Anyone have any input on which brand and why???

Nikon?

Minolta?

Cannon?

????????

I'm not sure but i think the camera's scott and others have suggested are very involved and not neccessarilly easy to use, learn, or in anyway automatic (though they may have an automatic setting). So, unless you intend on learning quite a bit about their use, it may not be something you want to shell out that much cash for. I would either get a cheaper one and just keep it in a case. Or go for a mid-low range 2.1MP Digital cammera. You can get good ones these days for 3-4 hundred and for an extra 100 get extra batteries, charger, case, cleaning kit, large memory card, and AC adapter. We reccently purchased a FujiFilm FinePix 2800 Zoom for our company and all the accessories on the net for around 425 total. It takes very good picturs has 6x zoom and the larger card can hold up to like 200 pictures. It is small and was easy to learn. You can download them on to a computer or just have them processed at many places like reagular film.

I was asking for info, not attempting to create a digital vs. standard debate, and thanks to those who have responded.

The autofocus on the SLR's today is not even in the same league as those on the crappy point 'n shoots. There's two big differences: 1) it's FAST!!! 2) you have very fine control over exactly WHAT you focus on. You put the subject in the focus box in the viewfinder, half-click the shutter and it instantly focuses on that point, faster than you could do it manually. You still have the option of doing everything manually if you want to though. These cameras can be as simple or complicated as you want them to be.

Little late on this post. I've got an older SLR camera, 35mm that I bought back in high school because I wanted a "real camera". It's at the parent's place right now and I haven't used it in a while, so I don't recall if it is a Canon or a Nikon, but I think it is a Canon. Anyway, it is all manual with a light meter inside it that has a needle like on an oil pressure guage.

Takes a bit to get the hang of, but basically you set the shutter speed to what you want and the light meter points to an f-stop number (aperture) and you then adjust the aperture to that spot, then focus, then shoot. Simple. I haven't figured out yet whether mine has an electric shutter or not, though. I *think* it is manual. If you want a reliable camera, any of the good brands will do well, and look at older used ones. Take the battery out, and see if it will still fire the shutter. (wind, *click*) If it will, then you can still take pictures if there's no battery. No light meter, but if you've used it long enough to run a new battery down you might have gotten a decent idea of what speed/aperture combo to use. Most newer ones have electric shutters, so carry a spare battery. An old battery, when cold, won't do too good. (Similar to starting a truck with an old, cold battery...)

Takes some getting used to, but the cool thing is YOU control the focus and the depth of field. With high-speed film you can run a small aperture and still get a decent shutter speed. Smaller apertures give you a longer depth of field, so the truck AND the mountains in the distance will be in focus. Using a wide aperture setting, you can get the truck you're shooting in focus and the one 20 feet behind it is blurry...

Another thing to remember, most of the older manual cameras don't automatically read the ASA speed rating of the film off those "shiny strips" on the film roll. You have to set it on the camera yourself. Good thing about this is, you can get, say, 400 ASA speed film and shoot it at 800 ASA speed setting. You have to take it to a "better" photo shop, and tell them that it is "400 pushed to 800" but you'll get better twilight photos, if a bit grainy. Go with 800 pushed to 1600 and you can shoot in, say, a darkish concert hall environment and get decent, if grainy, pictures. Advantage is being able to capture something that is moving that would otherwise blur on a slower shutter speed because pushing the film lets you shoot with a faster shutter speed.

Of course, since I haven't done any of this in a few years, I'm rambling and my info is suspect. :-)

Oh, one other thing: if you get into it, you can set up a black and white film darkroom fairly easily/cheaply and do your own prints. Not as easy or cheap as getting the photo place to do it, but it is interesting and YOU are in control. It also allows you to develop otherwise "questionable" photos without fear that anyone else will see it or put it on the internet or show it to the cops or something. Color photos can also be self-developed, but it uses more chemicals, is a longer process, and has to be done in TOTAL DARKNESS so you have to really know where everything is. With black and white film, you do the unloading of the film from the canister, threading it onto the developing reel, and putting it into the chemical container in the total dark. Then you do the chemicals, shaking, draining, removing, squeegeeing and hanging up the film in regular light, and you can use red lights in the print lab.