Felipe:

What you are looking for, in one word, is an SLR.

SLR cameras are the type of cameras you see professionals using. It's the type where you can change lenses.

So what is an SLR?

SLR is short for Single Lens Reflex, and means that the unlike with most compact cameras, when you look through the viewfinder, you are actually looking through the lens that will take the picture, so there is no paralax error, and in this sense at least, what you see is what you get.

SLRs do not need to be expensive, and you can pick up a basic model for around US$400.

As for amount of pixels, the more the better, but how much you get will obviously depend on your budget.

What you need to keep in mind when buying an SLR is that you are buying into a system, not just into a camera.

What I mean is that once you have bought a particular brand of camera, you will start buying lenses and perhaps a flashgun for this particular brand. And these will not be interchangeable with other brands, so be sure to buy a brand which you will be happy with in the future.

I hope this is helpful, but feel free to ask if you have any more questions.

ed

Thanks Ed, that is a basically what I needed to know.

I leave in Costa Rica, therefore my options are more limited and a little bit more expensive, I think that my budget will be around 600$, but it is still acceptable for a start.

I stoped by a local shop today and I saw a Nikon D40, I have been reading reviews and it looks fine, I am not going to rush in and buy it, but it is a start, I will keep on looking for options and I will let you know what I find.

I am very interested in landscapes and I think environmental. I am not sure if it fits within that classification or if it is different, but I like what I think is called 'macro', like close ups, up to the point where you can see the texture in a wall or the wrinkles in a person's face.

I really enjoined your columns in both subjects, I don't know, I guess I still have to play around and find my spot, I wished I knew, that could make my search easier, but I also guess that the type of camera I will be getting is kind of an 'all purpose/ all terrain' camera, not very specialized.

Any way, thanks for your input, I will keep on reading and looking.

Best regards,
Felipe

Felipe:

The D40 is a very good entry level option, and Nikon is a tremendously good system, so it would be a worthy choice.

Your second consideration when you select a camera will be which particular lens you choose,and unlike with compacts, SLR lenses are not all capable of close-up photography, so choose carefully.

If you buy only one lens, and if you plan on spending money on Nikon's own brand, have a look at the tried and tested 24-120mm zoom. It is a very good lens and one that is used by professionals across the board. It does not, however, have a macro facility as far as I am aware.

I cannot emphasise this enough, though, lenses are the cornerstone of good photography, and if you buy good quality glass from the start, you will not have to replace it later on.

Hope this has been helpful.

Thanks a lot for that, I had even seen one model that had no replaceable lens, I did not think that it was a good idea to buy something like that, but now I am sure.

I will take a closer look at the lens now, I suppose that I won't be doing to much macro at the moment, so maybe a regular lens will do fine until I get a better idea of I want to do.

I will also take a closer look at the support that the brand has here, I think nikon has good presence in the country, but I will confirm with some photographers friends of mine.

Thanks a lot.