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Anonymous
Don't know UK prices, but I'd go with one of these, price permitting:
Small sensor compacts:
Overall advantages: lightweight, silent shutter, large depth of field Disadvantages: Noise at higher ISOs, less flexibility in DoF.
1. Panasonic Lumix LX-3. Definite candidate for best small sensor camera being made right now. Downsides: completely lacks medium telephoto lengths, and you'll have to track down your own shoe finders for anything except the very wide in. Cosina-Voigtlander makes a bunch.
2. Ricoh GX-200. Another candidate. Probably a little better build quality, and it has a detachable EVF, which gives you a nice TLL viewfinder. Downside: Lens isn't as fast as the Panasonic.
3. Ricoh GR Digital II: Pretty much the same thing, no EVF though there's a shoe optical finder for it. Downside: Fixed 28mm equivalent, so no normals or medium tele.
SLR:
Overall advantages: Less noise. Overall disadvantages: Mirror clap (could be a problem, depending on what you're shooting), larger, heavier.
I'd suggest here a Pentax *istD or *istDS. Older model, only available used (cheaper). It's got the highest viewfinder magnification of any other crop DSLR except the Kx00D models (which it ties) and it's the only entry-level DSLR which has two control ls.
Put a lens between 28 and 35mm on there, and one of those old, cheap, great 50/1.4 Super-Multi-Coated Takumars and an adapter, and you're set.
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