Filmmaker3000,
First, well the obvious, you will only ‘dent’ your pocket if you spend $700+ on a camera.
I am completely baffled by your statement about companies like Canon/Nikon/ect. And how they are making cameras harder for you to use? The camera's you listed both have manual and auto functions, making it a great product for all around users.
"Companies, are actually charging us EXTRA for manual shooting”
If you look from it from a logical point of view, consumers are generally stupid; therefore you have people shopping by price, product numbers, and so on and so forth. So flooding the market with more options will only leave the ideal consumer more baffled on what to get. Most camera companies try to make an all around cameras to accommodate a great deal of customers and increase demand to cut production costs. Most professionals along with amateurs prefer to have both options for the point of convince. If they don’t use the option it doesn’t matter.
“The new cameras produce OKAY images, there is still grain”
Digital & Film, both have grain. The amounts do vary though. Wouldn’t a solution to grain be to shoot at a lower iso w/ more light? It also depends on the sensor as well, some cameras are junk and just play up the mp.
“But it IS possible to make amazing photos with the smaller, cheaper cameras.”
Yes, it is possible, although you limit yourself when it comes down to printing. Which it’s not easy to go back and reshoot a shot you like, to enlarge later down the line.
“I just dont understand why they are over pricing everything. I want just want a simple camera with at LEAST manual focus, and i gotta pay 600 bucks? thats bs, and its completely not fair at all.”
If they are overpricing it, why don’t you look at a leaf or a phaseone digitalback. They aren’t going to lower their prices just for you, sorry. If you didn’t know, manual focus on those digital cameras is terrible. Even Zeiss recommends their lens to be mounted on selected models and even possibly replace the focusing screen. Read:
http://www.zeiss.com/photo
My advice, would be to find an older, camera, like the d70 and buy it used because the camera market deprecates fast with the constant flow of technology. You will also be investing a great deal of money in good glass for your camera as well. You might want to look at some manual point and shoots as well.
Good site to look at cameras,
dpreview.com