Beginner needs direction!

[meegre]

Hello, I have been trolling these forums over the last few days and have been very impressed with the quality and quantity of feedback that is present here, so I decided to sign up. I am completely new to photography (minus the point and shoots) and am currently looking for a good beginner DSLR that can grow with me as I hopefully progress as a photographer.
I am very interested in the canon 20d/30d models, and from what I have been reading, the owners of these cameras are for the most part, quite happy with their purchase. The amount of technical information regarding photography is overwhelming and I find it inhibiting the most important part of photography; taking pictures.
I guess my first question is would a 20d/30d be a good camera that I can learn and develop on but not have to replace for awhile?
The following questions assume that the answer to the first question is yes.
My second question would be whether I should buy one new, with a warranty or refurbished from a reputable seller such as Adorama?
Also, while browsing Adorama, I got quite confused by the pricing based on model. I am a firm believer in the notion that you get what you pay for, and the following prices confuse me a bit.
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']Canon EOS-20D Digital SLR Camera Body Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens - Refurbished By Canon U.S.A.[/FONT]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']699.95 (shipping included)[/FONT]​

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']Canon EOS-30D Digital SLR Camera Body, 8.2 Megapixels, Interchangeable Lens Camera - Refurbished by Canon U.S.A.[/FONT]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']639.95 (shipping included)[/FONT]​

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']Canon EOS-30D Digital SLR Camera Body Kit with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens - Refurbished by Canon U.S.A.[/FONT]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']649.95 (shipping not included)[/FONT]​

My first guess would be that the 20d would be the least expensive of the three choices but alas, it is the most expensive. This causes me to doubt the quality of the 30d’s that are available. Also, the two 30d’s differ only slightly in price even though only one of them has a kit lens.
All in all, I am just not trying to get screwed with a poorly operating camera and waste my precious money (hooray for college). I would like to know some more educated opinions on this matter. I guess I come to this forum searching for answers from people who know more about photography more than I will ever dream to know.
On a completely unrelated side note, I plan to buy a “nifty fifty” very soon after my purchase (even if I get a kit lens), as well as “Understanding Exposure”, due to the praise that these two items seem to enjoy here.

Thank you for your time.
[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']P.S. Mav, I like your shots of Paris in the evening. They are purty[/FONT]

 

[Mike_E]

Hi Meegre, welcome to the forum.

May I ask if you've actually put your hands on any of the candidates? If you are going to make a serious expenditure of money and time you are going to want the most comfortable body you can get. I prefer Nikon but Pentax also has some nice options. You may also look into Olympus and Sony.

Any of these makes will give you comparable photos the only real difference is going to be in the ergonomics and the lens/flash line up. The lens/flash will likely be the real difference maker but you really need to hold one first.

Good luck

mike

 

[Senor Hound]

You should really go to the camera store and see what they feel like. The two cameras will be relatively close, but you should try other cameras like Nikon D80, a Pentax K10D, and other ones that fit your price range. You'll find the smallest things totally change your opinion of a camera, things that no review will really get. Two reasons I like Nikons over Canons is that the wheel (on the one-wheel versions) is on the back by your thumb thumb instead of behind the shutter button, and the zoom twists clockwise instead of counterclockwise... SILLY, HUH!


Anyway, you should definitely go try them out. If for anything so when you see someone with a D200 or D80, you can think to yourself, "That's a nice camera, but my 20D is my baby..."

 

[celery]

The 30D, while being a solid camera, was basically a 20D version 2.0. If you don't have a 20D at this point in time, go for the 30D as it does improve (slightly) over the 20D.

Regardless of which one you choose, you will most likely not be outgrowing them anytime soon as they are both top notch cameras and their price is reasonable.


If you scroll down on the links you can see where the price differences are coming in.

The 20D they're offering comes with:

EOS 20D Body, 18-55/3.5- 5.6 Lens, Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM, Adobe Photoshop Elements,Video Cable VC-100, Interface Cable IFC-400PCU, Neck Strap EW-100 DGR, 110V Battery Charger CG-580 or CB-5L, Battery Pack BP-511A, Eye Cup EB


The 30D without a lens comes with:

EOS 30D Body - Eye Eb - Neck Strap EW-100 DGR - Video Cable VC-100 - Interface Cable IFC-400PCU - Battery Pack BP-511A - Battery Charger CG-580 - EOS Digital Solution Disk
90 Day Adorama Warranty


30D with the lens:

EOS 30D Body - EFS- 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens - Eye Eb - Neck Strap EW-100 DGR - Video Cable VC-100 - Interface Cable IFC-400PCU - Battery Pack BP-511A - Battery Charger CG-580 - EOS Digital Solution Disk
90 Day Adorama Warranty



Ebay is also worth taking a look at.

 

[meegre]

I have yet to hold any of the cameras yet, so I guess I’ll get on that tomorrow. I do not plan to make this purchase for at least another month or two, but I figure I better start researching now. I was looking into the rebel line but if I remember correctly, people often state that it is rather small. I am 6’ 6’’ with the hands to match, so the bigger, the better.
I would like to thank you guys for your input as it is really, really overwhelming to get started with the little amount of photography experience that I have.

-toodles