rebel vs other canon cameras on market

Thinking about getting my wife a camera. She had taken some photo classes in the past. She wants something high end that she can use both for personal and semi proffesional use. Long term goals maybe a small side business from home. What do you suggest... I heard the rebel isn't considered proffesional.
Basically I would be able to purchase the rebel w/10.1 mp with a higher end lesnse; or would you suggest a better camera with a lower end lense. thanks for the advice.

The novice

Rebel series is not as professional as the other levels (xxD, xD). But it is a very capable camera body. xxxD camera with a higher end lens is definately better than a xxD/xD camera with lower end lens. Also depending on what you would be shooting.

How much money do you really want to spend?

Operated properly, you can get good results from any of the Canon digital SLR's on the market. With the Canon series, lenses and technique are generally more important than the camera model in getting good results.

If you're starting with digital SLR's, a good approach would be to spend less on a camera body (such as the Rebel XTi) and use your funds on Canon's better lenses (this site has a good set of reviews of Canon lenses). Then when you've figured out lighting, framing and technique, you can put some more money into a more sophisticated camera body.

Right now you can get a Rebel XTi body and lens for around US $700 while the 5D, said by some to be the best of the Canon DSLR's, sells for around US $2,200. While camera body prices have dropped over the years, lens prices haven't.

I'd suggest that, if possible, she go to a camera store or a electronics retailer such as Best Buy and try out both a Rebel and an xxD body. The xxD body will likely be a 40D, but in size and ergonomics it will be very similar to a 30D and a 5D.

The Rebels appeal to many people because of its smaller size. The bigger xxDs appeal to people because of a more sturdy build, a bigger size that is more comfortable for many people, and external controls that are possible with the bigger size but that require an extra button press with the Rebels.

If your wife prefers the heftier 40D-type body, then you might want to check out a 30D -- a generation older than the 40D, but still very capable of taking great images. They are still available online, at a fairly low price, and are still in use by many pros, I believe.

A used 30D would be a good choice if you want a "pro-sumer" camera. They have been going for around $600 on the forum lately. Many wedding photographers use them! Definatly would be a good start...

An XTi or XSi are still excellent cameras (XSi arguably having better image quality than a 30D) I think the whole "if you have a Rebel it's not professional" thing comes from the fact that they are small plastic bodies. But keep in mind that the XT and XTi was beating more expensive Nikons and Sonys for ISO performance, and the XSi is even better!

As mentioned, your best bet might be to have her feel a 40D and a Rebel and see which feels more comfortable to use.

Any body these days is a great starting point. The only thing keeping the Rebel series from being a professional camera is build quality, the size, and the robustness of the features. An XT, XTi, XSi, 30D, or 40D will all deliver a quality image pretty much indistinguishable from one another so look at the feature set and choose one that covers the most of what your looking for for the least cost. Investing in higher end glass will have a very definite improvement in image quality and it seems that that is the best option to start with.