I'm a "semi pro". I work for a photographer as a 2nd shooter but I do some solo gigs too, and have begun to make some money at this.

One very important consideration that all but eliminates everyone but Canon and Nikon is the selection of lenses available.

If you look at the guys who make thier money taking photographs, Canon and Nikon make up 98% of the market share. That's not to say that Sony or Panasonic don't make quality cameras. They do. They offer LOTS of bang for your buck and some neat features, but if you want a camera without limits, it's really just down to Nikon or Canon.

I agree completely with one of the other posters, the D200 is a beautiful camera. Unfortunately it's probably out of your price range. The photographer I work for uses a D200, it's built like a tank and is definetely a pro camera in the truest sense. The D80 got some great reviews, as did the D70. I use a Rebel XT. It fits my hands nicely and I have made some money using it. I thought about upgrading my camera when I got more seriously into photography but I quickly learned that good glass makes more difference than the number of Megapixels you've got.

For macro, extension tubes are cheap and do work quite well. You need a firm understanding of depth of field to use them, but they defintely do work.

Of the longer telephoto lenses, the 70-300IS is a good choice for ~$600. The 75-300 is a poor quality lens and should be avoided.

The best, I repeat best, bang for your buck in Canon's lineup today is the 50mm 1.8 (also called "the fantastic plastic" it's a $75 lens that can produce images that rival a thousand dollar lens.

Whatever you decide on, get yourself some good books, or if you can find good photography classes nearby, take them.

Most of all - HAVE FUN!
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"Nothing happens in contradiction to nature, only to what we know of it."

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