Top-notch digital SLR camera costs less than $600

By DON LINDICH, Special to the Star Tribune

Last update: October 23, 2009 - 3:07 PM

Q I need a quality, user-friendly digital SLR camera. I have never owned one but have had many point-and-shoot cameras. I am wondering what you recommend for less than $800.

ELLIE MENDESH

A These days you don't even have to spend $600 to get a great starter outfit. You can buy an Olympus E-520 package with two kit zoom lenses for $550 or a Pentax K2000 package with two lenses for $530. Not only are the lenses excellent, but their zoom ranges will allow you to cope with most any subject, near or far.

You could spend more for a more advanced camera body with a single lens. But for most people, having two good lenses is much more meaningful than having a camera with higher specs and more bells and whistles.

Plasma vs. LCD TVs

Q I understand the downsides to plasma TV vs. LCD TVs include higher cost to operate plasma and that if you look at plasma from an angle, it is washed out. I am not really concerned about the difference in power consumption, but the viewing angle is an issue. Have manufacturers figured this out yet?

STEVE SELL, MINNEAPOLIS

A You have it backward. It is LCD TVs that are prone to suffer from washing out at an angle, not plasma TVs. Some of the latest LCD TVs use new backlighting technology and might be less prone to washout, so be sure to compare specific sets before making a decision.

Although you do not care about the power issue, modern plasmas have greatly reduced power requirements compared with their forebears, and the difference is now marginal. The website Presentationtek.com recently compared power consumption among leading TVs and said, "It can be seen in the tabulation that the Panasonic TC-P50G10, which includes Panasonic's new neoPDP energy consumption reduction technology, sits just above the top of the energy consumption band for the LCD HDTVs considered. It may be time to downgrade the perceived significance of the power consumption advantage of LCD HDTVs over plasma HDTVs."

The lowdown on GPS

Q We travel with a high-profile (12-foot-3) RV and have been unable to find a GPS that will filter out roads with low overpasses. We've held off buying a GPS until we can find one that better suits our needs in this regard. Can you help?

K. HART, PITTSBURGH

A The Garmin 465T is the one for you. You can program in your truck, trailer or RV's dimensions and it will take care of the rest, steering you on a route safe for your vehicle. At $465 street price, it might seem pricey, but once you have experienced the benefits of GPS (especially for long trips) you will wonder how you ever did without it.

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