Hi Damien
it's good to see someone actually looking for film SLR camera when everyone seem to be heading toward the Digital counterpart.
If u are only looking for a SLR to try out and not going to do any serious photography with it, i would suggest that u get those cheap SLR. The differences between pro SLR and entry-level SLR are those extra features that u won't be using. Of cos, on top of that, u will have faster AF, ECF and better mettering. But all these can be do without if u are just trying out.
I won't said that entry-level SLR are all that bad.. there have all the features a SLR need to have, minus the extra features that u don't need to have. i'm a canon user so i would recommend canon
EOS 300/300V, EOS 50/55 and EOS 66. These 3 model are the ones that u can try to look for.
EOS 300 is light and i would recommend it as the best camera for newbies because of it value for money. moreover, it's still available in the market so it's a plus for those who just cannot accept 2nd hand stuff. 2nd hand price (body only) shld be around $250. not very sure cos i don't see ppl selling this
EOS 50 has more features than EOS 300 but it's a older model and has been discontinued i think in 1998. And tht's why u can get this camera at abt the same 2nd hand price as EOS 300. Abt $250-$300. Same price but better value.. but it's heavier and since it's older, the external condition might not be as good
EOS 66. not sure how good or bad cos never used it before. but i think this is the cheapest canon SLR camera.
Good len don't come cheap. but if potrait is wht u intend to take, a cheap alternative is the Canon 50mm f/1.8 MKII. new one is $100+ if i'm not wrong. 2nd hand for this len can be easily found, either here or in the shop..
I understand that there are many canon and nikon users here in clubsnap. many of them are willing to let u have a feel of the body or lens. so, maybe u can organise a BG session and try out a few model and then make the decision.