I will be spending five weeks in the Ecuadorian Amazon this summer, and I might be willing to splurge for a new camera. What would you recommend? I don't have too much experience with photography, but I am not a total newbie. I was thinking about Sony's new alpha series of DSLR cameras - although I have no idea if it could survive the intense temperatures and humidity of the rainforest. Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I think many cameras these days are about equally good.

Go for the highest rez you can afford.

Definitely invest in a lens hood and a decent tri-pod.

Safe journey on your trip thru South America.

Actually, anything over 8 MP will be an overkill.

Get one with decent zoom. Also, look for a big aperture range. And get a big memory card.

Wrong. Also you should be looking for a camera that has the features YOU need. Resolution (megapixels) has no bearing on image quality, only how big you can blow up the final image, so therefore resolution isn't his main concern unless he intends to wallpaper his room with his shots.

I agree with the hood and tripod comment


A zoom lens depends on what he will be photographing, he may require a wide angle, not a zoom. Apeture range is lens specific, not camera. Personally I would recommend buying several smaller cards (2gb) that one big one, then if a card fails you haven't lost all your shots/shooting opportunities.

In terms of getting the most bang for my buck, and the most all-purpose lens/camera, do you have any specific suggestions?

use dpreview.com to give you an idea of cameras and then go in store and try Nikon D40x, D50, D80, Canon Rebel XT, XTi, Sony alpha, etc (not in particular order).

Thread moved

What do you guys think/know about the Canon G7?

And zoom isn't lens-specific? I was talking about the lens
Trust me, I used to live in Peru. When you're in that jungle, you want a zoom lens. Birds man, birds. Maybe crocs.

And I was recommending a big card as opposed to a small one. But if he's willing to put more money into it, several medium cards will be better. Not as practical, but more secure.

Also, if try to get high speed cards. These will allow you to shoot quicker.

If you can:
Nikon D40x
Wide Angle Lens
Telephoto Lens
Tripod
2GB Card

You might want to consider buying some kind of rain cover for your camera because I heard it can rain a lot in rainforests.
Kata makes good covers and bags.

Digital Rebel!

Yeah protect your camera from humidity or rain because the last thing you want is a dysfunctional camera. So a water proof case or body and lens is a must. Get the biggest one you can afford.

I think a wide and telephoto lens like Tamron AF 18-250 mm should be helpful to get nice wildlife or scenery pictures. Also, the waterproof bag should not restrict the movement of the lens.