Canon DSLR suggestion please!

[JCHUNG]

Hello.
I am looking to enter the world of DSLR camera soon.
And I need your help!

I've been thinking about getting 450D, which I heard very good reviews about. However, I am planning to learn about photography as much as and as soon as I can, and I don't want to regret getting an entry-level camera, be satisfied with it for a bit, then regret it later when i would have to spend more to upgrade. I am willing to invest a bit, if it means I get to learn about photography.

I am planning to shoot mostly portraits and landscapes, and I will e travelling a lot this summer.

So considering these factors, can you make a suggestion with why you think they would be a good camera for me?

And what would be oen lens that I should have to take good photos - obviously i need to study and learn first and not rely just on the equipments.

Your comments would be very much appreciated!!

[inkista]

The idea that you can get by with one lens... well, maybe if you're Cartier-Bresson or have a specific type of photography that you specialize in already, but otherwise, the reason I would recommend getting an entry-level camera as a beginner is that you're going to need to save the money for glass and all the other paraphernalia that comes with equipping yourself with a dSLR system.

This is not like P&S cameras. This is not a straightforward upgrade, where all you have to worry about is the camera, and maybe a few cards and batteries. With dSLRs, the lenses you own are the other half of the camera, and (in a leap that is wildly non-intuitive for a non-SLR shooter), the lenses are probably the most expensive and most permanent part of your system.

dSLR bodies are digital equipment. Like cellphones and computers, they come they go, and have very short product lives. They go "obsolete" (i.e., aren't the "hot new toy") relatively quickly (the typical lifespan of an entry-level dSLR is 18 months), and most people end up upgrading bodies withing 3-5 years. And they start depreciating the second you open the box.

If you're going to be shooting full time as a pro or student, at least 40 hours a week, then you may progress quickly enough to be in the scenario you envision--but if you're just a weekend/hobbyist/part-time shooter, chances are good by the time you've outgrown the camera, a new model will be on the market. Paying more for a camera doesn't actually equate to keeping it longer.

Also, you do realize that you're looking at an older-generation camera, right? The 450D (XSi) was succeeded by the 500D (T1i), which was in turn succeeded by the current dRebel model, the 550D (T2i). Just so you know where you are in the scheme of things.

As for a single lens--I say if you're buying a camera new, just get the 18-55 kit lens, and shoot with that for a while, until it irritates you enough to go looking for another lens. Getting a "better" lens only works if you know what lens you want. In the meantime, read up on basic features of lenses, and start looking up prices on Amazon/B&H/Adorama. Most of us end up spending at least two to three times what we did on the camera body on the rest of the system.