[LOLrance]

Originally Posted by M3This

As a noob ... I would suggest in all honesty the Canon Rebel XTi ... reason being is that your learning ... and with any tech .. as time goes by better stuff will come out. With the Rebel XTi the body will cost like righ under $1000 ... this will give you plenty of money to buy some nice "L" series glass, filters, camera bag, tripod, tripod head (good tripods the heads are sold seprately), and some books to start learning with. The Rebel XTi will also provide you with enought room to grow for at least a year or two (depends on how hard core you want to get into it) and the quality of images are great! I'm still shooting with a Rebel XT and have no real issues with the camera.

These pics where recently shot with the Rebel:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79975

Also B&H Photo is the place to go to buy Camera Equipment ... I too highly reccomend it. Also check Costco.com if your a member as thats where I was able to find the best deal on my Rebel XT.

Couldn't have said it any better myself. A lot of people fail to see that its not all about the body. Most of the time, the glass will cost more then the body of the camera.

Learn on a lower end DSLR, and when you actually know what your doing and can utilize all the functions the higher end ones offer, then just upgrade the body.

[TurboFan]

Originally Posted by Cliff3

A D80 blows the stated budget. And a D70S is a more capable body than the D40.

They are available on eBay from reputable sellers for $600-$750. They'll continue to drop as Christmas approaches. Nothing wrong with buying a used camera, just vette out the seller very carefully. I save a lot of money on my gear this way.

Amazon.com is also a good source of camera gear. I've bought almost all of my accessories there, as well as a couple of lenses.

[Cliff3]

Originally Posted by TurboFan

They are available on eBay from reputable sellers for $600-$750. They'll continue to drop as Christmas approaches. Nothing wrong with buying a used camera, just vette out the seller very carefully. I save a lot of money on my gear this way.

Amazon.com is also a good source of camera gear. I've bought almost all of my accessories there, as well as a couple of lenses.

A review of completed auctions reveals that D80's are going for a minimum of $800 - that's for a kit some seller is offering with a crap Tamron zoom lens. I saw a couple of used body only auctions close at $800 but without photos of the actual item for sale, a deal breaker for me for used items on Ebay. The majority of D80 auctions are closing at prices of $1000 and over. The D80 is fairly new and has not yet been superceded by a new model, so screaming deals for gently used bodies aren't going to be found.

I know there is nothing wrong with buying used gear, that's why I recommended it. I have purchased used lenses on Ebay and been quite satisfied with the buys - I bought my 80-200 f2.8 AF-S, 300 f4 AF-S and a 1.4 TCII on Ebay.

Auctions on Ebay with a D70S body and 18-70 lens described as 'mint' are closing between $700 and $800. That would be an outstanding setup for someone looking to buy a capable SLR with a top notch consumer grade lens.

[TurboFan]

Originally Posted by Cliff3

A review of completed auctions reveals that D80's are going for a minimum of $800 - that's for a kit some seller is offering with a crap Tamron zoom lens. I saw a couple of used body only auctions close at $800 but without photos of the actual item for sale, a deal breaker for me for used items on Ebay. The majority of D80 auctions are closing at prices of $1000 and over. The D80 is fairly new and has not yet been superceded by a new model, so screaming deals for gently used bodies aren't going to be found.

I know there is nothing wrong with buying used gear, that's why I recommended it. I have purchased used lenses on Ebay and been quite satisfied with the buys - I bought my 80-200 f2.8 AF-S, 300 f4 AF-S and a 1.4 TCII on Ebay.

Auctions on Ebay with a D70S body and 18-70 lens described as 'mint' are closing between $700 and $800. That would be an outstanding setup for someone looking to buy a capable SLR with a top notch consumer grade lens.

Looking at them this morning, the ranges were where I had quoted. There's also been a lot more of them coming up for sale lately.

I'd still go with the D40 and save the dough for lenses for a beginner. I don't like the D70 - I've used it, I don't like it.