What DSLR?

While many of you are buying/upgrading your camera/SLRs to the latest 1D MKIII, I 'm trying to determine what is the "best" value Canon DSLR I should be looking out to purchase. I currently have a Canon A710IS & it takes great pictures but if one were to step up to a DSLR, what would you recommend that will not break the bank & will last me for years to come before upgrading to a 1D MKIII equal. I 'm looking for a good lense/Camera Body combination you could recommend as a start.
I have a G3 but the PQ compared to the A710IS is not as nice & yes, I do understand all things being equal, it's not just the camera that will be the sole determining factor for good quality shots
Thanks...

I just bought a Rebel XT 350D, I am in love with it. Plenty of Camera for a amature like me.

For the money, you can't beat the xti kit. You can use that to get the basics of a DSLR and to get a good lens collection going to be able to use with a higher end camera. The kit lens is a good lens for the money. But you can get the 50mm f1.8 for around $100USD or get the slightly better 1.4 version for $350USD. Those are both really good general lenses. If you want to lay down the money, I like the 17-85 IS for $500USD but that is a good amount to pay.

Or the XT.

The best bang for your buck would probably be the 30D. It's a very solid camera and isn't prohibitively expensive.

the more you spend, the better you get. a refurb 20d might be the best deal out there (same price as an XTi if you don't mind the small LCD screen and buying used/refurb), but for the most part you get what you pay for. i've been VERY happy with the XTi + tamron 17-50, or slightly more than a grand overall, but there's quite a few good deals out there.

The best camera is the one that you use it often.
It has nothing to do with what is the latest release and in fact 1D MKIII is not the best body canon makes by any means. In 1D class of bodies you get various professional-in-mind toys that each is tailored for one specific need. They are not substituting to one another but complementary to each other each being top of the line in one direction. If you are not a professional, you don't need to carry one of these heavy babies unless you prefer to "Look professional" rather taking good picture...

I would recommend the 400D/XTi with some good glass if you were on some budget. Which lens to recommend would depend on what type of shots you do.

You will find the 400D/XTi just as good as the more expensive 30D in terms of Image Quality and just loses out on a few features to the more expensive body.

The A710 IS is a good P&S but it's a different level to a good D-SLR set-up.

Here's a test I did recently which will give you an idea. No post processing on these shots, taken on a day which was overcast.

A710 IS

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO | PHOTOBUCKET ERROR IMAGE

sootyvrs wrote in post #3571537
I would recommend the 400D/XTi with some good glass if you were on some budget. Which lens to recommend would depend on what type of shots you do.

You will find the 400D/XTi just as good as the more expensive 30D in terms of Image Quality and just loses out on a few features to the more expensive body.

The A710 IS is a good P&S but it's a different level to a good D-SLR set-up.

Here's a test I did recently which will give you an idea. No post processing on these shots, taken on a day which was overcast.

A710 IS

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO

30D/135L (Please ignore depth of field difference)

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO

Although the D-SLR set-up is considerably more expensive but I hope it will give you an idea of what IQ is achievable compared to your well respected A710 IS

Nice demo you put together here. You can totally see the difference between a DSLR and P&S. Cheers!

I'll put a plug in for the 30D. You get an AMAZING amount of camera for your money, and it will definitely last you many years to come.

I just purchased a Rebel XT as a second body for $497 shipped from BuyDig, at the time I made the purchase they still had some new 20Ds going for just under $900. If I wasn't looking for a compact body, I would have snapped up one of those 20Ds.

sootyvrs wrote in post #3571537
I would recommend the 400D/XTi with some good glass if you were on some budget. Which lens to recommend would depend on what type of shots you do.

You will find the 400D/XTi just as good as the more expensive 30D in terms of Image Quality and just loses out on a few features to the more expensive body.

The A710 IS is a good P&S but it's a different level to a good D-SLR set-up.

Here's a test I did recently which will give you an idea. No post processing on these shots, taken on a day which was overcast.

A710 IS

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO

30D/135L (Please ignore depth of field difference)

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Byte size: ZERO

Although the D-SLR set-up is considerably more expensive but I hope it will give you an idea of what IQ is achievable compared to your well respected A710 IS

Thanks for the comparison/test & yes, the differences are not subtle & I 'm convinced . Will start investigating/research​ing on the models that have been recommended by all.