QUESTION
I'm in the market for a new camera and I've been shopping around looking at various DSLRs. I currently use a Canon compact super-zoom camera, and shoot in manual mode 99% of the time, so the step to DSLR should be relatively painless.
I take a wide range of different pictures, from action shots to landscapes to nature macros.
I know this is a pretty wide open question, but I've been overwhelmed by the selection that is available and having never used a DSLR before I don't really know what I need or want.
How do I narrow down the options without making a mistake?
ANSWER
Don't spend too much money on the DSLR, if it's your first. Invest in good lenses. Most people are not aware that when buying a DSLR the cost is not just in the body. Choose a brand based on feedback that you get from peers and your own expectations, and stick with it. The lenses that you buy today can be used on your next DSLR tomorrow, while the bodies themselves lose their value technologically much faster.
In practice, expect a budget ratio of 50/50 between body and your first lens. You'll be tempted to buy a kit with a body and lens, but beware that even though kit lenses have become optically much better in later years they are still pretty limited in terms of zoom range, aperture and focusing speed and other features.
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