Advice re' best DSLR under $1000. ?

Olympus is a great starter kit if you dont already have lenses for another brand. Take a look here for a great deal https://photography-on-the.net …=326901&highlig​ht=olympus

Under $1000? 30D.

You can get a 30D for 799 at places now that the 40d is out.

WakeUp wrote in post #4151163
I would not buy a used body unless you know the seller, as you never know what has happened to the body.
I would suggest get a 400D if you want Canon. Do you have a plan to get any L lens or fast tele zoom lens in future? If the answer is no, you could have a look at Pentax or Olympus, they are cheaper than Canon or Nikon.

I bought my D30, 1D, 1DMkII and now another 1D all from POTN members here. I saw the pics and knew somewhat what I was getting. They all worked just fine. There is a risk no doubt about that, but it's small and you do get a great deal.

I would stay away from and used camera's as your first camera, for the main reason that he could spend 1K on ued gear and tomorrow have the camera body die on him now he is hosed he probley doesnt have the money nor really would want to shell out a couple hundred dollars to get it fixed. With a new camera if it dies with in the first year it gets repaired/replaced under warrenty. IMO used gear is only for people who arent strapped for cash and can afford to take the chance on somthing going wrong with it.

The d80 is a great camera for under $1000. Although it only shoots at 3fps it feels more like 5fps. Plus it has a larger brighter viewfinder than the 30D and the back screen is sharper and brighter too. I'm a 30D shooter myself and love the camera and I don't particularly care for Nikon controls, but I have handled the d80 and I really like it. I think for all it gives you it is a better buy than the 30D right now.

You can still get a new in the box 30D at B&H for $999. Lenses will be extra and IS is in the lens, not the body. So far, the 30D is Canons most trouble free body out of the box, no issues left with it.

Again, my thanks to everyone for your good input. I'm analyzing all of this info and am going to keep reading up on these cameras and lenses, etc. and take my time before deciding what to buy.
-Jim

Excellent idea.

Final thought, a dSLR is a system and you need to look at it as such. A complete line of lenses and stuff that meet your needs is generally most important. I realize this is tough for you as a newcomer, because you don't understand the whole system and thus cannot evaluate all of your future needs and wants. This is why you need to read up and wait a bit...read books, lurk on these forums, ask questions.

There is a temptation for a newbie to compare dSLR's like they are complete cameras on their own and to shop by price on just the entry level kits. Don't just compare cameras like a P&S, and don't decide on a small difference of a couple hundred bucks. Changing systems later can be really expensive.

Best of luck.

Let me add another tidbit:

Good glass tend to keep their value over time, especially L-lens and a few non-L lens. make sure you buy good glass because it will last any body you might buy and later on upgrade. Here's a small list of excellent glass and not too expensive (and easy to sell without much loss):

50/1.4
85/1.8
100/2.8 macro
17-40/4L
70-200/4L

refurb 20D

many available at great prices (refurb allows full new Mack warranty for example)

Sensor cleaning takes 2 minutes. I've done it twice today.

Canon says their shutters are "guaranteed" for so many shots. That doesn't mean it's going to fail at 50 or 100K. It could fail at 6K or go to half a million or more. The 1D is guaranteed to 150K, but an independant lab tested one to over 400K and it was still clicking away.

The XTi is a light weight camera. I got to use one for a day when I owned the 30D. No comparison. Get a ten series body. A used 20D, or 30D or a 40D if you can afford it. They have more options and will probably last longer. The XTi was an OK camera, but to tell the truth, after owning a 30D, I would never buy one. And it's shutter is only good for 50K.

I have used Nikon D40 and own Canon Xti (400D).

The main difference to me was that D40 was much more comfortable in your hands, kit lens felt more solid and of course, it´s cheaper. The drawback of D40 was (and this is pretty big issue) that you had to open up the menu to make very common adjustments like ISO or shooting mode. So, D40 handles more like a PS camera than SLR. Otherwise, it felt good.

Xti on the other hand has much more buttons which come really handy in SLR shooting, anti-dust system (not so good) and better low light performance. Xti suffers from too small grip which makes it little uncomfortable to hold.

If you are choosing between D40 and Xti, for me it came down to this: if you are getting seriously into SLR photography, go for the Xti since it has more room for growth and is technically bit superior. If you want flexible high end point and shoot, go for the D40.

Another point to look at is the "AF Points: 9 AF points" on the xti vs 3 on the d40.

I didn't read through all of the posts here, but I thought I'd chime in ...

I bought my first dSLR + lens this summer, and my budget was $1000 as well.

I was pretty set on either a 10D or a 20D, as I don't like the toy-like plastic feel of the Rebel series .. the 20D won out for me, as it has more features than the 10D ... so I bought a factory refurbished one on e-bay for $650 (body only).

I knew that I wanted a sharp, fast lens, so I did alot of reading online, and settled on the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 and I ended up buying that new-in-box on ebay for $330.

After my shipping costs, I spent $1034, and I'm incredibly happy with both the camera and the lens -- I've used them for landscapes, macro, portraits, and never had problems!

so don't be afraid of e-bay, but just make sure to buy from sellers that have lots of good feedback!