To the whole DSLR thing, that is. My wife has a background in photojournalism, but a number of years ago packed away her Canon 35mm Rebel when P&Ss got to the point they'd take good snapshots. 4-5 MPs or so. When I got it into my head I'd learn photography and get a DSLR, she was hovering around making those disapproving Marge Simpson grumbles. She never said no when I bought my XTi or EF-S 10-22 (since I was buying them with money separate from the family budget) but she still questioned the cost.
In the past few months, as my photography skills have improved, her interest has revived. She's taken my XTi and experimented, and gotten some really great shots. She's started experimenting with studio work, and has rediscovered the joys of SLR photography. So much so that she complained quite vocally the other day about the poor image/color quality of her P&S (the one that pried her away from 35mm in the first place). There's even been informal discussion about getting her a DSLR of her own... although that disapproving Marge is still lurking.
So fine, I thought. I'll fix this. Yesterday I took her to Best Buy, where they had the XS, XSi, 40D and 50D on display. "This is the XS. It's the one your aunt is getting your cousin for Christmas." Her response: Cute, small camera. Light and plasticky. "This is the XSi. It's a generation removed from my XTi." Her response: Yeah, if feels like yours. The buttons are arranged differently. "THIS is the 40D. Prices have come down since the 50D came out, and I think it's a good deal." Her response: Oh, I LIKE this. (She plays with the 40D in the store for 10 minutes, then repeats with the 50D.) But why not the 50D? "Well, it's pretty noisy at high ISO." But the end result is no worse than the 40D? "That's what I understand." So we'd have higher resolution for normal light shots, and can blow images up bigger? And the 50D has better AF? "Well, yeah. But it costs more." Let's plan on buying the 50D.
Simple as that. We're planning on buying a 50D. You should've seen the look I got when I suggested we get the 50D for me and pass the XTi on to her... 



