DSLRs.
Pretty easy to use, I've tried one but don't own one and its pretty cheap.
The micro 4/3's are another alternative to DSLRs but its a bit of a niche market.

[Clubmanmc]

so what did you buy?

M

[KeeFy]

I absolutely agree with the Pentax choice. K-X is a fantastic camera for the price and will take great photos! Choice for lenses is not an issue tho buying 2nd hand is a little harder from gumtree. But not to worry there's always ebay. People say lack of lenses, i say "Will you buy all the lenses?" Be realistic. The lenses Pentax currently have that most people will buy in the common ranges... they have it.

Cankon fans will typically look down on the brand just because it's not one of the big 2. I myself am a Canon user but have recommended many other users to buy the pentax if the $$ is tight. Switching camps is easy as well. People have changed from nikon to canon to pentax to sony with gears in excess of $10k without any problems. So don't think about such stuff till you really want to.

And to those who says pentax does not make good cameras. The Pentax 645 MF is a heck of a great camera... if you can afford it! LoL.

[RamblinR]

Do you really want an SLR? Be sure that you do as they are bulky and you need to carry extra lenses (more than likely).
Just saying this to ensure you have thought about the bulk that goes along with them.

A bridge camera is a good idea if you don't want something as bulky as an SLR. But then you need to get a quality one that works well in low light.

Check out the following on http://dpreview.com

Panasonic LX5
Canon G12
Samsung EX1/TL500
Canon S95 for something smaller.

The above cameras have varying focal lengths.
All have great image quality. They are not DSLR but they are very very good.
I have the Samsung and it's lens is f1.8-f2.4 with a 24-72 focal length.
This is the camera that I have in my handbag. I also have DSLR's

[unistudent1962]

You'll almost always get interest free terms at stores such as HN, WOW, JB, etc. etc. They may not match prices though, as interest free terms are usually based on "ticketed prices".