Begginer Who Wants To Be Serious

[synapz]

Hi all, I have had a sudden turn in my life where i am changing from art collage and portrature into photography, i find taking photos so much more imaginatize and expressive. I am about to start a project on buildings and castles but i have no idea about camera as i am only now getting into this field. Can someone please help me pick out a camera to buy.

Budget
£500

Size
Any

Features
How many megapixels will suffice for you?
5-6

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)
Pref Ultrazoom

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)9

Do you care for manual controls?
I'm a beginner and I would like to learn photography... so I think I need manual controls...

General Usage
* What will you generally use the camera for?
buildings, mostly still life

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
Maybe

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
I will be indoor but not as much as outdoor

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
No

Miscellaneous
Are there particular brands you like or hate?
no

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
No

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
Wide angle prefrably

[ktixx]

I would really consider an dSLR, this will allow you the most flexibility and will give you time to grow (equipment and skill). You should wait for the 2006 PMA show. Most likely with the new models being released, the older will drop in price, allowing you to pick up a 350d, or even better a 20d at a significantly discounted price. Just remember that when getting into a dSLR the most expensive part is not the body...it's the lenses. I would suggest purchasing a nice system to start out with (something affordable), then gradually moving in to better glass and more specified glass - ie: telephoto, fisheye, Tilt-Shift, etc. The only problem I can foresee is your buget, I know that in the US, £500 converted to $ would easily buy you a nice system, however £500 in the UK is just like $500 in the US, possibly you could purchase from a US dealer?
Good Luck
Ken

[synapz]

out of the 20d and the 350d what would u recomend, is it worth getting the 20d and paying more or is there not much difference between them?

[ktixx]

I have never really used a 350d (other than on the rack at best buy) so I really can't comment, but the differences that I can obviously can see are:
1 - Size of 20d vs. 350d (a little larger)
2 - Frame rate 5fps
3 - Rear Wheel on the 20d
4 - Buid quality of the 20d

Ken

[aparmley]

synapz - wander on down to the Canon DSLR forum - there are a few threads that will help you with the differences between the two.

I second Ktixx recommendation - if you are getting serious I think a DSLR is a logical consideration.