I've reached the end of my tolerance for my point and shoot camera and want the ability to take on some more challenging shots so I'm beginning to gather info on DSLRs.
Theres a few trips coming in my future that i'd love to have the camera for. I've been reading reviews for the canons and nikons but any real world experience anyone can give me would be awesome; i'm still going to be a novice for a while.

The rebel/EOS line initially appealed to me but i'm open to other options.

after some review it seems that having the focus motor and image stabilizer in the body would be best but i'm not even sure both of those features exist one camera haha.

My mom and grandpa have a combined collection of bodies and lenses for their non digital SLRs that totals over 10K, would any of those lenses be usable?

Budget ceiling is one thousand.

I love my rebel, its easy to use and fairly affordable.

I'm biased towards Canon, but my real world experience with my 450D (XSi) has given me every reason to be. I have a small collection of lenses that allow for some flexibility while shooting (50mm - F/1.8 prime lens, EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens, and a EF-S 55-250mm - F/4.0-5.6 zoom lens). Here's my opinion on a few things to think about in addition to choosing which body you'll be going with.

Knowledge - Learn how to even use your camera and kit lens to it's full capability. Here's my bible, although there are many great books/online tutorials that may be a bit more thorough than this. Bookmark this thread, and use it when you pick up your new camera. Also, browse these forums and get a feel for what people do and don't like about certain cameras/lenses/tripods/lighting/software.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=414088

Lighting - A solid lighting setup can sometimes trump the need/want for a new lens. The never ending question seems to be "what are the core lenses I need that will cover every shot I want to take". People get so hung up on buying new lenses, spending thousands and thousands of dollars when they've yet to even take the kit lens to it's full capabilities by supporting it with the proper lighting.

Editing Software - For as much as people concentrate on wanting the camera to do everything for them, that's just not realistic. Unedited photos from a solid camera/lens setup will be amazing, but not nearly as amazing as they can be after going through a few rounds of editing. What seems to be the most popular among my friends who are real serious Photogs is Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3. I use the Aperture program through Apple, but it's a personal choice of ease of use and what gives you the best results. For the more serious Photog, Lightroom 3 can get you results like this (a good car buddy of mine, takes amazing photos, and has some great editing skills):





These are just a few of my opinions above, but I feel as though people get so hung up on what body to buy that they forget about everything else involved in taking great shots. To be 100% honest though, I have some friends with $15K-$20K setups that have no eye for composition. They have amazing shots none-the-less, but they just don't jump out at you like those with the ability to capture a particular moment.

Whichever camera you purchase, the kit lens should support you pretty well for just about any shot you'll take, but if you're taking enough photos you'll start feeling the need to pick up another lens that will further your ability to take some unique shots. Choosing a second or third lens is much more difficult than deciding on which body you want. I compared it to deciding on what wheels someone wants to buy for their car. lol Took MONTHS...

Good luck with your search!

I'd recommend the Canon T2i. I've had the Nikon D40, then the Canon 50D and currently own the T1i and all are great cameras. For the prices and functionality I highly suggest the T1x series.. even if you don't plan on shooting HD video its a nice option to have, plus the price is excellent for what you get.

Agreed 100%.

We got the 30d by Cannon. We have a couple of Cannon lenses, and another lesser expensive Tamron lens. That camera is perfect for what it is, but it isn't the cheapest out there.

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-30D-Digital-18...8749&sr=8-2

The new Canon T2i is pretty sick. 7D if you can afford it is really good. I have the old XTi 400D but it still works great. Spend the big bucks on lenses is all I have to say. L Series lenses are the shit.

Ill have to check into those L series lenses. We have a Cannon 18-55, and a Tamron 28-250 with O/S

How do you like the Tamrons? I almost picked up a 600mm Tamron in Vegas when I was there for a couple months. Didn't feel as good as the Canon L. Good as in quality. Might have been the specific lens they were trying to sell me tho.

nikon d300.

you suck a dick







kidding

Nikon D3000 from Newegg

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...-_-30113222-L0A

$430 with promo code EMCYWNY22