gistfile1.txt

	I haven't followed cameras that much. Generic advice (from an
Olympus user):

- Olympus makes great lenses. Thus, they are very expensive. There are
  few/no cheap lenses that will work with Olympus DSLR's. It's a major
  flaw. If this situation remains, I'll never buy an Olympus DSLR.

- In camera image stabilization (Olympus + Pentax) vs in lens
  stabilization (Canon + Nikon). I don't have either. The latter is
  "better", but then you have to get a lens that supports it, which I
  assume will cost a lot (never checked). With the former, you get it
  regardless of whatever lens you attach, but it's not as powerful. I'd
  go with the former. I strongly suspect the Olympus E-420 doesn't have
  it at all, and I'd suggest getting a different Olympus that does
  (should he choose Oly).

- While I followed the camera scene, I was very partial to
  Pentax. They're the only DSLR manufacturer whose cameras are
  compatible with *all* their SLR lenses ever made. Some of their more
  recent cameras may have flaws - I don't follow. At the time, they were
  the best overall camera. They didn't excel in any one area, but Pentax
  cameras were the only (affordable) DSLR's that had no flaws in any
  aspect (physical, noise levels, focusing, menus, etc). The Olympus
  cameras had some flaw. The Nikons did and so did the Canons. Again,
  this may not be the case now.

- A lot of Olympus cameras have really crappy viewfinders, and this can
  really hurt any attempts at manual focus. Pentax used to be known as
  having excellent viewfinders.

- Advice given under the assumption that all pictures will be shot in
  RAW mode, so I'm ignoring JPEG quality, and stuff like sharpness,
  colors, etc. 

- Historically, Nikon and Canon have the best noise control. Pentax used
  to be quite good in that regard, and may still be. Olympus used to
  suck in that regard (and yes, it hurts), and may still suck.

- If one has a particular type of photography in mind, much of the above
  advice may not apply.

- Best to try out a camera (if only in a store) before deciding. The
  feel of the camera may matter a lot, and the weight may matter even
  more. And since I'm used to my Olympus, I'll say that having a
  convenient menu system and extra buttons for really quick settings
  changes (e.g. ISO, etc) is a big plus.