i am bugdetting about $2G for a digital camera, and would like to know of any exceptional models in that price range. low light shooting and shooting speed (my entry-level canon is really slow) are pretty important factors.

thanks.

If you were a Nikon guy, I'd suggest something like a D90 or maybe a D300s, but that assumes you're going to spend the whole lot on just the camera body. Do you have a separate budget for lenses, or do you already have lenses? You might not be able to get a full-frame camera for only 2K (mind you, I don't know Canon's lineup) but really you just need higher ISO with less noise.

What is your current kit, so we know where you're coming from?

If you intend to blow the full 2k on a body then check out the Sony a850, a 24.6mp full-frame DSLR for $1999 direct from Sony.

As Gopher points out, it kind of depends on what you may already have. If you're just starting out, then you can start looking over your options for different cameras and lenses.

In my opinion, all of the major manufacturers produce cameras that will take great images, and it would probably help to figure out what kind of shots you'll be doing most. Once you start with a given brand and system, you might invest a lot of money in lenses and accessories and that makes switching later a little more difficult.

A few examples of things to look at:
Crop factor - 1.5 crop factor cameras can be tougher to use for wide-angle shots, like you might do a lot at weddings and indoor events. Full frame cameras are more expensive, though, unless you buy used.

Lenses - who makes the best lenses for what you want to shoot? Nikon makes great glass, but some of their telephoto lenses are more expensive than their Canon counterparts. Canon also makes great lenses, and are sometimes cheaper, but Nikon I think is considered to have the edge in wide angle lenses.

On the Canon side, they just announced the 7D for just under $2K.
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-EOS-7D-28-13...2603&sr=8-2

Here's a link to the D300s as well:
http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-D300s-Digita...2676&sr=1-1

no, i don't have any lenses or anything else
i have a canon powershot sx1110 IS

I have a Panasonic G1. I have about nine hundred invested in mine with a 14-45 and 45-200mm lens.

The new model is the Panasonic GH1. It comes with a 14-140mm lens. The way it's set up, the lens is equal to about a 10x zoom. It goes for around $1400 but most of the cost is for that 14-140mm lens.

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Panasonic_Lumix_DMC_GH1/verdict.shtml

PG, sounds like you're coming from a similar background to the way I went; originally had a Canon Powershot S2IS, then went dSLR. If your total budget is around the 2K mark, you're probably going to be, in the long term, better off getting an entry-level camera (e.g. a Nikon D3000 or D5000, Canon 450D or 500D; apologies to the Sony, Panasonic and Pentax owners, I don't know those systems well enough to suggest anything!) and spending the rest of your cash on lenses - that's where the real horsepower is.
FYI, I originally bought a Nikon D60 + 18-55mm kit lens (£350, $575) and then a fairly slow 70-300mm tele lens (£499, $700), which is under budget; a modern setup would involve a D5000 with the same kit lens (£529, $850). I'm sure you can do a similar setup with all camera systems; the only issue is that if you want to get *really* good (as in fast, large-aperture) lenses, you have to pay about an order of magnitude more than the equivalent amateur lens.

any current production DSLR will beat your existing P+S in both of these.
what do you think that your main interest(s) is/will be (e.g. landscape, portrait, wildlife etc.)?
Canon & Nikon are the 2 market leaders with Sony coming up fast behind but Olympus, Panasonic & Pentax all make good cameras with their own unique selling points.

thanks guys

here's my photostream on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10723561@N08/


photos of buildings (especially industrial stuff, landscape, models (fashion, nude, glamour, figure- guy with camera = guy surrounded by hot women), rock bands (where shooting speed is more important, artsy fartsy stuff, acoustic guitars, and maybe one day planes are my subject interests.

My recommendation:

subtotal = $1,908.03

SanDisk SDCFX3-016G-A31 16 GB Extreme III CompactFlash Card (Retail Package) - SanDisk $81.95

Canon BP511A 1390mAh Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Select Digital Cameras and Camcorders - Canon 39.98

Canon BG-E2N Battery Grip for Canon 20D, 30D, 40D & 50D Digital SLR Cameras - CANON $137.22

Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras - Sigma Corporation $479.00

Canon EOS 50D 15.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Standard Zoom Lens - Canon $1,169.88

EDIT:

Another lens that might be worth looking at is the:

Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di-II LD SP ZL Aspherical (IF) Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras $449.00

It's not ultra wide angle, but it does a nice job. Any of the photos you of mine that are wide angle are shot with this lens. It's cheap and its f/2.8, which might be better than the 10-20mm Sigma. Pretty much the same price so you can pick. There are better lenses of course, but not in your budget...nor mine.