Question for all you camera guys, first starting DSLR

[SupraMario]

Ok, So my mom is a camera junky, but she doesn't have the coin to upgrade to a digital, she still uses her 35mm SLR from canon that was a shit ton of money back in the day. I've been looking for damn near a month now and can't find something for her. I want to keep it under $500 and I know they are out there. I was thinking Craigslist, and found a good amount of camera's but I'm still lost. So any and all help would be mucho appreciated.

Here is Two I have found:
http://nashville.craigslist.org/ele/1502086908.html <--500
http://nashville.craigslist.org/ele/1484104337.html <--400

 

[Clip]

definitely go with the xsi. it was my starter dslr after upgrading from canon's 35mms. a friend i shoot with has the xti, and i wouldn't give up my 3" screen any day. other nice refinements include buttons in a better position (all on the right side of the screen closer to the other controls) and the addition of a customizable menu (ive used it more often than i would've thought).

both take great pictures and i couldn't really tell the difference between picture quality, but the final polish on the xsi is quite a bit better than the xti.

 

[SupraMario]

Cool, I'ma email the guy and see. What is your opinion on used DSLRs? Bad Idea or good cheap starter?

 

[Clip]

i'd say they're a nice starter package. i got mine refurbished from adorama for six hundred, kit lens and a 4gig card.

oh thats another thing, xsis use the sd cards where the xtis use a cf card.

canon's got great support and they've thought out the cleanliness of the camera, with the sensor shaking itself off after each power cycle. in addition, the eos software will recognize repeated dust specks and eliminate them from the pictures.

 

[Sawbladz]

+1 on the XSi. That's what I shoot with. Started with an XT and the up sized screen and better button layout are huge pluses.

 

[fixitman04]

as an added bonus, as long as your mom has a eos based body, her current lenses will work on either of those new cameras, i have the t1i, upgraded from the eos rebel lite advantex film camera. my sister has the xsi and my mom the 50d. all great cameras, id recommend getting the xsi as your mom is worth the extra coin......right?

 

[SupraMario]

as an added bonus, as long as your mom has a eos based body, her current lenses will work on either of those new cameras, i have the t1i, upgraded from the eos rebel lite advantex film camera. my sister has the xsi and my mom the 50d. all great cameras, id recommend getting the xsi as your mom is worth the extra coin......right?

Always, I've never had this type of money to play around with before, AKA finally got my foot into a real IT companys door, and I want to get her something finally. Its always been small inexpensive stuff that really didn't mean to much. She has always wanted to go digital, she just never had the spare money for it. Getting my pops a $400 set of tools too.

 

[Clip]

congrats!