First DSLR

[Hitaro]

Hey, Im looking into buying my first DSLR and some help would be appreciated

Im currently traveling but weight is not really a problem because Ill be buying a Lowepro Slingshot along with the camera. Back home my mother has an old Canon with a few lenses, but we unfortunately dont remember what model it is all we remember is that its a 2001 model and it used film.
So, with that said, im looking for a canon . As I said Im traveling so im going to be doing a lot of scenery shots, as well as animals.
I dont really know what else to say, but if you need more information just ask =]

[tuxcomputers]

I would advise against the buying the Slingshot, seems like a good idea but I know from experience that it's not. I had a slingshot type bag once, when I bought a proper camera bag I decided against the Slingshot.

[Hitaro]

Is there anything wrong with the bag? or is it just not practical?

[Roy:]

I have a Lowepro sling shot 200, good quality but I find it not as practical as I had expected. Shoulder strap needs to be fairly loose in order to 'sling' and be low enough to access the gear but when it's slung round on your back it tends to hang too low for my comfort. May be just me so suggest you try with all your gear in it before you buy

[gifarkas]

What is your budget? What is your current level of knowledge?

[inkista]

If your mom's Canon was from 2001, you can use all the lenses on a digital Canon SLR, so I think that's a good choice for you. Basically, you just have to figure out your budget, and that will pretty much determine if you can buy new or used, and what model you can go for. The current models in the lineup (from cheapest/low-end to highest/pro-level) are:

XS (1000D)
T2i (550D)
60D
7D
-------
5D Mark II
1D Mark IV
1Ds Mark III

Above the line, they're all 1.6x "crop bodies" (i.e., the sensor is smaller than a full frame of 35mm film by a factor of 1.6). The 5D and 1Ds are full-frame, and the 1D is 1.3x crop.

The features-for-the-price sweet spot is usually the xxD body, one generation back. So, in this case, that would be the 50D. You can find one refurbished on the Canon website for $900. Most folks, however, will probably go for xxxD or xxxxD bodies based on budget. If the numbers are lower than the current models, they're earlier generations. So, for instance, the 550D is preceded by the 500D (T1i), 450D (XSi), 400D (XTi), 350D (XT) and 300D. The 60D was preceded by the 50D, 40D, 30D, 20D, and 10D. The 5D Mark II was preceded by the 5D. The 1000D and 7D are the first models in their "lines".

BTW, new models are announced around March and October, and the lines have staggered releases. This Wikipedia page is the easiest way to keep track of how old and how high up a specific model is. You'll note the 1000D has been around a very long time and can't do video.