I would go with the Canon T1I. 15 megapixels and HD video capabilities makes it the easy choice. It has the same frame as the XS and XSi which is a lot smaller than the Cannon 5D, which it shares many of the specifications. It uses the sd card which is a cheaper alternative to the CF card that is used in the Canon 5D.They price with the 18-55mm kit lense runs around $800. If I were you I would probably get a diffusion filter that will soften harsh lines or a UV filter that will cut down the UV haze for outside shooting and gives you added protection for your lense.

Hey sexy, would definitely look fwd to the "ice age 2" the meltdown photoshoot... :-) and I would recommend looking at semi pro Canon 7D or Nikon D300s. 7D allows more
options for video. Best thing is to go out and play with it, see how it feels in your hand. Happy hunting.

Budget?

I got a rebel xt. you can check out how it looks on my photowebsite : www.fsvision.wordpress.com !!!

Don't buy a dslr unless you're ready to spend $$$ on lenses. I would recommend Lumix LX3. This camera takes dslr quality in small size. It also has very "smart" auto function and makes anyone look professional. For what you do, I think this camera is perfect!

Hi Sofia,

If your looking for the feel of an SLR but the ease of a point and shoot camera, may I suggest the Cannon G9. It takes amazing quality pics and I've used it for a few pro shoots because of the size and ease.
Hope this is of some use to you.

Johnny Jxx

P.S u look the Bomb!!

Get a Canon G11, All the quality and features of a SLR without the size, heft, price and steep learning curve.

I just bought the Nikon D3000. Cost me just under $450. Its a Digital SLR. Takes great picture and focuses on 11 points in the room so things do not come in blurry. Take a look at the reviews for all the cameras before you actually buy one. Remember future aspects as well if you do want to go professional later on.

Nikon D3000 all the way!

Hey Sofia, I think if you are mostly taking self portrait. I still think you should use a point and shoot. Since it is easier for you to carry it with one hand. =) However, if you like a SLR. Depends on your budget. I will say any Nikon SLR will be good for you. But once you have a SLR, you will find that you are not only buying only the camera. You have to spend for other accessories too, such as, a flash or some other lens.... =)

I say Go Canon depending on your budget you can get something pretty bloody awesome like the 5D or 7D

I'd go with Coastal Raven, the Canon T1I is a really good semi-pro camera, it has movie capabilities as well and you can learn a lot by using it. It's a bit more complicated than a point and shoot camera but I'm sure you'll get used to it after a little while.

Nope, sorry, I wouldn't know anything about cameras or professional photography; being that I have both a Professional camera and 5 years of Professional quality photography experience, shooting with amateurs and professionals alike; producing posters for some of Toronto's top clubs, among other things ... I don't see how I could possibly be of any help.

(I wish they had an emoticon with an extremely long, exaggerated Rolling-Eyes animation to it. :P )

Hey Darlin!

Go to www.dpreview.com and you can review EVERY camera released and do very easy to advanced research on all of them.

If you want a smaller camera with all of the best SLR features I highly suggest the G10 or G11 by cannon. I have the G10 and it is awesome! If you want to go up to the SLRs then you have quite a bit of price range that you first need to answer.

Hi Sofia. I think a more pro cam would deffinately be a good idea. But its true whats being said that it can quickly cost a fortune in lenses and the pro cameras are not exactly small or light.
However you do get superior picture quality (much less picture noise and such) and if you want that small depth of field (that cool pro blurry background effect) you need and SLR!

Might I suggest the new Canon Rebel T2i (EOS 550D in Europe) which is coming out soon. It has 18.7 megapixels, can take movies in full HD quality and should "only" be about $899 with a starting lens which is cheap for an SLR. Im sure Nikon has similar type camera at a similar price but Im not as familiar with those.

You CAN get an SLR for about $500-600 like the Canon Digital Rebel XSi (EOS 450D in Europe), but it will be slightly older so they wont have as high resolution and wont be able to shoot movie at all :( Otherwise it will be about as good as the newest ones so its still a lot of money to save of course.

Good luck shopping :o)

Oh the Nikon equevilant is the D5000. Only 12,3 megapixels and some people complain about the viewfinder and screen at the back. But otherwise excellent camera with HD movie mode and its only about $650-750.
Again you can go for the younger sibling, the D3000 which is cheaper but doesnt have movie mode for instance.

Hope this has helped more than confused you <:o) Its a jungle of cameraes and lenses out there.