I've been using my old Nikon Coolpix 4500 for a couple of years. It gets a lot of laughs because of the strange design (swivel) but has proven to be very versatile (mainly because of the swivel) and able to take pretty decent quality pictures. Click my sig for results.
I'll second Roland's advice to go with a Nikon whole-heartedly. In my mind, Canons are the only brand that can compete, but in my experience Nikons are so much better at macro shots that me getting a Canon is totally out of the question. It's up to you though, and your style. My ancient Coolpix 4500 can focus perfectly on a macro shot from 2cm away. :D I even got one of those ring lights because at 2cm I was obviously blocking out all the light.
I've had my eye set on the D70 since it was announced. It gave the Digital Rebel a pretty firm stomping. The camera is about $1000 and the lens is $200-300 depending on where you get it.
Also, check out dpreview.com. Best digital camera site I've ever found. Super in-depth reviews.
Good luck with your purchase. :)
Edit: Fixed ambiguous sentence
I'll second Roland's advice to go with a Nikon whole-heartedly. In my mind, Canons are the only brand that can compete, but in my experience Nikons are so much better at macro shots that me getting a Canon is totally out of the question. It's up to you though, and your style. My ancient Coolpix 4500 can focus perfectly on a macro shot from 2cm away. :D I even got one of those ring lights because at 2cm I was obviously blocking out all the light.
I've had my eye set on the D70 since it was announced. It gave the Digital Rebel a pretty firm stomping. The camera is about $1000 and the lens is $200-300 depending on where you get it.
Also, check out dpreview.com. Best digital camera site I've ever found. Super in-depth reviews.
Good luck with your purchase. :)
Edit: Fixed ambiguous sentence
The error occurred on line -1.