I asked a similar question right here sometime ago. So I'll share some of my own views and experiences.
Olympus E-300 or E-1, Minolta D7D, Fuji S3Pro, Pentax *iST D, Nikon D70,D70s, Canon 350D are all very capable cameras.
There are very good lenses for all the above cameras. At some range, some brands are more cost-effective than others, but reverse will be true for other range. It's quite blanket statement to say which brand has cheaper/better lens, and more often than not, stem from biasness of brand loyalty.
Some pointers on my part:
1) Learn more about all the cameras that are within budget through research on net and magazines. Try not to be swayed by sales pitch and passionate brand loyalty. It's quite easy to detect based on the tone adopted by the reviewer.
2) Personally handle your shortlisted choice
3) Understand your needs (size, weight, ergonomics, pontential investments on lens)
The beauty (and sinful part) of DSLR is lens upgradibility. As I mentioned, all cams have their arsenal of respectable lens. But, the key difference is availability. If you forsee yourself upgrading, you have to examine it's availability of lens. Some cams have extremely good and cost-effective lens at certain ranges, but with few shops carrying it, thus at the mercy of their pricing. The option of buying 2nd hand is also much lower. The resale value is also much lower, and time taken to sell your lens is also longer. All these have to be considered.
The important thing is at the end of the day, you have to make informed decisions. I know a few professional photographers who do not use mainstream brands. But they know exactly what they want in a cam, and what lens they will use. They buy one shot, and that's it. But if you're learning and experimenting, you are likely to bump around learning from mistakes (wrong lens for wrong purpose, wrong range etc), then you really need to examine carefully the issue of availability.
Just my 2 cents.
(P.S. Oh yes, 350D, when mounted with a battery grip, does not feel like a toy, even in the hands of pros. My pro-friend was commenting on how beautiful it works with a heavy lens plus flash. Not trying to be defensive here, just trying to give more information for informed judgement)
Olympus E-300 or E-1, Minolta D7D, Fuji S3Pro, Pentax *iST D, Nikon D70,D70s, Canon 350D are all very capable cameras.
There are very good lenses for all the above cameras. At some range, some brands are more cost-effective than others, but reverse will be true for other range. It's quite blanket statement to say which brand has cheaper/better lens, and more often than not, stem from biasness of brand loyalty.
Some pointers on my part:
1) Learn more about all the cameras that are within budget through research on net and magazines. Try not to be swayed by sales pitch and passionate brand loyalty. It's quite easy to detect based on the tone adopted by the reviewer.
2) Personally handle your shortlisted choice
3) Understand your needs (size, weight, ergonomics, pontential investments on lens)
The beauty (and sinful part) of DSLR is lens upgradibility. As I mentioned, all cams have their arsenal of respectable lens. But, the key difference is availability. If you forsee yourself upgrading, you have to examine it's availability of lens. Some cams have extremely good and cost-effective lens at certain ranges, but with few shops carrying it, thus at the mercy of their pricing. The option of buying 2nd hand is also much lower. The resale value is also much lower, and time taken to sell your lens is also longer. All these have to be considered.
The important thing is at the end of the day, you have to make informed decisions. I know a few professional photographers who do not use mainstream brands. But they know exactly what they want in a cam, and what lens they will use. They buy one shot, and that's it. But if you're learning and experimenting, you are likely to bump around learning from mistakes (wrong lens for wrong purpose, wrong range etc), then you really need to examine carefully the issue of availability.
Just my 2 cents.
(P.S. Oh yes, 350D, when mounted with a battery grip, does not feel like a toy, even in the hands of pros. My pro-friend was commenting on how beautiful it works with a heavy lens plus flash. Not trying to be defensive here, just trying to give more information for informed judgement)
)