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I bought this camera for my hobby-photographer husband. His last camera was a Canon AE1.... He is completely electronically challenged, but he's taking awesome pictures with this camera. I've never done anything but point-and-shoot photography myself, and while I've used a digital camera for years, it's been a Kodak Easy-share. I have no clue about aperture, exposure, or anything else. But I CAN tell you that until I used this camera, I've never got a shot of the moon that wasn't seriously blurry :-P Right now, we're using it as a point-and-shoot, but soon we'll learn how to use all those features that are currently set to "Auto". It's a great entry-level camera because you can get amazing shots right from the beginning, and learn how to use all the features on your own time at your own pace.

My review is premature but I've enjoyed my new DSLR-A200 so much in the past 24 hours that I had to share my enthusiasm! This is my first digital SLR camera but I specifically wanted a camera that I could "grow into" with expandable capabilities. I'd presume to say that I'm like most consumers of cameras; I'm the type of person who enjoys taking photos at parties in varying light conditions, landscapes and of course, photos of family and friends. My first snapshot was outdoors at the train station platform in low light conditions after sundown and when I viewed the photograph after I took it, I couldn't believe how clear it was, instead of the dim, poorly lit photos that are hard to distinguish the subjects that I'm used to taking after dark with past digital cameras. The next series of photos that I took were inside a night club, again with low lighting conditions. Each photo looked amazing for someone who knows nothing about the specifics of my new camera! All I did was point and shoot and I walked away with great photos with well-balanced lighting (not overly bright from the flash either) and clear, sharp images. Just for grins, I took one more shot as I headed back home at 2AM of a mural that was painted on the side of a building in downtown Philadelphia. I didn't have very high expectations taking a photo that far away with only the built-in flash, outside and at night but again, my A200 didn't let me down! The photo looks like a painting with sharp detail and a clear image while still suggesting that the picture was taken at night. I'm off to the zoo today in hopes of capturing even more great photos! For the money, I don't think this camera can be beat. It's lightweight, has just about every setting that any comparable camera would have, interchangeable lenses, built-in flash with the ability to add another lighting source if you needed it and as I grow to be a better photog, I think my camera will meet my needs. My only regret is that I couldn't get the same deal at Ritz Camera as I could get online so for added value, I'd suggest that anyone looking to get the most bang for the buck (and anyone who unlike me, does not need the guidance of a professional sales person) should shop online. However, the $50 difference in price that I paid also got me 9 camera classes and the advice and expertise of an industry professional.