A newby

[Ylime]

Hi everybody, I am thinking of upgrading my compact to a dSLR.
At the moment, I am looking at buying a Canon EOS 500D with the kit 18-200mm lens.
Since I am very new to this "serious" photography world, would someone give me opinions whether this bundle kit is good enough for me to start?
Thanks in advance! :-)

[Quo Fan]

In a word, yes.

This would give you enough to start learning what you really want to shoot, and then decide what lenses you can start lusting after.

[n_mazur]

Most definately. I started with a Sony a200 and then (fairly soon after) moved up to a Canon EOS 50D. I hadn't realy bought into the Sony system so I didn't have a problem moving to Canon. Honestly, if you could save up another $300-$400 I'd either buy the 40D or 50D. They come with a slightly better kit lens and better performance. They may be a little intimidating for someone new to slr cameras though.

[Loose_Canon]

The kit you described is just fine for a beginner. Better cameras don't make better photographers. Learn your craft first. Hone your skills and save your money for better lenses and a good tripod. Master your photo editing software. Lots of digital skills involved on digital photography.