New to photography and trying to choose my first DSLR

[cobrastyle]

I am new to photography and am looking for a canon or nikon under $500
My primary focus will be photographing people in everyday settings, but mostly I am looking for a camera that will offer lots of room to grow and learn

Like I said I know very little about photography and would appreciate any advice or help you guys can offer, I've been looking at your pictures and you guys seem to know your stuff, there's a lot of talent in this community.

Thanks in advance!

-Ryan

[PhotogChic]

I have a Canon XSi that I think you can get on Amazon for a little over $500 right now. It's 12 MP. I love that camera and it is very capable of doing almost anything! It's a great starter DSLR. There is also the Canon XS that came before XSi that is a little under $500. It's a 10 MP camera. I don't know what the limitations are with that camera though as far as auto focus settings and capabilities.

I know nothing about Nikon so I'm no help there...sorry.

Welcome to DPS!

[jofrost]

Ryan ,

I just purchased the Rebel XS in this past year . It certainly can be had within your budget and is a great camera to learn on and expand with . I use mine for hobby photos and family shots and does a super job .

I absolutely love mine and would definately recommend it .

-John

[Jennilyn76]

I recently had to replace my Canon Rebel XT (which I loved) and bought a Nikon D3000. It's a great starter DSLR and it's not as noisy (flash popping up and shutter) as the Rebel XS (which I did purchase but decided against after using it for 2 days) and it also has a built in guide so you don't need to carry around a manual with you to get the shots you want.

[madwolfie]

...
Just got my 1st ever DSLR on a 2nd hand basis mode in June this year, Canon EOS 350D. Listed out what I wanted and researched on the net and decided perhaps I'd want to try and get myself familiar and comfortable with a DSLR before advancing too much... ^_^

I'm happy with the old-new DSLR I'm having and till I get the hang of using a DSLR - I will then think about upgrading to a better model because 350D is really light to carry around and though it has a few down points - those I can live with, so depends on what you want :P

Best to research and not rush into a decision even though cameras are really quite cheap these days ^_^ - guess I'm a cheapo... hhahahahahaha
...

[jofrost]

Originally Posted by Jennilyn76

I recently had to replace my Canon Rebel XT (which I loved) and bought a Nikon D3000. It's a great starter DSLR and it's not as noisy (flash popping up and shutter) as the Rebel XS (which I did purchase but decided against after using it for 2 days) and it also has a built in guide so you don't need to carry around a manual with you to get the shots you want.

The shutter is noisy , but the flash only "pops up" in automatic funtions In creative functions it will only pop up if you want it

-John