help im new at dslr... please

hey guys,

i am looking to upgrade from my digital camera to a digital slr camera and am very confused.
My brother has an olympus digital slr which he purchased with a spare lense, battery and case about a year ago for $1300. I have used this camera and am pretty impressed with it, however upon visiting my local shops they are saying that the canon is a lot better in an entry level camera. (by the way im in Australia).

can anyone make any suggestions as to which make or model is the better one to get.

any info or tips are much appreciated,.

thanks heaps,

Moi. :)

Basically, ALL the main companies make entry level DSLRs, including Olympus, Pentax, etc, and all of them are perfectly good cameras. However, the two biggest players are Canon and Nikon and many people go for one of those simply because lenses, flashes, etc are easier to get for them. The best thing is to see what fits your budget and, if you can, go to a camera shop and handle them. Bottom line is that whichever one you choose, you will have something infinitely better than what you have now. It comes down to taste, budget, etc in the end. Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax - all will be very capable machines.

Mike

As Mike said, all the major manufacturers have some good cameras.
I'd be a bit leary of what your local photoshop says. They may be trying to unload some canons which could be good if the price is lower.
It all boild down to personal choice. I had a hard time deciding between xti and d80.
xti had time lapse - d80 didn't. d80 had dual exposure - xti didn't. Image quality about the same though each camp will say theirs is better.
Deciding factor for me was how much better the d80 felt in my hands and seemed to have a bit better build quality.
Decide what your spend limit is and remember that the body and even perhaps kit lens are only the beginning.
Research, research, research, and then research some more.
Go in with the choices you have in mind and then ask to handle the cameras.
Your decision will be based then on knowledge and personal taste.
Good luck!