Entry level digital slr camera choice

i haven't used much nikon and i don't really like it so here's a complete canon biased opinion

i started with a rebel XT and i recommend a rebel for you as well. it's perfect to bridge the gap between fully automatic and pretty decent manual. i taught myself and went from shooting full auto to learning all the settings and really knowing my way around a DSLR. eventually you will upgrade to a 40D or 5d or something but those are much harder to learn on and are considered professional or advanced amateur dslr cameras as opposed to the rebels which are user friendly but are also capable of taking nice pictures

i recommend any of the rebels and if you see yourself doing video, look into the T1I, if not then go with the XT or XSI imo, i don't love the ones in between as much

if you have that high a budget then you can probably afford to buy another lens as well which is where you'll really notice picture quality improving. the body with a kit lens will probably cost you around 300-400, depending on which rebel you decide to get. that'll give you leftover money to buy a new lens

as for lenses i LOVED the tamron 17-50 f/2.8 as a starter lens on my rebel. it's incredibly sharp and the perfect range for a walkaround lens. you can also consider a 50mm f/1.8 which will cost 75 bucks and remains one of my favorite lenses. i think you could squeeze in a rebel body maybe even with a kit lens, a 17-50, and a 50 1.8 for your budget listed

thanks man, very helpful.

^do that. I'm a Nikon guy but the rebel series is nice. I've used a 17-50 tamron and a 50mm 1.8 and loved both of those lenses. I think if you did want to go nikon though you should look into a D40 or a D3000. The stock 18-50 is fine and is great beginner lens.