If I wanted to shoot landscapes I'd get a Sony A580 with 18-55mm zoom. A decent consumer level camera with a pretty good kit lens. It has the latest 16MP sensor that is one of the best APS-C sensors on the market (used also I believe by Nikon), lots of bells and whistles and I believe it will take a vertical grip. And there's the in-body image stabilisation which works with all primes and all that wonderful old Minolta glass.
If I wanted to shoot sports then Canon is probably an easy winner. Although you won't be considering it for a starter camera, for future, the 7D's autofocus system is amazingly good, the long lens line up is excellent, and of course when tracking a player round a football pitch you only stabilise the camera, not the subject. Also for super-macro, with the exceptional MPE-65 macro lens, Canon is out on its own. A very difficult lens to use but it's totally unique, so if close-ups of bugs is your thing then this should also be considered for future.
If I had a bit more cash then I'd be tempted towards Nikon quality. The D300S for instance is a superb APS-C camera with autofocussing not quite as good as the 7D but with a better sensor, and the lenses, although more expensive, are mostly of top quality. Intro-level Nikons are strapped with no in-body autofocus drive for many of the older lens designs which include some currently sold primes. But this shouldn't really worry you too much though as once you start thinking of expensive primes you'll also be thinking of upgrading your camera.
So, Canon and Nikon have the more complete systems, but I like my A700 and you'll never get my Sony/Minolta glass with their wonderful colours except out of my cold dead hands.
Get down to your local camera shop and play with a few, and don't leave out the Pentax range. They also have in-body stabilisation and some other very nice features.
If I wanted to shoot sports then Canon is probably an easy winner. Although you won't be considering it for a starter camera, for future, the 7D's autofocus system is amazingly good, the long lens line up is excellent, and of course when tracking a player round a football pitch you only stabilise the camera, not the subject. Also for super-macro, with the exceptional MPE-65 macro lens, Canon is out on its own. A very difficult lens to use but it's totally unique, so if close-ups of bugs is your thing then this should also be considered for future.
If I had a bit more cash then I'd be tempted towards Nikon quality. The D300S for instance is a superb APS-C camera with autofocussing not quite as good as the 7D but with a better sensor, and the lenses, although more expensive, are mostly of top quality. Intro-level Nikons are strapped with no in-body autofocus drive for many of the older lens designs which include some currently sold primes. But this shouldn't really worry you too much though as once you start thinking of expensive primes you'll also be thinking of upgrading your camera.
So, Canon and Nikon have the more complete systems, but I like my A700 and you'll never get my Sony/Minolta glass with their wonderful colours except out of my cold dead hands.
Get down to your local camera shop and play with a few, and don't leave out the Pentax range. They also have in-body stabilisation and some other very nice features.
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